Dr. Katrina Giangarra, DACM, L.Ac., Dipl. O.M.

Dr. Katrina Giangarra is a licensed acupuncturist (L.Ac.) in the state of Texas, with an advanced degree of Doctorate of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM), and certified Diplomat of Oriental Medicine (Dipl. O.M.), which is the highest certification under the National Certification Committee of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).

She is passionate about East Asian medicine and truly enjoys helping people transform their lives with acupuncture much in the way it has transformed her own life.

After enduring years of back pain with no relief through Western medicine, Dr. Giangarra received acupuncture treatments to help with her back pain. In just a few acupuncture treatments, her back pain was better. She continued treatments and noticed her allergies got better, her immune system improved, her headaches and migraines resolved, and she felt more balanced. Dr. Giangarra’s fascination for this medicine grew with each treatment, and she decided to become an acupuncturist herself.

Dr. Giangarra earned her Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry from Baylor University. She went on to earn her Masters of Science in Traditional Oriental Medicine from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM). In between treating patients, Dr. Katrina Giangarra continued to expand her knowledge and joined the small, elite group of acupuncturists in her field by completing her Doctorate of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine from PCOM.

She is trained in traditional Chinese medicine and specializes in the more refined, gentle styles of Japanese acupuncture including meridian therapy, Shakujyu therapy, Mukaino muscle tests for pain management, and Manaka’s Extraordinary Vessel treatments. Dr. Giangarra has found that the Japanese style is more effective when treating patients. Her training also consists of Dr. Zhu’s scalp acupuncture, which is beneficial for neurological conditions and post stroke recovery. The results that she has seen using Dr. Zhu’s scalp acupuncture are truly miraculous. Dr. Giangarra also incorporates additional therapies into her treatments such as gua sha, cupping, and moxibustion.

Dr. Katrina Giangarra loves working with people of all ages and enjoys the opportunity to treat children as they tend to respond quickly to treatments. During her time at PCOM, she spent several months treating children, ages ranging from several months to early twenties, at Rady’s Children Hospital. During her doctorate, Dr. Giangarra studied under a pharmacist and gained an in depth understanding of various pharmaceuticals. She understands the importance of helping patients find a balance between Eastern medicine and Western medicine. It is important to her to create a judgment free environment for her patients as she understands patients’ needs to either refrain or utilize various aspects of Western medicine.

Dr. Giangarra enjoys treating a variety of conditions including but not limited to acute pain, chronic pain, headaches, migraines, neuropathy, allergies, depression, anxiety, digestive issues, and post stroke recovery. Her passion lies with helping people resolve both physical and emotional pain. Having had issues with knee pain, back pain, headaches, and migraines, Dr. Giangarra gets excited each time that she can help someone with the same problems that have affected her life.

Other than East Asian medicine, Dr. Giangarra loves to draw and paint. She also enjoys exercising, including yoga and walking her English bulldog, Calliope (Callie for short). She likes to cook, spend time with her family and friends, and travel. Dr. Giangarra enjoys being a part of the Spicewood community and supports other local businesses when possible. 

A favorite quote of Dr. Giangarra’s by Gordon B. Hinckley reflects how she feels about helping people with East Asian medicine: “Being humble means recognizing that we are not on earth to see how important we can become but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others.”

Esme Ralda Giangarra, 2nd Unofficial Mascot of Karma Zen Acupuncture

Esme (aka Ezzy, aka Ezzers, aka Little Minion) is the new unofficial mascot of Karma Zen Acupuncture. When Dr. Giangarra saw there was a female orange tabby kitten in need of a home, she decided to adopt Esme in June of 2020. Dr. Giangarra was reminded of her first cat, Basty, who was also a female orange tabby. Female orange tabbies are rare and make up about 20% of orange tabby cats.  The special nature & sweetness of these felines has held a special place in Dr. Giangarra’s heart. Esme lends her support from home, so you won’t find her in the clinic. Esme is a curious kitten, who is constantly exploring. She runs around the house, often visible as an orange blur. This little kitten has warmed up to her canine sister & other unofficial mascot, Callie. Often, Callie & Esme can be found cuddled up next to each other taking naps. While Callie wasn’t sure what to make of Esme at first, she has learned to accept her & loves having Esme around at home. Both Callie & Esme like to follow Dr. Giangarra around the house like shadows.

An interesting fact is that Dr. Giangarra is highly allergic to cats since her childhood. Thanks to acupuncture & herbs, Dr. Giangarra doesn’t suffer from allergens caused by having cats around her. After years of allergy shots & medications with side-effects, Dr. Giangarra didn’t achieve relief from her allergies. Dr. Giangarra is grateful for the relief she has gotten from East Asian medicine for her allergies, so she can welcome Esme into her home. Seeing Esme & Callie get along at home makes Dr. Giangarra’s heart feel full. Esme is a great, fun addition to the Giangarra household.

Calliope Torres Giangarra, Unofficial Mascot of Karma Zen Acupuncture

Calliope (aka Callie) is Dr. Katrina Giangarra’s canine companion. She has been dubbed as the unofficial mascot of Karma Zen Acupuncture. While you may not find her in the office, she lends her emotional support from home. Callie is a sweet, loving English Bulldog. Don’t let her sad puppy eyes and cute wrinkled mug fool, as she is very smart and stubborn girl. She is great at putting a smile on people’s faces and making them laugh. Her favorite food is the occasional piece of cheese, her favorite toy is a giant, stuffed yeti that’s longer than her. Calliope’s favorite activities include sleeping, eating, and the occasional car rides. She and Dr. Giangarra have gone on multiple road trips together spanning the southern United States from Florida to California. Callie loves living in Texas and enjoys the cooler weather in Texas from late fall to early spring. Wherever Callie goes, she makes new friends and delights in accompanying Dr. Giangarra on occasion at some of the animal friendly establishments here is Spicewood and the surrounding areas.

Follow Callie on Instagram

Isabella Stephens Giangarra, 3rd Unofficial Mascot of Karma Zen Acupuncture

Isabella (aka Izzy, aka Fluff Nugget) is the newest unofficial mascot of Karma Zen Acupuncture. She joined Dr. Katrina’s family back in May 2021. Isabella received her name in part of her two older fur siblings. Just like Calliope, Isabella’s name comes from a character on Grey’s Anatomy. She is named after the character Isobel with the nickname Izzy. Since Esme has a nickname of Ezzy, Isabella’s nickname Izzy matches that of her older feline sister.

Izzy is a very independent & mischievous cat. She is another female orange tabby like Esme.  At 6 months old, Isabella was already bigger than her older sister, Esme. Both cats mostly get along but have their occasional skirmish. Calliope accepts Isabella as another cat in the family. They both go about doing their own thing. Isabella is a regular fluff nugget, who loves to purr & cuddle with her human mom, Dr. Katrina. She has been a nice addition to the Giangarra family.