Experienced Licensed Acupuncturists in Phoenix, AZ
True Acupuncture is led by David Bell, LAc, and Melissa Rambo, LAc, experienced, licensed acupuncturists serving Phoenix and Chandler, AZ for over a decade. Each practitioner brings a personal healing story and advanced training in traditional Chinese medicine to every acupuncture and peptide therapy visit. Learn their full story below or contact us to schedule your consultation.
Our Story
David Bell opened True Acupuncture with the goal of bringing safe, effective, and natural healing to Phoenix and the East Valley. After treating hundreds of patients in California and Maine, he built a clinic around one belief: every patient deserves a personalized, holistic path back to health. Our Phoenix location has served the community for 11 years, and David has practiced acupuncture and Chinese medicine for more than 20 years.
David Bell, LAc
Owner & Licensed Acupuncturist
David received his four-year master's degree in acupuncture and herbal medicine from Five Branches University in Santa Cruz, California, along with a four-year bachelor's degree in Pre-Medical Health Sciences. While traveling in China, a car accident left David with serious back pain; after just a couple of treatments from a local Chinese medicine practitioner, he was out of pain. That experience led him to dedicate his career to acupuncture.
David has spent years studying classical acupuncture under Andrew Nugent-Head, who trained for two decades under leading practitioners in China, and applies this experienced, hands-on approach to every patient he treats — looking beyond symptoms to lifestyle, diet, emotions, environment, and stress. He has a lifelong interest in health and fitness and has competed in many sports over the years, giving him a practical, real-world understanding of injuries and injury prevention.
A client's words about David
"I have been getting acupuncture treatments from David since 2016 and have had amazing relief from pain, headaches, and stress. David is very kind and professional and I always feel comfortable in his office. He knows exactly what you need when you come in for a treatment and I always leave feeling like a new person. He is truly the best acupuncturist I have ever seen!"
- Summer S.
Melissa Rambo, LAc
Licensed Acupuncturist
A transplant from Nebraska, Melissa came to Arizona at 21 to finish her degree at Arizona State University. While working in accounting and struggling with insomnia during her second pregnancy, she tried acupuncture and found immediate relief. That experience led her to enroll at the Phoenix Institute of Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture, where she completed her studies in December 2022 after three years of clinical experience under the mentorship of David Bell, LAc.
Melissa further trained under Ioannis Solos, PhD, MD (China), LAc, in Jiao-style scalp acupuncture, and is certified in Acupuncture Injection Therapy — bringing an experienced, well-rounded skill set to every chronic pain patient she treats.
A client's words about Melissa
"Melissa’s acupuncture treatment was hands down the best I have ever experienced. From the moment the session began, she created such a calm, welcoming environment that immediately put me at ease. Her knowledge, precision, and gentle technique were incredible—you can truly tell she is highly skilled and passionate about what she does.
I left feeling more relaxed, balanced, and pain-free than I have in a long time. The level of care and attention she gives during the entire treatment makes all the difference. This wasn’t just acupuncture… it was a full mind-body reset.
If you’re looking for real results and a practitioner who genuinely cares about your wellbeing, Melissa is absolutely the one to see. I cannot recommend her enough!"
- Nature is Life
Our Approach to Acupuncture in Phoenix, AZ
Every patient is treated as an individual. We take into account injury history, diet, emotions, environment, and stress when building a treatment plan, combining traditional acupuncture with cupping, electroacupuncture, moxibustion, and massage & acupressure for a complete, whole-body approach to healing. Explore our peptide therapy and medical weight loss services as well.
Why Patients Trust True Acupuncture
Patients throughout Phoenix and Chandler trust our clinic for experienced, attentive care and real results. Read what our patients are saying on our testimonials page.
About
Meet Dr. JUJU
Dr. JUJU is a certified practitioner specializing in Neuro Emotional Technique and Reiki healing.
Health Coach
Naturopathic Doctor
State of Arizona #16-1540
DAVID BELL'S MENTOR
​The Association for Traditional Studies (ATS) grew out of founder Andrew Nugent-Head's early work translating for Westerners visiting Beijing to meet and study with traditional practitioners there. In 1991, he was hired as a production assistant for Bill Moyers, who was filming the "Mystery of Qi" episode of his Healing and the Mind series, which aired on PBS in 1993.
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The Bill Moyers project threw into stark relief how fast the traditional arts were dying out. The few practitioners who remained were either too fearful or too scattered around China to be filmed easily, and only a handful were able to be interviewed. This sparked the creation of ATS, and the late Professor Wang Jin-Huai (the calligrapher featured in the documentary) and Andrew Nugent-Head began traveling rural China by jeep to document the last traditional practitioners still living there.
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Guided by the late Dr. Lu Binkui, retired director of Chinese Medicine for the Ministry of Health, Professor Wang and Andrew drove throughout northern China over a two-year period, visiting practitioners in remote villages, monasteries, and factories. Together, they tracked down, interviewed, and filmed some of the last traditional voices of pre-Communist China.
With the release of "Mystery of Qi" on PBS, Professor Wang and Andrew found themselves invited to lecture and teach in the United States. This led to the China Culture Lecture Series tours run by ATS, bringing traditional practitioners to the United States and England. From 1994 to 2001, ATS organized seven tours to the West, and from 1996 to 2005, twelve intensive trainings in China. ATS also released more than 60 educational videos and generated over $250,000 in income for the practitioners themselves.
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By 2005, most of the older practitioners had passed on. Professor Wang died in 2002, and the great Yin Style Bagua practitioner Xie Peiqi died in 2003. Realizing how little time was left before that generation was gone, ATS shifted its focus from education to deep documentation of the last Chinese medicine doctor still practicing in a completely traditional manner in Beijing: Dr. Li Hongxiang.
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Andrew became Dr. Li Hongxiang's closing-door disciple and spent years with him in the clinic and at his home, documenting his extensive knowledge. ATS has generated hundreds of hours of audio and video recordings of treatments and conversations, tracked hundreds of cases, and helped Dr. Li write The Study of Chinese Medicine.
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