About

Spence Pentland R.TCM.P, R.Ac, graduated from the acclaimed International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Vancouver, BC. He then pursued postgraduate studies, completing 500 hours in Gynecology and Internal Medicine at Anhui Hospital of TCM, Hefei City, China. Spence now has a busy practice at Acubalance Wellness Centre, exclusively treating men and women’s reproductive health.

Spence’s integrated approach to health comes naturally. After all, his father is a pharmacist, and his mother a passionate practitioner of energetic healing. He began his studies in plant biology and horticulture at Kwantlen University College and then completed a certificate in Western herbology at Packard School of Nutrition in Ontario. But when he discovered Chinese medicine, Spence found a way to unite his passion for herbology, holistic healing and Daoist philosophy.

In Traditional Chinese medicine we treat the whole patient, considering the root causes affecting a patient’s reproductive wellness and their overall wellbeing. Chinese medicine gives me the tools to diagnosis each patient’s unique pattern of imbalance and to work with them to correct those imbalances and foster true healing of the mind, body and spirit. This is the essence of vibrant health and wellbeing.

As past president and current board member of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association of British Columbia (TCMABC), and committee member on the ‘Practitioner Quality Assurance’ for the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncturists Association of BC (CTCMA), Spence is actively involved in educating healthcare colleagues and the public on the powerful healing benefits of Chinese medicine.

In his spare time Spence continues his post-graduate studies in Qigong. He is also the founder of the Health Information Organization, a burgeoning resource for online health information websites and resources.

Testimonials

When I first went to Acubalance I generally did not feel well, physically or emotionally. Everything from headaches, migraines, back pain, eczema, digestion issues, irregular menstrual cycles, miscarriages, stress, anxiety and more was weighing me down. I was extremely overwhelmed and frustrated by my inability to feel well. Right from the start, I found it comforting that everyone at Acubalance, receptionists and practitioners alike, were welcoming, considerate and friendly.

When I met with Spence Pentland I quickly found him to be a very knowledgeable, caring and perceptive professional with amazing communication skills. The calmness and positive energy that he radiates helped me to feel relaxed and confident in his talents as a healer. His gentleness when applying acupuncture needles made me feel at ease, even though I was a bit needle phobic.

With time, herbs and relaxing acupuncture appointments, I began to see many positive changes in how I was feeling. To list just some improvements, my headaches and migraines disappeared, my digestion problems drastically decreased, my eczema completely went away, my menstrual cycle was regulated, and I gained significantly more inner strength to cope with stresses in my life. As for my problem of miscarrying, I have a new sense of peace in believing that what is supposed to happen will happen and in knowing that I will be able to embrace and handle whatever unfolds in the future.

I know that TCM and Spence’s amazing ability to both evaluate the causes of my imbalances and to develop a personalized treatment plan significantly helped to improve my physical and emotional health, and consequently my quality of life. I confidently recommend Acubalance, TCM, and especially Spence Pentland, to anyone who is struggling to achieve balance in their life and who needs gentle guidance in healing their mind, body and spirit.

K

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Dear Spence,
We are now getting close to the end of the second trimester of pregnancy and wanted to reflect on the experiences leading up to our positive result. As you know this was our 4th IVF cycle and only during the last cycle did we see you for acupuncture treatment.

Both of us saw you for a series of treatment sessions in between the 3rd and 4th cycle for stress reduction and some pain management which was also very very helpful in preparation for the last cycle. I saw you twice a week, just prior to the final and successful transfer. This cycle was different than all previous cycles. I found that I was more relaxed and less anxious about the outcome of the cycle. To our amazement we did conceive and everything is progressing wonderfully.

We want to emphasize our perception of the therapeutic benefit of the sessions that accompanied the medical treatment cycle. I came to see the acupuncture sessions as relaxation or meditation. We feel that the acupuncture greatly assisted us in attaining our happy outcome.

We only wish acupuncture with you had been recommended to us sooner …who knows if it would have led to different outcomes earlier…it surely would have diminished the stress associated with ongoing fertility treatments. There is lots of literature to support our feelings about the helpfulness of acupuncture in IVF/ICSI cycles.

Anonymous

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I can’t even describe what an incredible experience I had with Spence. Both in terms of the person, and the treatment I received. He came very highly recommended to help deal with an fertility problem my wife and I were having and quickly morphed into a total body and mind experience. I felt so incredible after each treatment, I found myself looking forward to going back (which isn’t how I usually feel about going to doctors). Amazingly, after just a few treatments, my wife and I got pregnant!! Even without that happening, I recommend Spence and Acubalance to everybody I know, being pregnant is the icing on the cake. Run, don’t walk to see him.

Must Read: Treatment of Impotence (erectile dysfunction) / Libido / Premature Ejaculation

Bill S. from Vancouver aged 33

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4th IVF Cycle

Dear Spence,
We are now getting close to the end of the second trimester of pregnancy and wanted to reflect on the experiences leading up to our positive result. As you know this was our 4th IVF cycle and only during the last cycle did we see you for acupuncture treatment.

Both of us saw you for a series of treatment sessions in between the 3rd and 4th cycle for stress reduction and some pain management which was also very very helpful in preparation for the last cycle. I saw you twice a week, just prior to the final and successful transfer. This cycle was different than all previous cycles. I found that I was more relaxed and less anxious about the outcome of the cycle. To our amazement we did conceive and everything is progressing wonderfully.

We want to emphasize our perception of the therapeutic benefit of the sessions that accompanied the medical treatment cycle. I came to see the acupuncture sessions as relaxation or meditation. We feel that the acupuncture greatly assisted us in attaining our happy outcome.

We only wish acupuncture with you had been recommended to us sooner …who knows if it would have led to different outcomes earlier…it surely would have diminished the stress associated with ongoing fertility treatments. There is lots of literature to support our feelings about the helpfulness of acupuncture in IVF/ICSI cycles.

Anonymous

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Thin Endometrial Lining

I was only 3 days away from embryo transfer (IVF with donor egg) when my doctor discovered that my body was not reacting as he had hoped to the estrogen, therefore, the lining of my uterus was not as thick as it should be for implantation. He suggested I have acupuncture to bring more blood blow to my uterus, hoping to increase the lining. I found Acubalance on the internet and spoke with Spence who knew exactly what to do – with only time for 2 treatments, we hoped for the best. When my doctor scanned my uterus, he said my lining had improved by 75-100%!

LG

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There is hope…

After my wife and I tried unsuccessfully to conceive for two years, we were faced with the daunting prospect of finding out “why”? Through a series of tests it was determined that my sperm morphology was a likely culprit. Thus began my adventure with Spence Pentland and the Acubalance team.

The idea that my sperm were somewhat dysfunctional was a thought that had never occurred to me. I admit that I did not handle the news all that well. In particular, I remember two disheartening sessions with a urologist who made me feel quite inadequate. The medical prognosis was non-existent. In other words, hard luck!

At the suggestion of one of my wife’s friends, we both attended an information session at Acubalance with Lorne Brown which offered a glimmer of hope to our dilemma. I decided to throw caution to the wind and began attending the clinic twice weekly. Although I am open to alternative therapies, I had never tried accupuncture previously.

Over the course of five months the team at Acubalance confidently guided me through a regime that included accupuncture, herbal remedies, a dietary cleanse and some quite amusing lifestyle changes. I changed from briefs to boxers. I stopped taking hot baths. I cut back on intoxicants. Anything to try to normalize my swimmers.

Being a creature of habit, these changes did not come about easily. Looking back, I couldn’t have done it without the guidance and support of Lorne, Raeghan, and particularly Spence who was always willing to listen to my concerns and understood that I sometimes felt like a reluctant guinea pig in my own research project.

And then, the unlikely happened…my sperm tests began to improve. Slowly but surely I went from abnormal to well within normal range. The perfect happy ending to this story would be that my wife and I conceived naturally. The actual outcome is close. We decided to proceed with IVF treatments and yes, we now have a lovely baby girl.

Could we have done it without IVF? Possibly. Did Spence and the Acubalance team help? Undoubtedly. The proof lies in my improved test results.

Infertility is a blow to any couple who wants to experience the joy of childbirth. And the subject of male infertility appears to be quite unexplored. I recommend Spence Pentland to any man who experiences the letdown of male infertility. There is hope.

GM

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When I first went to Acubalance to be treated for infertility I had my reservations. Western medical science cannot solve my specific problem and I thought that Traditional Chinese Medicine was an esoteric last ditch effort in a fight against the unknown. Fortunately enough, I came into contact with Spence Pentland. I found, and continue to find, Spence as a knowledgeable, considerate, and professional practitioner of TCM. His diagnosis and treatment were comprehensive and skilful. He was also sensitive to the feedback from my treatments and modified his process to account for my individual needs. I believe that I had an excellent experience in a field that I was quite ignorant about. Although the treatment I received was unable to fix my infertility, I am glad to have gone through a process that has removed stress and discomfort in my life. Finally, Spence has taught me to become more aware of the interrelationship between my body and my environment. I think TCM, and more specifically, Spence Pentland, can add value to your life whatever your imbalance may be.

Sincerely,
PC

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Morphology

Just before I started going to Acubalance to see Spence I was told that my morphology was 8%. This was all the motivation I needed to become proactive with my health and be a supportive partner to my wife on our journey toward another child.

For the most part my health is pretty good, I handle the stress of my work well, my energy is high, and I sleep like a baby. Spence and I decided that taking care of my diet, my liver health, and avoiding environmental toxins would be the primary objectives. I started taking some supplements for my liver, doing acupuncture, a Chinese herbal formula to balance my internal health, I cut down on dairy wheat and sugar products, bought organic food, made exercise a priority, and began being aware of toxins I come in contact with daily such as scented soaps.

In just one month my tests results came back; morphology 18%! Needless to say I was very happy with the outcome. My diligence with my health and the Chinese medicine really seems to have paid off. Thank-you Spence.

SD

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Moving on…

The icsi cycle was not successful. We have had ups and downs but overall our state of mind is getting stronger. We knew we were not going to continue any more fertility treatments as we really did not want to put any more emotion and money into it. Mostly I don’t think either one of us wanted to go through it emotionally again. We really felt the need to shut that door and move on. Some things in life are not meant to be. I personally am not always able to accept that but I have to. We are on the adoption list so now we wait for the call! We look forward to that process.

We wanted to let you know that you were a pleasure to work with on this. You did help make things easier especially when we received bad news on the day of the transfer. My husband appreciated the talk you both had that day as it helped at a very tough time. It is funny how you meet different people in life and you move on and others touch your life in some way and you will always remember that. You are one of these people. Thank you again Spence.

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“His confident yet gentle healing technique caused me to immediately trust his ability as a healer.”

I have been a patient of Spence Pentland for approximately 3 months. I have been receiving treatment for pain and numbness in my arms. I am familiar with the practice of acupuncture and have seen various acupuncturists over the past 10 years.

I was immediately impressed with the fact that Spence uses a traditional technique of needling. Most acupuncturists nowadays insert needles using modern techniques. Traditional needling is an old practice and is a difficult skill to master. It says a lot about an acupuncturist when they are skilled in this manner. In addition, Spence’s insertions are executed with extreme dexterity, calmness and inner strength. His confident yet gentle healing technique caused me to immediately trust his ability as a healer.

In addition to his excellent needle technique, Spence listens to my situation and is also receptive and appreciative of my knowledge of my body and what it needs. He is perceptive about knowing when the energy channels have been activated or tapped. He knows how much or how little to apply electro-stimulation. His knowledge of the countless meridians is also well versed.

He creates a safe, calm and relaxing ambiance in his office so that going to see your doctor becomes an enjoyable treatment.

TW