Move Better | Feel Better | Live Better
Whether you’re an elite athlete, a weekend warrior, or someone facing challenges with everyday activities, you’re in the right place.
At Stratford Acupuncture & Nutritional Wellness Center, we combine acupuncture, manual therapies, and corrective exercises to help you move well, feel great, and thrive at every stage of life.
This isn’t about shortcuts or quick fixes—it’s about real, sustainable results that support your long-term health and wellness.
Real stories, real results—hear directly
from our patients...
Licensed Acupuncturist & Nutritionist
Joe Downer brings a wealth of expertise and a compassionate touch to Stratford Acupuncture & Nutritional Wellness Center. With a passion for helping patients achieve their best health, Joe’s journey into Chinese medicine began during his time studying at Nanjing University in China. While earning his certificate in Chinese studies, Joe experienced the profound healing power of acupuncture and herbal medicine firsthand, sparking his lifelong dedication to this field.
A graduate of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, with a degree in political science and history, Joe's path may have started in a different direction, but his personal experience led him to pursue extensive training in traditional Chinese medicine, Japanese acupuncture, and acupuncture physical medicine. This diverse background allows him to draw from multiple modalities, combining techniques to create a truly personalized treatment plan for each patient.
A Patient-Centered Approach
Joe believes every patient is unique and deserves a treatment plan tailored to their individual needs. Whether you’re seeking relief from TMJ, sports injuries, allergies, fertility challenges, chronic pain, or stress-related disorders, Joe takes an integrative approach to help you achieve your wellness goals. He also supports patients with weight management, smoking cessation, and internal medicine complaints, addressing both the symptoms and their underlying causes.
Set to receive his doctorate in acupuncture in the spring of 2025, Joe remains committed to staying at the forefront of his field, continually expanding his knowledge to better serve his patients.
When you work with Joe, you’re not just receiving treatment—you’re gaining a partner in your journey to better health and well-being.
Meet Joseph Downer, MSAC, L.Ac.
Break Free from the Cycle of Short-Term Relief
If you’ve been moving from one therapist to another without finding lasting solutions, you’re not alone. It’s frustrating to feel stuck wondering if you’re truly healing or just managing symptoms.
At Stratford Acupuncture & Nutritional Wellness Center, we take a different approach. Using advanced acupuncture techniques, we provide a clear and structured plan designed to deliver measurable progress. Each session builds on the previous one, moving you closer to lasting results and greater well-being.
Addressing the Root Cause, Not Just Symptoms
Temporary symptom relief can feel like progress, but it often leaves the underlying issue unaddressed. Our approach dives deeper by restoring the connection between your nervous system and the muscles that need it most. This process helps your body release tension, eliminate compensatory patterns, and rebuild strength, stability, and balance.
A Tailored Approach for Every Patient
Healing is a unique journey for each person. That’s why we create personalized treatment plans that adapt to your needs as you progress. Each session is thoughtfully designed to address imbalances, improve your body’s functionality, and enhance your overall understanding of your health.
This isn’t just about reducing pain—it’s about empowering you to move, feel, and live better. Together, we’ll work toward long-term healing and the confidence that comes from knowing your body is functioning at its best.
Empowerment Through Education
At Stratford Acupuncture & Nutritional Wellness Center, my goal is not only to help you feel better after each session but also to leave you informed and empowered. By understanding the patterns and imbalances affecting your body, you’ll gain valuable insight into how to maintain progress between treatments. Through education, hands-on techniques, and personalized guidance, I’m here to support you in creating real, lasting change.
How Can Acupuncture Help?
Our approach blends the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine with modern neurology and sports medicine to optimize muscle function and nervous system communication. By stimulating motor points—where nerves connect to muscles—and key nerve pathways, we restore balance between muscle groups, improve movement, and reduce pain.
Electroacupuncture plays a key role in this process. This technique uses gentle electrical stimulation to enhance the benefits of acupuncture, boosting nerve activation and muscle performance. When combined with dry needling, manual therapy, and home exercise plans, our treatments provide a safe, effective solution for injuries, chronic pain, and movement dysfunction. Many patients experience both immediate and lasting results.
Assess
Every journey begins with understanding. We start by assessing your overall health, posture, strength, and mobility to uncover any dysfunctions that may be contributing to your pain or limiting your performance. This thorough evaluation allows us to identify the root causes, not just the symptoms.
Reset
Next, we focus on addressing the imbalances identified during your assessment. Through targeted treatments, we aim to improve function, reduce pain, and create a strong physiological foundation—setting the stage for lasting progress.
Restore
With a solid foundation in place, we can release the tension and compensatory patterns that have built up over time. This step enhances your body’s overall performance and promotes meaningful, long-lasting improvements in how you feel and move.
Our Approach
Healing with Purpose: Advanced Assessments & Tailored Therapies for Pain-Free Living and Performance
Mobility & Strength Evaluation
Using a combination of muscle testing, orthopedic assessments, range of motion evaluations, and movement analysis, we identify areas of restriction or weakness. This comprehensive approach allows us to develop a personalized treatment plan designed to restore balance, improve function, and support your overall wellness.
Motor Point Activation
By stimulating key points within muscles, this technique helps reset their function, enhancing both strength and flexibility. It’s particularly effective for relieving pain, restoring mobility after injury, and optimizing muscle performance—making it a valuable tool for athletes and anyone struggling with muscle tension or imbalance.
Dry Needling
Using a specialized acupuncture technique, we target “trigger points” or tight bands within muscle tissue to stimulate a natural twitch response, followed by deep muscle relaxation. This approach is highly effective for stubborn areas of tension that don’t respond to other treatments, providing lasting relief and improved mobility.
Electroacupuncture
This advanced technique combines traditional acupuncture with gentle electrical stimulation to enhance its therapeutic effects. By activating muscle tissue, improving circulation, and accelerating the body's natural healing process, electroacupuncture is a powerful tool for pain relief, recovery, and overall wellness.
Traditional Acupuncture
By stimulating nerve receptors in the skin, muscles, and fascia, this time-tested practice encourages the release of endorphins and other natural healing chemicals. The result? Reduced pain, improved circulation, and decreased inflammation—helping to restore balance and support overall well-being.
PEMF Therapy
Our high-voltage PEMF therapy enhances your body’s natural healing process by combining soothing heat with cutting-edge, science-backed technology. This relaxing, self-serve session promotes deep recovery, making it the perfect complement to a treatment or a quick wellness boost to recharge your body.
Standard Process 21-Day Purification
Our 21-Day Purification Program is more than just a cleanse—it’s a complete reset for your body and mind. Designed to detoxify, nourish, and restore balance, this structured program supports major organ systems with nutrient-dense whole foods, protein shake (Chocolate/Vanilla), and Standard Process supplements. Patients often experience weight loss, improved digestion, reduced joint discomfort, and increased mental clarity, all while building sustainable habits for long-term wellness.
Your Path to Success Starts
with a Personalized Plan
Every visit begins with a thorough assessment and a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs. Using a combination of techniques designed specifically for you, we aim to help you achieve optimal results. After your initial assessment, we’ll create a follow-up plan, which we’ll adjust as needed based on your progress.
For best results, we typically recommend an initial treatment series of 2 sessions per week for 4 weeks. Many patients notice improvements within 1-3 visits.*
Our Three-Phase Approach to Wellness
*Cost differs based on need.
Phase 1: Relief
In this phase, treatments focus on reducing symptoms, which may improve for 1-72 hours before gradually returning. For acute or severe chronic issues, we recommend 2 sessions per week for 4 weeks to address the problem proactively.
Phase 2: Corrective
As symptoms improve and last longer after each session (about a week), consistent treatments (1 session per week for 4 weeks for acute; chronic may require 2 visits per week depending on need ) help resolve underlying health issues and establish a strong foundation for long-lasting results.
Phase 3: Supportive
Once your condition is stabilized, we focus on prevention, performance enhancement, and managing chronic conditions. Monthly maintenance sessions are recommended to sustain progress, prevent recurrence, and support overall wellness.
Pelvic Floor Acupuncture
Pelvic floor dysfunction can cause pain, tension, and difficulty with basic functions, often worsening with age, pregnancy, or trauma. Acupuncture helps by relaxing tight muscles, improving circulation, and restoring pelvic function. By stimulating key points, it encourages deep muscle release, enhanced blood flow, and natural pain relief, helping many patients feel immediate and lasting relief.
Red Light Therapy
Red Light Therapy is a powerful, non-invasive treatment that supports orthopedic recovery by reducing inflammation, promoting tissue repair, and enhancing circulation. By penetrating deep into muscles and joints, it stimulates cellular regeneration, collagen production, and faster healing of injuries. Whether recovering from sprains, strains, joint pain, or chronic musculoskeletal issues, Red Light Therapy helps reduce stiffness, improve mobility, and accelerate recovery—naturally and effectively.
