About Dr. James Carter, DAc, LAc

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My path into medicine began with my own pain — and it taught me something I could never have learned from a textbook.

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At 18, a serious car accident left me with a severe back injury. The pain was unrelenting — whether standing, sitting, or bending. For the next two years I followed the conventional route: physical therapy, chiropractic care, and multiple doctors. Progress was painfully slow. After two full years I had improved only about 25%. I felt exhausted, overwhelmed, and quietly defeated, wondering whether this was simply the life I would have to accept.

It was my chiropractor who finally said, honestly, that he had done what he could and suggested I try acupuncture. I was skeptical, but out of options, so I went.

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The relief after that first treatment was unlike anything I had experienced. Not only did the pain ease significantly — I felt clearer, lighter, and more aligned, as if my whole being had quietly remembered how to be well. Six months later the pain was completely gone. My mind was sharper, my mood lifted, my energy returned. I hadn't just healed — I fell in love with this medicine. That changed everything.

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As a premedical student I had witnessed both the strengths and the limitations of conventional Western medicine. My four-plus years volunteering in the ICU and acute care at Doernbecher Children's Hospital, along with my work as a nursing assistant and caregiver for seniors with dementia and severe disabilities, showed me how much suffering exists when medicine can only manage symptoms rather than truly resolve them. That experience left me with a question I couldn't let go of — what would it look like to truly treat the whole person: body, mind, emotions, and spirit?

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I decided to find out. I earned a Bachelor of Health Sciences, a Master of Acupuncture with Honors in Research, and a Doctorate in Acupuncture with a focus on integrative medicine. Over the last decade I have pursued extensive advanced training in Classical Chinese Medicine, including the Wang Le Ting Golden Needle lineage, pulse waveform analysis and diagnosis, auricular medicine under Dr. Li Chun Huang, Japanese acupuncture and moxibustion, Master Tung's students and Master Tan lineages, and the treatment of complex chronic conditions. I have also trained deeply in Qigong, Tai Chi, and the healing art of Tao Calligraphy.

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Since 2016 I have had the privilege of studying directly under my primary teacher, Dr. and Master Zhi Gang Sha — an 11-time New York Times bestselling author, medical doctor, doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Grandmaster of Tai Chi, Qigong, Kung Fu, Feng Shui, and the I Ching. His teachings have profoundly shaped how I practice — always working with the whole person: body, mind, heart, and soul.

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Since 2015 I have delivered tens of thousands of acupuncture treatments to people from every walk of life — those navigating decades of chronic pain, anxiety, fatigue, hormonal shifts, digestive struggles, and the aftermath of illness or injury. Many arrive having tried everything, feeling as I once did, quietly wondering if things can really change. It is an honor every single time to show them that they can.

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If you are living with something that hasn't responded the way you hoped — or if you simply want to feel more like yourself again — I would be honored to sit with you, listen carefully, and help you find your way back to well-being. That is exactly why I am here.

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Speaking and Expert Engagements: As a leading clinician in acupuncture and East Asian medicine diagnosis, Dr. Carter accepts a limited number of paid speaking engagements, expert panel appearances, and corporate wellness consultations annually.

 

To inquire, call 503-853-2866.

As seen on KOIN 6 News, Portland's CBS affiliate, KATU News.