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Dr. Richard Hazel is a distinguished Doctor of Acupuncture and a New York State Licensed Acupuncturist, renowned for his expertise in Functional Acupuncture, with a specialized focus on Orthopedic & Sports Acupuncture. With a passion for optimizing athletic performance and facilitating recovery, Dr. Hazel proudly partners as the acupuncturist for UB Athletics, working with their football, volleyball, and other dedicated athletes.
A Leader in Integrative Sports Medicine
Dr. Hazel's approach integrates advanced acupuncture techniques with a deep understanding of human physiology and athletic demands. His commitment to enhancing recovery, regeneration, and adaptation to exercise stress is evident in his significant contributions to the field. He is a co-author of Chapter 22, "Acupuncture: Its relationship to Recovery, Regeneration and Function," in the authoritative book Fundamentals of Recovery, Regeneration, and Adaptation to Exercise Stress: An Integrated Approach (Springer Nature). This publication solidifies his position as a thought leader in the application of acupuncture for athletic populations.
Pioneering Education and Global Influence
A graduate with honors from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine – New York, where he earned both his Master of Science in Acupuncture (Orthopedic & Sports Medicine) and his Doctor of Acupuncture, Dr. Hazel is a dedicated educator. He has developed and taught extensive curricula in Motor Point Acupuncture and Trigger Point Needling, sharing his knowledge through online courses on Podia and at prestigious international seminars. His teaching engagements span across Europe and Australia, including the European Sports and Orthopedic Acupuncture Congresses in Barcelona and Amsterdam, and workshops in Poland, Canada, Ireland, and France. His work has significantly influenced practitioners globally, establishing him as a world-renowned authority in Functional Acupuncture.
Dedicated to Athlete Well-being
Through his partnership with UB Athletics since 2024, Dr. Hazel provides cutting-edge acupuncture treatments to help athletes achieve peak performance, accelerate injury recovery, and maintain optimal physical well-being. His hands-on experience with collegiate athletes underscores his practical application of advanced acupuncture principles in a high-performance sports environment.
Episodes
3 hours ago
3 hours ago
Dry Needling takes skill, good assessment, good patient communication and the confidence to see it through.
Online Courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com
Saturday Feb 21, 2026
Saturday Feb 21, 2026
I got to see both women who had what I thought was ACNES and was able to hear what happened after treatment.
I also have now been using the Moti Physio for about 7 weeks and have learned how to improve the accuracy of the scan.
Here are a couple cases where the scan was useful for many reasons.
Online Courses:
https://richardhazel.podia.com
If you want to know more about the Moti Physio you can see more here:
Align Well
Saturday Feb 14, 2026
Saturday Feb 14, 2026
I removed last week's episode because I made too many errors in talking about red leads and black leads on e-stim devices.
This episode covers the difference between Direct Current and Alternating Current, the advantages of each and the safety reasons for Electric Stimulation Acupuncture devices to be AC Biphasic.
I talk about the differences between the Pointers, the ITO ES-130 and the Pantheon and a little about microcurrent.
Online Courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com
Saturday Jan 31, 2026
Saturday Jan 31, 2026
For the most part, the research comparing Moti Physio to the gold standard EOS 3D X-ray was very good. There were a couple areas that were only rated at Fair and I have my opinion about why that was.
Chiropractors may still need an X-ray before treatment, but then there's huge value to using Moti regularly (no radiation) for monitoring.
Here are my thoughts for Functional Acupuncturists after another week of using the Moti Physio.
The paper I looked at most was:
Validity and Reliability of a Non-Radiographic Postural Analysis
Device Based on an RGB-Depth Camera Comparing EOS 3D
Imaging: A Prospective Observational Study
If you want to know more about the Moti Physio you can see more here:
My Online Courses on Podia: https://richardhazel.podia.com
Saturday Jan 24, 2026
Saturday Jan 24, 2026
I've been using the Moti Physio Advanced Posture Scan for a couple weeks and here are my thoughts, observations and opinions.
If you want to know more about the Moti Physio you can see more here:
My Online Courses on Podia: https://richardhazel.podia.com
Saturday Jan 17, 2026
Saturday Jan 17, 2026
It can be very distressing to have a fixed pain in the abdomen that feels like an internal organ pain and after all the tests, no one knows what to do about it.
ACNES should be known by everyone who treats pain.
I covered this in 2025 in my Sydney course. "Unlock the Mystery of Chronic Pain"
https://richardhazel.podia.com/peripheral-nerve-entrapments
Sunday Jan 11, 2026
Sunday Jan 11, 2026
These are muscles you need to stay on top of even if they don't test weak yet. This is how we keep people from having hip issues in the future and they are muscles we need to treat when they do have hip pain. You'll see this dysfunction even after a hip replacement surgery. You can change the joint (hardware) but if the software (muscles) is still faulty, there will be pain.
Online Courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com
Saturday Dec 27, 2025
Saturday Dec 27, 2025
We test the rotator cuff muscles for their internal/external rotation and abduction strength but they have a very important Always-On function too.
Just like the scapular stabilizers, the rotator cuff needs to dynamically stabilize so that other muscles like the deltoids and pectoralis muscles can have power.
Online Courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com
We are in the last days of the Black Friday double discount sale.
Take 20% off any course or bundle of courses until the end of 2025
BLACKFRIDAY20 at checkout.
Bundles of courses are already discounted at 20% so you can add another 20% on top of that until the sale ends.
My courses don't expire.
Sunday Dec 21, 2025
Sunday Dec 21, 2025
Light sensitivity, watering eyes, ptosis, sinus pain, facial pain and migraine are all symptoms that can come from neck muscles via the TCC (Trigeminocervical Complex)
Online Courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com
Black Friday Discount ends at the end of the year.
BLACKFRIDAY20 for 20% all courses and bundles of courses.
Sunday Dec 14, 2025
Sunday Dec 14, 2025
Most acupuncturists can treat pain. But the pain comes back.
We need to stop obsessing about disc bulges and MRIs and start looking at the actual mechanical problem that is leading to pain.
Fix what's tight then strengthen what's inhibited and then retrain the movement pattern.
Janda already did the hard work and most are just ignoring it and treating the site of pain.
Online Courses: https://richardhazel.podia.com
BLACKFRIDAY20 at checkout for 20% off until the end of the year.