Benjamin Dierauf, LAc

Gentle, relaxed, and effective — with 23+ years of experience, Benjamin Dierauf has been treating my chronic shoulder and neck pain with acupuncture, suction cups, scraping/​guasha, and Chinese herbs. He alleviated much pain and succeeded at the same time also with treating insomnia, a stress related condition. I went to his office with a fear of needles, and didn’t know what to expect. After 3 sessions I feel the difference and I am getting and feeling a lot better! I will continue on a weekly basis to fully recover. My highest recommendations for his expertise and care.

After being on my back and barely able to move for over a month, I decided to try a different approach and try acupuncture for the first time. I am so glad that I took the time to read the reviews and find a professional that I could trust — the reviews don’t lie, Benjamin is the best. His gentle approach is very comforting and he does an amazing job of explaining everything he doing. I was treated four times in eight days and he literally enabled me to walk and function again. He was even kind enough to perform three of the four treatments in my home as he knew how difficult it was for me to leave the house! On a scale of one to ten (one being the worst), i was literally a one before my first visit and after my fourth I was a solid seven — very impressive to see such drastic change in such a short amount of time. Thank you Benjamin — I will definitely recommend you to anyone in need of acupuncture!

Benjamin has a very calming and relaxed manner and made me feel totally safe and cared for. I had a neck injury earlier this year that is still hanging on. After Benjamin’s treatment, my neck felt more relaxed, mobile and pain-​free than it has in awhile. Plus, my whole body felt relaxed and grounded, which is fabulous because I can get into a habit of spinning around in my head and trying to cram too much into my schedule.
Benjamin used a few additional acupuncture modalities in addition to needles, and I really felt like I got a Cadillac treatment. :-) He explained everything along the way, which I really like. I highly recommend Benjamin — he’s got decades of experience and is a true healer, which is very apparent when you work with him.

First off, he is quick minded, gentle in nature, and an open person. He also knows his stuff and is good at explaining the relationships between symptoms, ailments, diet, and treatment. As a bonus, his price is super reasonable.
I was debating between 4 stars or 5… this morning was my first visit with Benjamin so I thought I should go a few times before deciding on 5; however, I walked in with a stuffy head, substantial lower back pain, exhausted from chronic insomnia, depressed, the beginnings of a Rosacea flare up, and anxious: by the time I got home I was significantly better– SIGNIFICANTLY.
After we talked about all my issues –physical, spiritual, and emotional– he inserted needles and my stomach started gurgling (I think that’s a good thing) and within a couple minutes I felt lighter emotionally and started smiling and most of my anxiety just lifted away. Midway through the treatment my face get hot and I a sudden acute headache, both of which were gone by the time I got home.
I got home and immediately took the pills he recommended –which I purchased from him– as well as choked down the supplements he suggested which we have laying around but I never take (fish oil and other stinky, gag inducing, horse sized vitamins).
As I sit here, I feel 75% better than when I woke up and am amazed that not only did I feel better in the instant, he instilled a sense of hope in me of getting better which motivated me to be proactive (e.g. Fish oil and horse pills).
Finally, when my husband saw me in the afternoon, he asked why I was in such a good mood and commented that my skin looked better. He, an avid non-​believer in most things holistic, said he would like to make an appointment for himself and see if it helped him.
I’ll be back to him and even though I’ve only had one visit, definitely recommend people give him a try.

I’m writing this review as both a patient of Benjamin’s and as a fellow practitioner. I’ve known Benjamin for many years as a leader in the field, when he was the head of California’s acupuncture association. Over the years since first meeting him, I’d had many casual Benjamin sightings, and always found him kind, gracious, and was quite impressed he even remembered my name each time!
This past year, I had the opportunity to get to know Ben much better when he moved his practice closer to mine in Lafayette. At one point, I bumped into him casually during a time when I was having chronic residual knee pain after a marathon I’d run. Being a practitioner myself, I thought I could treat it, but nothing I had done worked. Ben offered to treat it, and in one treatment he accomplished what I was unable to do over several months. That was 5 months ago, and I haven’t had any pain since.
After that experience, I was so impressed that I began sending my patients… to him. I’d recommend Benjamin for any kind of ailment, but especially those stubborn issues that have not responded to other treatment. Every patient I’ve sent his way has thanked me for doing so, and I now not only send recommend him when I’m not getting the job done, but he’s also the go-​to guy for my patients whenever I am out of the office.
I hate writing reviews, and usually only do so when I’m not happy. But Benjamin warrants 5 stars. He’s the doctor’s doctor, and I can’t recommend him highly enough.

I have been seeing Benjamin Dierauf for 17 years because of his highly effective relaxing treatments for my chronically spasmed back muscles, but also because his acupuncture techniques s have many additional euphoric benefits, as well!

I have worked with Benjamin in a professional capacity as an administrator at the Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine College, Berkeley. Nevermind that he has been a godsend as an administrator, he just about saved my life more than once. Okay, I exaggerate a little, but it sure felt like it.
Whenever I have been completely run down, fighting a cold, getting that feeling like I’m circling the drain and am about to go down, Benjamin has been there in the clutch. I’m used to being treated by students in the Community Clinic (see my review at
), so it was a pleasant surprise to encounter Benjamin’s breezy style. His years of experience give him both a deep and facile approach to treating whatever ails you.
Benjamin treats in the AIMC Berkeley Community Acupuncture Clinic, which has the advantage of a huge herbal dispensary and collegial atmosphere. While you’re there, maybe sign up for a Qigong class or Intro to Oriental Medicine workshop. Details available under Community Education at
.