Multimedia Spotlight: Meet the Sports Acupuncturist Helping Athletes Stay in the Game

NESA alum George Leung is keeping Boston’s athletes and artists at peak performance.

Stepping into George Leung’s office is like entering a hall of fame. One photograph on the wall shows former Red Sox ace Hideki Okajima in full stride on the pitcher’s mound, poised to deliver a fastball. Scrawled across the image is a message: “Thanks for keeping me healthy.”

Nearby, a picture of Boston Symphony Orchestra violinist Elita Kang expresses gratitude: “Thanks for getting me through the hardest weeks of my career.” In another frame, former Boston Ballet dancer Tigran Mkrtchyan conveys his appreciation for “healing my back,” while another dancer credits Leung with “keeping me on pointe.” The message from Olympic hockey player Hilary Knight sums up the sentiment best, writing “you are a true healer.”

These snapshots are just a few of the 250 images—“and counting,” Leung said—adorning the walls of his cozy Brookline office. Each represents his skill and dedication as a longtime sports acupuncturist. There’s Sebastian Vollmer, the former tackle for the New England Patriots; Olympic figure skaters Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir; and retired Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia. All these athletes and artists share a common thread: their careers were sustained and enriched by Leung’s care at East/West Sports Acupuncture & Orthopaedics, where he blends Eastern and Western approaches in treating musculoskeletal and orthopedic injuries and conditions.

How It All Started

A nagging basketball injury—he twisted his lower back during a game—eventually steered Leung toward a career in acupuncture. "That was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said. In 2008, he earned his master's degree in acupuncture with a specialty in sports medicine from the New England School of Acupuncture (NESA) at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS).

With more than 25 years of experience in sports and orthopedic rehabilitation, Leung has honed his skills in easing sore muscles, healing overuse injuries, and alleviating joint pain. He also practices as a licensed athletic trainer, certified Kinesio Taping Instructor, and physical therapy assistant, treating a diverse range of athletes: world-class equestrians, Olympic figure skaters and hockey players, Boston Ballet dancers, Boston Marathon runners, MLB and NFL athletes, and even weekend warriors with pickleball muscle pulls.

For Okajima, various hip and back injuries led to a stint on the DL with a hamstring strain. The BSO violinist faced neck and shoulder pain. Other athletes, like ballet dancers, experience knee or Achilles tendonitis, ankle impingements, hip issues, and “sometimes a big toe,” Leung said.

“When they get off the table, sometimes they say I’m a magician,” Leung said with a smile. “They’re feeling loose and in less pain.”

Leung uses an electrical stimulation unit with cords that resemble small jumper cables connected to the acupuncture needles. Each needle emits a pulsating electrical current to stimulate circulation at specific points on the body. By inserting needles near where a muscle in spasm attaches to a ligament or tendon, Leung’s treatment can break the pain-spasm cycle, increase blood circulation, improve the range of motion, and activate endorphins, the body’s feel-good hormones.

“The root of the injury is inside the body and acupuncture is a root treatment,” he explained. “These insertions aim to get inside the body to increase oxygenated blood flow, release muscle restriction, and to re-activate the weak muscle.”

Paying It Forward

Training the next generation of sports acupuncturists is a top priority for Leung. Each year, he welcomes two or three aspiring sports acupuncturists to his Brookline practice, offering them a chance to gain invaluable experience and insight into the specialty. He only treats individuals with sports-related injuries, as well as general orthopedic and musculoskeletal conditions. “Students come to me if they are seriously interested in understanding and thinking about pursuing sports and orthopedic acupuncture,” he said.

Most of the students Leung mentors are in their first or second year of study at NESA. “I show them how and what it’s like to treat athletes,” Leung explained. “I also teach them about the business of being an entrepreneur and how to run a specialty acupuncture practice.”

Watching Leung work with patients was particularly motivating for Alexis Angell, a NESA student. Angell, who is pursuing a Doctor of Acupuncture after earning her master’s degree in May, recalls her time at Leung's practice vividly.

"This practice was one of the first I ever came into as part of the program," Angell said. "It was amazing to see so many different athletes from various backgrounds. George's confidence in treating them, his expertise, and the rapport and trust he had with them were remarkable. Talking to him about his journey and how he built his practice was something I carried with me as I finished my master's."

Angell did not get to perform hands-on work due to her role as an assistant, but she observed Leung's treatment maneuvers, including needling, intake processes, joint mobilization, and kinesiology tape application. "I was there from start to finish within the treatment," she noted.

Working with Leung helped solidify Angell's interest in specializing in sports medicine and sports acupuncture. "Seeing George's proficiency with techniques like electrical stimulation acupuncture was groundbreaking," Angell shared. "It showed me the possibilities and effectiveness of such modalities, which has been invaluable for my development as a practitioner."

Healing in Action

Not long ago, Leung even had the opportunity to see his healing techniques in action. One evening, he attended a Boston Ballet performance of "The Nutcracker," where many of his ballet patients were performing. As he watched them leap and twirl across the stage with grace and precision, Leung said he momentarily forgot about their aches and pains. “I was just in awe of how talented they are,” he said.

Back in his office, surrounded by the smiling faces in the photos on the wall, Leung laughs at being referred to as the “acupuncturist to the stars.” Instead, he sees his pictures as stories of triumph over pain and injury, and he finds it impossible to pick a favorite. “I love them all," he said. "The pictures motivate me and fill me with gratitude for all the athletes I have helped.”