About Our Team
The Bearded Dragon (aka. Dr. Nicholas La Puma, Jr, OMD #1048)
For nearly 20 years our beloved Bearded Dragon (Dr. Nicholas) has been in the pursuit of vibrant health through traditional Chinese medicine. Dr. Nicholas had his interest in traditional Chinese medicine sparked after being diagnosed with Lyme's disease and receiving acupuncture and herbal therapies for management of pain. Dr. Nicholas enjoys the practice of Chinese medicine because it is a gentle, natural approach to healthcare that has the ability to deliver information to specific body tissues that are hard to reach with other modalities. Dr. Nicholas is excited about bringing affordable, accessible, approachable acupuncture to the Reno community, and increasing awareness of Chinese medicine overall.
Dr. Nicholas studied at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. He then went on to study acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in San Diego, California, where he earned his Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Doctoral work in orthopedics. Dr. Nicholas completed specialized internships in sports medicine, and spinal cord injury, stroke, and paralysis rehabilitation. After graduating, he moved to Portland, Oregon to work in a spinal cord injury facility where he combined functional exercise with acupuncture. While working in Portland, he obtained his Kinesiology Taping certification. Dr. Nicholas is a licensed Doctor of Oriental Medicine in Nevada (OMD), a licensed acupuncturist (LAc) in Oregon, and Diplomate of Oriental Medicine with the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).
Joanne, our patient coordinator, has been Dr. Nick's trusted colleague for 6 years. Joanne has been in medicine for over a decade and zips around our busy little clinic. When Joanne is not spending time with her children and her dogs Molly and Luna, she can usually be found on foot or bicycle in Tahoe and the surrounding area.
Our Clinic
