Sara Johnston, Dipl.Ac., L.Ac.

“How I Became Interested in Acupuncture”

After undergoing lower back surgery for a sports-related injury at age 21, I was left with nerve damage and constant pain radiating down my right leg. For over a year, I tried massage and physical therapy to no avail. While living in Denver volunteering for AmeriCorps and getting ready for medical school, my Dad called from New York to tell me he had gotten acupuncture treatments for an old shoulder injury and that he was pain-free. I decided to give it a shot and in two treatments feeling had returned in my right leg. It was amazing and for the first time in over two years, I was able to get out of bed in the morning without pain. I told everyone about the results and I sent away for school catalogs, books, and brochures, and learned that Chinese medicine encompasses far more than just acupuncture. Already knowing that I wanted to enter the medical field, that experience inspired me to switch gears and pursue a career in alternative medicine.

Credentials, Residency, and Professional Associations

Sara Pavone graduated from a 4-year Master’s degree program granted by Southwest Acupuncture College in Boulder, CO. The program entailed over 2,800 hours of practical and classroom study in acupuncture, Chinese herbs, western pathology and diagnosis, and other adjunct treatment modalities, as well as more than 1,000 hours of supervised clinical treatment time. Sara also has extensive knowledge of western medical sciences and holds an undergraduate degree in biochemistry.

While in Chinese medical school, Sara worked as a pharmaceutical chemist and then interned at Longmont United Hospital in the oncology unit treating patients. She completed an internship at Boulder County AIDS Project providing free medical treatment to AIDS patients and their families as well. Her post-graduate residency was done in China at the prestigious Beijing Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital, the foremost medical facility for dermatology, nephrology, and endocrinology in China. She completed rounds in pain management, obstetrics and gynecology, gastroenterology, nephrology, pediatrics, and dermatology. Sara began working at The Center for Spine Pain in April 2005. She is board certified as a Diplomate of Oriental Medicine in acupuncture and Chinese herbology by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. She also has advanced clinical certifications in facial rejuvenation acupuncture, sports medicine, and injection therapy, and is a member of the Acupuncture Association of Colorado. Sara specializes in treating pain, headaches, infertility, menopausal syndrome, and digestive disorders.

View Sarah Pavone’s full Curriculum Vitae.

Life Outside the Clinic

Sara is never too far away from the mountains. She is an avid mountain biker and skier, and also loves hiking, camping, snowshoeing, and backpacking. She has through-hiked 1,700 miles of the Appalachian Trail and hopes to one day complete the final 500 miles. Outdoor sports are her passion and if she can do them in a remote, underdeveloped country, even better. She loves to scuba dive in Central America and Southeast Asia, and recently climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Woo-hoo!