Pivot Acupuncture
Welcome to Pivot Acupuncture, our primary focus is on supporting and educating our patients on their journey towards reaching their health goals. We practice whole-body medicine by addressing not only your symptoms, but through also treating the root of what’s causing the physical imbalances.
Pivot Acupuncture offers both private and community-style acupuncture to the residents of Vallejo and surrounding cities. Our primary areas of expertise are pain management, women’s health and preventative wellness.
What we treat
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is a medical system that uses a “Root & Branch” approach. We not only treat the patient’s symptoms, but also treat the root causes manifesting in pain, illness, or psychoemotional unrest. Here is a short list of conditions we treat:
Acute/Chronic Pain
Arthritis
Back pain, neck, spinal pain
Headaches / Migraines
Joint pain
Neuropathic Pain
Repetitive stress injuries
Sciatica
Sports Injury
Women’s Health
Facial Rejuventaion
Hormonal Imbalances
Insomnia
Menopausal Symptoms
Menstrual Issues
Nausea / Morning Sickness
Post-partum Recovery Support
Perinatal Support / ‘Happy Baby’ Treatment
Pregnancy-related pain
PMS
Stress
General Conditions:
Allergies / Asthma
Anxiety, Depression, Stress
Brain Injury Support
Cancer Support
Chemotherapy / Radiation support
Chronic Fatigue
Digestive Issues
Inflammatory Bowel Disease / IBS
Insomnia
Smoking Cessation
Stroke Rehabilitation Support
Thyroid Issues
Our Space
Our Team
Shawne is a California Board Licensed Acupuncturist, herbalist, and Certified Massage Therapist
She is a strong believer in an integrative medical approach, with the patient being the leader of their own healthcare team. Shawne believes that patients receive the best health outcomes when providers of different modalities can work in open-minded collaboration towards a mutual goal. In addition to acupuncture and herbal recommendations, Shawne uses nutrition, mindfulness and movement as tools to help her patients attain their individual health goals.
Shawne has practiced acupuncture in a variety of integrative medical settings. This includes Lifelong Berkeley Primary care, where she worked with a group of doctors, nurses and psychiatrists treating a diverse range of patients with chronic health issues. Shawne also spent time at California Pacific Medical Center, Davies Campus in San Francisco, CA, providing acupuncture treatments to patients in the Stroke & Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation unit. In addition to her experience in American medical settings, Shawne also spent time in Hangzhou, China, observing and working in various clinics within the Zhejiang Medical University.
Shawne is a Bay Area native and is passionate about serving the community in which she spent a great deal of her childhood. In her free time, she enjoys experimenting on healthy dishes in her kitchen, enjoying the outdoors, or exploring new sites with her husband and their two children.
Catherine “Cat” Elumba, Licensed Massage Therapist
Catherine, or Cat, is an advocate for preventative healing. She believes that regular massage therapy can promote flexibility, enhance physical performance, and help in managing pain and daily stress. For Cat, massage isn’t simply a luxury, but rather a necessary and crucial part of her clients’ wellness routine. She passionately believes that Wellness is a delicate balance between our physical and mental-emotional health, therefore therapy should come from a whole-mind-and-body approach. Since healing begins with the client-therapist relationship, Cat will take the time to discuss your wellness goals and work together with you in achieving them.
Cat’s health education journey began as a Nursing student at University of San Francisco where she discovered her appreciation for the human body and her love for preventative holistic medicine. From there she went on to receive her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from San Francisco State University, and soon after completed her massage therapist training at the National Holistic Institute of San Francisco.
Cat has worked in a variety of settings, including luxury spa environments, fitness studios, and chiropractic offices. In 2015, she co-founded BackSpace Mobile massage where she was able to follow through on her vision of helping clients with managing their pain by teaching the benefits of proper self-care. Cat is passionate about educating her clients on the importance of incorporating regular and consistent massage therapy into their healthcare routine.
In 2017, she met Dr. Shawne Lopes and was excited to find how aligned their values were around health, wellness, and community. When Dr. Shawne opened Pivot Acupuncture in 2018, this opened the door for Cat to not only learn more about Eastern medicine, but also brought her back to her hometown of Vallejo, Ca.
With over 10-years of holistic therapeutic experience, Cat’s passion for bodywork is rooted in Eastern therapies, particulary Acupressure, Shiatsu, and Thai techniques. She has a deep love for rehabilitative work and often uses myofascial release and trigger point therapy in combination with deep tissue. Her sessions are best described as “East meets West”. Being an intuitive facilitator of healing, she believes the synergistic blend of physical techniques, positive energy, and education create an optimal healing environment.
While massage therapy will always be her first love, she spends the rest of her time with her 11-year old son Devin, and partner Herb. She is a true foodie and enjoys cooking, watching cooking shows, listening to local jazz music and cuddling with her 10-pound maltipoo, Pablo.
Alyssa Grace Kendle, Massage Therapist
Alyssa Grace is a state certified massage therapist, certified by the California Massage Therapy Council, and a 12-year member of Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP). She is a graduate of National Holistic Institute and has worked in various settings including health spas, chiropractic offices, large healthcare events, as well as in private practice. Alyssa holds her Master’s of Science in Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine from the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Francisco, and is currently preparing for her acupuncture licensure exams.
Alyssa’s area of expertise is therapeutic medical massage. She uses a combination of Tui Na, or Chinese medical massage, static techniques on trigger points, as well as her experience working as an Acupuncture intern to customize each session. Her approach helps to encourage the body to let go of old holding patterns, while alleviating pain, improving flexibility and enhancing her patient’s general well-being.
When she's not working Alyssa enjoys painting with her little one, taking road trips with her family, broadening her culinary skills, and, when the winter season is good, snowboarding at Lake Tahoe.
Selena Lazzarotti
Office Administrator, Medical Assistant
Selena is a Psychology major in her last year at San Francisco State University. After graduating, she hopes to spend a year volunteering in a medical facility before moving on to pursue her Master’s in psychology or nursing. Selena is passionate about working with children and adolescents in the healthcare field. She hopes to one day work in a field where she can help guide youth through the challenges and pressures of everyday life.
Selena is excited to be working in the alternative health care field, and looks forward to learning more about Chinese Medicine and all that it has to offer.
Denise Johnston
Administrative Coordinator
Denise received a BA in Pyschology with an emphasis in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from SFSU. She has worked retail; for a start up company and in management for a legal research company. While taking time off from the work world to raise her children, Denise spent her time serving on the PTA board, Baseball Little League Board, High School Athletic Boosters Board and most recently Parent Leader representing her kids high school. Denise has always been drawn to Holistic Medicine and is learning a lot from Dr. Shawne. She plans to keep growing in her knowledge of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, while supporting Pivot Acupuncture in its growth and administrative goals.
Credentials
Dr. Shawne Jabonero Lopes
DACM, L.Ac, CMT
Specializing in Orthopedics/Sports Medicine, Women’s Health, General Wellness