Marma Therapy
Acupuncture Without the Needles
Marma therapy comes from Ayurvedic medicine and works with specific anatomical points using gentle pressure rather than needles. Those points are widely regarded as the forerunners of the acupuncture points used today, so the mapping is closely related even though the technique is not.
For anyone curious about acupuncture but uneasy about needles, this is usually the better place to begin. Nothing pierces the skin, and the session itself is quiet and settling.
In Ayurveda, marma points are understood as places where muscle, bone, joints, and vessels meet, and where the body's energy is thought to gather. Working with them through touch is intended to support circulation, ease tension, and help the body settle into a more balanced state.
Dr. Forbes brings her training as a physician to this traditional practice, so marma therapy at Forbes Integrative Medicine is never separate from the rest of your care. Patients often come to it for stress, muscle tension, unsettled sleep, or simply a gentler way to restore a sense of calm.
Booking Marma Therapy
You can book marma therapy on its own or add it to a primary care visit, which makes it simple to fold into care you are already receiving.
Dr. Forbes will talk through what you are hoping to address and which points fit, then adjust the approach at follow up sessions based on how you respond.
During a session you rest comfortably, fully clothed, while gentle pressure is applied to specific points. Many patients describe feeling deeply relaxed afterward, and there is no downtime, so you can continue your day as usual.
Some people use marma therapy on its own, while others combine it with acupuncture or lifestyle medicine as part of a broader plan at our Phoenix practice. Direct primary care members also receive member pricing when they book it as a separate service.
All the calm of a traditional acupuncture session with nothing that pierces the skin.
