Specialties
Dr. Deb Ma, PhD, LAC, OMD, combines 17+ years of expertise from No.1 private hospitals with an unique approach using Cheek Acupuncture and FSN Needles.
At Puzzle Acupuncture, Dr Deb specialize in "difficult" cases—specifically nerve injury rehabilitation, chronic pain, and maternal health (including postpartum care). I view the body as a puzzle; when patients are told their condition is "impossible," I simply believe we just haven't found the right pieces to solve it yet.
1. Nerve Injury & Rehabilitaion
- Acute or chronic sports injuries for athletes
- Complex neurological disorders, stroke, Bell's palsy, limb numbness & tingling
- Post-surgical nerve damage, cancer-related pain, and chronic abdominal pain syndromes
2. Migraine & Sleep Disorders
- Headache, chronic migraine
- Insomnia and sleep quality improvement
- Hormonal imbalances affecting mood and energy
3. Digestion & Gut
- Bloating & abdominal distension
- Allergy management and immune system support
- Digestive issues and gastrointestinal health
4. Women's Health
- Physical recovery: constipation, urinary retention, and pelvic health
- Hormonal rebalancing, pelvic floorrehabilitation, and psychological resilience support
- Postpartum depression and emotional wellness support
History
Established in 2025.
For 17 years, I practiced TCM in Beijing's No1 private hospitals, collaborating across departments and treating international patients from every continent. I built expertise in complex neurological cases and postpartum care, and I believed I understood how medicine worked.
Then my family moved to San Francisco, and everything shifted.
For the first time, I need to practice alone.
Isolation forced me to launch Puzzle Exchange, a cross-treatment program connecting local medical community. I believe different people need different approaches. Sometimes healing happens when you find the right practitioner, the right combination of treatments, or just knowing when to refer.
This is the foundation of Puzzle Acupuncture. My job isn't to be the answer, it's to help you find the right path. Through our cross-treatment program, we experience different ways of addressing problems. I assess whether you're a right fit for acupuncture, and I refer you elsewhere when I'm not the answer.
Meet the Business Owner: Dr Deb M.
I believe healthcare should meet people where they are, not force them into rigid boxes. My journey from Ohio to Taiwan, across European cruise ships, through San Diego's competitive wellness market, to Beijing's #1 private hospital, and now San Francisco has taught me that healing happens best when we blend wisdom from different traditions with genuine understanding of each person's unique life.
My experiences have taught me the following:
- I bridge Eastern wisdom with Western precision to create treatment plans that actually work in real life
- I thrive in cross-functional teams because I speak both "medical" and "human"
- I customize solutions instead of prescribing one-size-fits-all approaches
- I won't tell you to stop drinking if that's your joy, I'll find ways to optimize your health around your actual lifestyle
- I see patterns others miss because I've treated everyone from Qatar royals to farmers in rural China
- I build long-term relationship with my patients