First I want to thank you for the trust you’ve placed in our practice. Because I value your trust, I am committed to doing everything I can to help you. To this end, I’ve created a program that I know will compliment the work I do with Chinese medicine, and bring long lasting results.

Allow me to introduce Acu-Sthenics™.

The word “Sthenics” has roots in the Greek language and means: abounding in energy or bodily strength; active or strong. The word is part of Calisthenics which means “Beautiful Strength”.

Acu-Sthenics™, then, is a combination of acupuncture/acupressure, bodywork followed with therapeutic exercises including ,Qi Gong, joint mobility drills, and strength training in accordance to the reason for treatments, and the patient’s current state of physical conditioning.

For some patients, Acu-Sthenics™ takes over where physical therapy left off, and for others it is the start of a holistic approach to fitness.

Acu-Sthenics™ program consists of ten sessions and each session lasts around one hour. You are encouraged to wear comfortable, loose clothing. Sessions are scheduled to your convenience and we’ll gladly work around your schedule.

Acu-Sthenics™ is an affordable way to address pain conditions, get back to the basics of fitness while improving overall range of motion, body strength, and an overall sense of well being.

Feel free to contact our clinic should you have any questions or to find out if Acu-Sthenics™ is for you at: 904-827-9897

Yours in Health,

Fernando Bernall, DOM

Kettlebell and Tai chi Fusion

by Fernando Bernall, DOM

In this little video I share with you how I incorporate kettlebells into many of Tai chi’s sequences or postures.

Celestial Stem Qi Gong Workshop in St. Augustine

by Fernando Bernall, DOM

On May 19-20, 2012 – I will be offering a two-day workshop in Saint Augustine, on the ancient system of Qi Gong known as Tian Kan or Celestial Stem. The system consists of 24 short postures that will, with practice, strengthen the spine while giving it pliability and overall rejuvenation. More information can be found more »

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Acupuncture Treatments Enhanced by Qi Gong and Tai Chi

by Fernando Bernall, DOM

In my acupuncture practice here in Saint Augustine, I have come to notice that patients who also study Qi Gong, Tai Chi, and/or Kung Fu in my school, tend to heal faster from complaints including digestive, muscular, emotional, lack of energy, and poor sleep to name just a few. While the idea of including exercise more »

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Treatment of Ingrown toenail [blog video]

by Fernando Bernall, DOM

in this video I’ll be sharing with you an old method to treat early stages of an ingrown toenail that I learned as a young boy in my native Colombia. Please understand that this was totally improvised and filmed right on the spot. in actual clinical practice, the treatment is done with better tools.

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The Three Environments

by Fernando Bernall, DOM

I base my entire practice on the idea that the human body wants to gravitate towards a state of good health. Male, female, rich, poor, black, white. It makes no difference. Good health is the heritage for all mankind. If the above is true, then how come there are so many people sick? I don’t more »

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Qigong, Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine and Bodywork in the Treatment of Fibromyalgia

by Fernando Bernall, DOM

What is FM? Fibromyalgia (FM), is a term used in medicine to identify the collective symptoms that millions of people have complained about, and describe as generalized pain within the muscle tissues accompanied by chronic fatigue. It is the second most common diagnosis made in rheumatology clinics. In this article, I will present some of more »

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The Four Methods: A Common Ground between Personal Training and Acupuncture

by Fernando Bernall, DOM

Personal training is similar to the practice of Acupuncture in that both systems, to be effective, employ four methods to gather information in order to offer solutions specific to the client. Each individual must be treated in accordance to the information gathered through looking, asking, listening and palpating at the time of the first and more »

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DaoNamics™: A Total Body Fitness Method

by Fernando Bernall, DOM

Welcome! I’m Fernando Bernall, the creator of the DaoNamics™ Fitness System. I called it DaoNamics™ because it follows a Dynamic Path towards complete body-mind fitness, focusing on general strength and pliability with weight loss as a side effect of training.

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The SpiralFlow Method of Joint Mobility for Baby Boomers

by Fernando Bernall, DOM
SpiralFlow Method

In 2009, the first boomers turned 65 and every 8 seconds a boomer turns 50, making it the fastest growing demographic group in America currently numbering around 78 million strong. The Boomer Generation has come to age.

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Wild Goose Chi Kung Workshops

by Fernando Bernall, DOM

During the month of May and June, 2011, I will be offering weekend workshops in an ancient system of Qi Gong known as Wild Goose Chi Kung (Qi Gong). For more details and to register go to WildGooseChiKung.com

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Corporate Pain = Corporal Anguish

by Fernando Bernall, DOM

The lessons to be learned in life are often taught through avenues never traveled. As a physician of acupuncture, I often treat pain experienced by my patients from their work environment. Most often, these patients sit on a desk for hours at a time in conditions less than suitable for their body type. Also, the more »

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The Kettlebell Clean With A Tai Chi Twist

by Fernando Bernall, DOM
Thumbnail image for The Kettlebell Clean With A Tai Chi Twist

In this post, I would like to share a little drill I created for cleaning and racking the kettlebell through the use of unilateral hip extension and the use of a tai chi bow stance. The drill becomes more complex when we consider that the kettlebell is being cleaned on the contralateral arm of the more »

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Kettlebells: What Are They?

by Fernando Bernall, DOM
Thumbnail image for Kettlebells: What Are They?

They look like cannonballs with handles. They come in different “poods”; one pood being 16 kilograms or around 35+ pounds. The “Beast” weighs around 3 poods or 48kg = 106lbs; a real monster. They come from the Highlands of Scotland and a Russian dictionary dating back to 1704 calls them “girya”. We call them “Kettlebells”. more »

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Gong Fu

by Fernando Bernall, DOM

The term “Gong Fu” aka “Kung Fu”, can be roughly translated to: “skill acquired through practice”, and its general use in the West, which departs from the etymological meaning of the Chinese characters, is in reference to the martial arts. In the following, I will attempt to share with you some of my current views more »

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The Kettlebell Windmill: Strength and Stretch in Motion

by Fernando Bernall, DOM
Thumbnail image for The Kettlebell Windmill: Strength and Stretch in Motion

There are many drills with kettlebells that not only are demanding, but also are very revealing or diagnostic in nature. The Windmill (WM) along with the Turkish Get Up (TGU), are two of such drills and on this short article I would like to highlight the Windmill. I will also share a little video showing more »

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Tai Chi: Software for the Body

by Fernando Bernall, DOM

It has now been over two decades since I first started my study and practice of tai chi.. Many of those years were under the guidance of my teachers. But a large portion of this time span has been self-study along with self-correction.  This path of self-study, is challenging.  The enthusiasm to continue daily practice more »

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Kettlebell: The Belly Fat Blaster

by Fernando Bernall, DOM
Thumbnail image for Kettlebell: The Belly Fat Blaster

Belly fat, a gentler term for abdominal fat, is perhaps the number one telltale sign of fitness decline and the subsequent deterioration of one’s general health. At some stage in life, abdominal fat becomes synonymous with Metabolic syndrome and is often associated with a decline in testosterone or the so called male menopause. Kettlebell training, more »

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Swimming Dragon: For Boomers’ Healthy Spine

by Fernando Bernall, DOM
Thumbnail image for Swimming Dragon: For Boomers’ Healthy Spine

Swimming Dragon is perhaps one of my favorite sets I teach to my Baby Boomer Clients to help  keep the spine in a healthy condition. Not only is the vertebral column exercised, but the joints of the knees, ankles, hips, elbows, wrists and shoulders, along with the neck, receive a mild and invigorating workout. Joint more »

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The Fitness Professional: A Model in the Health care Field

by Fernando Bernall, DOM

As a health care practitioner, I have found that a vital missing component in most medical practices that focus on pain management, is a fitness program that can be easily integrated within the physician’s current work model.While at first sight the inclusion of a fitness regime into a treatment plan may seem an easy process, more »

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