ABOUT DARREN MAYNARD, LAC

Darren Maynard is a licensed acupuncturist, with a Masters of Science from the Tri State College of Acupuncture in New York. He also holds a certificate in Sports Medicine Acupuncture®, with over 1,000 additional hours of training. He has been in private practice in since 2012 and is currently practicing in Burlington, Vermont.

Since opening his clinic, Darren has treated hundreds of athletes, including professional hockey players and Olympians, Crossfitters, and adventure racers. He specializes in preventing and treating athletic injuries and chronic pain.

MY STORY

I’ve been an athlete my entire life. Sports, competition, and fitness — and the attending injuries — are what brought me to acupuncture. I found deep relief and healing in acupuncture, which I was unable to find elsewhere. When I realized the power of acupuncture, I wanted to become a practitioner myself.

I’ve played lacrosse, basketball, ice hockey, and run cross country. Eight years of rugby left me with one too many concussions, and I shifted to endurance sports. But in 2006, after completing numerous Olympic distance triathlons and half marathons, and dozens of 5k and 10k races, I was sidelined with a double inguinal hernia and needed surgery.

Shortly after the hernias, lightning-bolt onset, debilitating headaches appeared. Lasting for hours, I couldn’t think straight. My stress was through the roof, sleep was nonexistent, and my memory was shot. Doctors, specialists, massage, meditation…nothing provided relief. I lost the drive to workout and compete.

How could this be?

My nutrition and rest were adequate for my training regimen, and yet I was beset by headaches, stress, and injury. At this point, I gave acupuncture a try, just “to see what it’s all about.”

After just one treatment my headache pain diminished significantly, and after a few more treatments the pain was nearly gone and even my digestion had improved. I was astounded. When I became an acupuncturist years later, I finally understood the root of my injuries and migraines: I had depleted my system and ignored the signs. Acupuncture restored my system to balance and healed the underlying musculoskeletal deficits that manifested in pain and fatigue.

While earning my degree, I learned how putting tiny needles into a body could bring such relief and return the body to its highest potential. I trained thousands of hours in acupuncture and dry needling to become an expert in the techniques. From a life of training, racing, and coaching, I understand the psychological frustration athletes endure when they’re not performing at their peak. I love helping athletes of all levels relieve pain and prevent injury.

I look forward to working with you, and thank you for trusting me to help you reach your goals on and off the field!