Dr. James Munson, L.Ac.
If you live in Napa, you may have wondered about that tall man you’ve seen up and at ‘em at 4:00 a.m. on leisurely pre-sunrise strolls around downtown with his dog. Meet Dr. Munson, The Wellness Principle’s co-founder and dog dad to clinic mascot Rufus.
Dr. Munson completed the three-year doctoral program at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM) in San Francisco in 2014. He was awarded the school’s first-ever doctoral fellowship, all the while maintaining an active acupuncture practice in San Francisco and Kensington. As part of his doctorate, he specialized in the treatment of PTSD and trauma with Chinese medicine–a passion that continues to this day. During his studies, Dr. Munson also did clinical rotations at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in the Stroke/Rehabilitation department.
Dr. Munson is a pain management specialist, with particular expertise in diagnosis and treatment of patients with complex conditions. He excels at developing integrative treatment plans that synthesize traditional Chinese medicine with modern, Western medical treatment. In addition to his own research, Dr. Munson co-authored the book, Bridging the Gap: Integrative Oncology and the Practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Chinese medicine nerds will appreciate Dr. Munson’s fluency with a wide-variety of acupuncture styles and needle techniques, including Japanese gentle needling, auricular (ear acupuncture), scalp, Masters Tong and Tan, channel/ zang-fu, and moxibustion. His treatments may involve electro-acupuncture, heat therapy, internal and/or external Chinese herbal medicines, Chinese medical massage, acupressure, cupping, gua sha, and Qigong exercises.
As our Research & Development Director, Dr. Munson keeps us on the cutting edge of innovations in the health industry, from both scientific and integrative perspectives. He manages our team with the utmost kindness and dedication, while providing advanced clinical training and mentorship to our practitioners. Dr. Munson is currently hard at work on developing Chinese herbal supplements to treat a variety of conditions.
Aside from his passion for traditional Chinese medicine, Dr. Munson enjoys scuba diving and camping in his free time. Ask him about his experience with a Mongolian shaman….
Contact Dr. Munson at drmunson@tcmwellnessprinciple.com
“I can talk about the system of Chinese medicine all day, every day. My patients hear it all, because it’s crucial they understand healing takes place through many modalities and over time. It’s the little actions and changes we make everyday that ultimately create balance and healing.”
— Dr. James Munson, L.Ac.