Welcome to Yamamoto Wellness
Welcome to Yamamoto Wellness: My Journey to Integrative Healing
Hello, and welcome! I’m Dr. Alicia Yamamoto, founder of Yamamoto Wellness, and I’m so glad you’re here!
Whether you’re an elite athlete, a healthcare professional, or someone on a personal journey to feel more whole in your body and life—thank you for stopping by. I created this space to share not only the work I do, but the story behind it. Because the way I care for others is deeply shaped by my own professional evolution and lived experience.
In this first blog post, I want to share how I arrived here: blending manual therapy, dry needling, reiki, and holistic health coaching into a practice that’s rooted in integrity, connection, and evidence-informed care.
The Foundation: Athletic Training and a Lifelong Curiosity About the Human Body
I began my career as a certified athletic trainer, earning my Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training from Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!). Like many in sports medicine, I was driven by a fascination with human performance, injury prevention, and helping people get back to doing what they love.
But even from the start, I felt there was something missing in the traditional model. I saw athletes with persistent injuries that didn’t respond to standard protocols. I watched high-performers burn out despite “doing everything right.” And I began to ask deeper questions: What are we missing?
That question stayed with me as I pursued my Master’s in Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina (Go Tar Heels!), where my research focused on movement quality and functional performance. I began exploring how biomechanics, psychology, and recovery systems intersect—and how sometimes, our most measurable variables leave out the most meaningful ones.
Working at the Pinnacle: Sports Medicine in the NBA, WNBA, and Cirque du Soleil
Over the next decade, I worked in elite sports medicine at the highest levels—including the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, the NBA’s Utah Jazz, and with Cirque du Soleil performers across the globe.
I’ve treated world-class athletes with acute orthopedic injuries, chronic pain, and performance blocks. I’ve managed pre-season physicals, collaborated with strength coaches, interpreted diagnostic imaging, and implemented return-to-play protocols. I’ve been responsible for care across home and away games, on tours through South Korea and Japan, and in performance environments that demand not only precision—but presence, resilience, and adaptability.
These years taught me the importance of clinical excellence, of course. But just as importantly, they taught me the limits of physical interventions alone. I witnessed firsthand how emotional stress, trauma, fatigue, and disconnection from self could manifest as persistent pain, poor healing, and performance issues that didn’t show up on any scan.
The Shift: From High Performance to Whole-Person Healing
I completed my Doctorate in Athletic Training at A.T. Still University. My research on game load, fatigue, and injury risk in the WNBA emphasized a theme that kept emerging: healing is multifactorial. You can’t isolate tissues from the systems they live in—nor the person from their lived experience.
During this time, I also began training in reiki, dry needling, and holistic health coaching. These weren’t just “add-ons” to my clinical skill set—they were paradigm shifts. I realized I wanted to offer care that truly met the whole person, beyond injury sites and sport demands.
This meant stepping away from institutional roles and founding Yamamoto Wellness, my private practice based in Las Vegas.
What I Do Today at Yamamoto Wellness
At Yamamoto Wellness, I offer nervous system-informed, evidence-informed, and deeply personalized care that honors the body-mind connection. I integrate:
Dry Needling for targeted pain relief and neuromuscular re-education
Manual Therapy to restore mobility, function, and tissue integrity
Reiki and Energy Work to support emotional release and energetic balance
Breath Work and Somatic Practices to reconnect to the nervous system
Health Coaching to align your habits, values, and healing goals
Lithotherapy for energetic grounding using mineral-based frequencies
I work with a wide range of clients—athletes, healthcare workers, creative professionals, and individuals navigating complex pain or transitions.
No two sessions are exactly alike. Care is collaborative, intuitive, and constantly evolving as your body and story unfold.
Values That Guide My Work
The way I approach healing is shaped by these core values:
Integrity: I hold myself to the highest ethical and clinical standards.
Equity: I believe access to care should not be limited by systems of exclusion.
Compassion: I listen deeply and respond without judgment.
Curiosity: I stay humble in the face of complexity and continue to learn every day.
Connection: True healing happens in relationship—with self, practitioner, and community.
Whether we’re navigating an ACL recovery, unraveling chronic tension patterns, or building a new approach to wellness from the ground up—you can expect care that is both scientifically grounded and soulfully guided.
Teaching, Mentoring, and Giving Back
In addition to clinical practice, I also serve as adjunct faculty for my alma mater in the Doctor of Athletic Training program at A.T. Still University. I support future clinicians in advanced orthopedic evaluation, clinical reasoning, and critical reflection.
I’ve always believed that teaching sharpens clinical practice—and that staying engaged with education keeps me connected to the broader evolution of healthcare.
Why I Started This Blog
I’ve had the privilege of working in some of the most elite, high-pressure environments in sports medicine. But what I’ve learned is that all bodies carry stories—and all healing is personal.
This blog is an extension of my practice. Here, I’ll be sharing insights on:
Integrative approaches to injury and pain care
The nervous system’s role in healing
Athlete-centered care beyond protocols
Balancing clinical precision with intuitive listening
Business ownership and healthcare entrepreneurship
Burnout, resilience, and self-care for caregivers
Bridging evidence-based medicine with holistic wisdom
Whether you're a patient, a peer, or a fellow seeker—my hope is that these posts support you in reconnecting with your body, your intuition, and your path.
Thanks for reading, and for allowing me to be part of your healing journey. I truly believe that when care is rooted in evidence, intuition, and intention, we create space for powerful transformation.
If you enjoyed this piece and want to dive a little deeper into how it all began, you can also check out my earlier interviews:
And if you’d like to learn more about my background or connect professionally, feel free to visit my LinkedIn profile.
With gratitude,
Alicia