Melissa Zappa is the Tattooed Heavy Metal Acupuncturist

With a half sleeve of tattoos and scarlet-dyed hair, Melissa Zappa — founder of Flow Acupuncture and the Wellness, Research, and Training Coordinator at Huntsman Cancer Institute — does not fit the picture of a typical acupuncturist. For the metalhead and former music journalist, that’s kind of the point. “I recognized I was different — I was the tattooed, heavy metal acupuncturist,” recalls Zappa. “I wanted the people I was connecting with to not be mainstream.”

For Zappa, acupuncture and other forms of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are Western healthcare’s punk rock. With origins in ancient China, TCM includes practices like Qigong (a movement and breathing practice), herbal medicine and acupuncture. TCM emphasizes understanding the body as an interconnected unit, rather than breaking it into pieces.

Zappa’s journey as an acupuncturist began with a simple question: “What’s the least worst job I can think of?” Years of touring had given Zappa insight into the fragility of the body. “Heavy metal in general does not usually attract people with healthy lifestyles,” she says. “Seeing friends struggle with bad habits and addictions [was difficult]. Touring is literally the worst thing you could do to the human body.”

“I wanted the people I was connecting with to not be mainstream.”

With that in mind, Zappa pursued TCM. She enrolled in the Portland-based Oregon College of Oriental Medicine for her Masters in Acupuncture and began offering acupuncture backstage at festivals. “[School was like] learning an entirely new language,” Zappa recounts. “You’re memorizing for the sake of memorizing. One day, it just starts to click. You kind of can’t unsee it.”

As for where she wanted to move after graduating, Zappa looked for cities with three qualities: affordable, few acupuncture practices and steady metal shows. Naturally, she landed in Salt Lake City.

10 years ago, both acupuncture and SLC were very different. Little research showing the efficacy of acupuncture was available to medical professionals and Salt Lake’s Eastern medicine practitioners were a small group. Zappa founded Flow Acupuncture shortly after arriving in 2015, working to curate a welcoming, professional environment. Zappa’s networking grew Flow, incorporating herbalists and massage therapists as well as other acupuncturists. As TCM in Utah grew, so did Flow’s prestige, winning City Weekly’s “Best Acupuncture Clinic in Utah” from 2020-2022.

Clinical acceptance of acupuncture also developed. At the University of Utah’s Huntsman Cancer Institute, Dr. Pamela Hansen started the acupuncture program as part of its Wellness and Integrative Health Center. The Health Center allows current and former cancer patients to access non-traditional healthcare providers like acupuncturists, dietitians and masseuses. In 2021, Zappa was asked to join their team.

“Taking care of yourself and getting out in your community is how we will survive. That’s what I want Flow to be all about.”

For Zappa, the experience was “eye-opening”: “[I was shocked at] how siloed the healthcare system is — you see one doctor for one thing, he says ‘I don’t know’ and you get a referral,” she recounts, “Huntsman has an awesome wellness center — it’s exciting to be a part of facilitating change for a whole person health model.”

Part of the growth of acupuncture’s acceptance is due to the National Institute of Health’s recent focus on whole person health (WPH). WPH examines “what it costs to take care of yourself — having an acupuncturist, nutritionist, physical therapist, mental health professional vs a pill.” Collating data across thousands of records, the NIH’s ongoing research has found WPH saves consumers money and promotes health over time.

For Zappa, helping to evolve concepts of traditional medicine has been both meaningful and exciting. However, she is “most proud of creating community [at Flow].” Aside from acupuncture and other forms of TCM, Flow hosts community classes and events. Zappa remembers a recent summer solstice bonfire where people cried, cheered and hugged each other to celebrate the season.

“Taking care of yourself and getting out in your community is how we will survive,” says Zappa. “That’s what I want Flow to be all about.” Find @flow_acupuncture_slc and @huntsmancancerinstitute on Instagram and keep an eye out for Flow’s 10th anniversary party this April.

Read more about local legends shaping the community:
A Brief Historia and Uncertain Odyssey of the Salt Lake Underground
Ten Years of Strength and Sensuality at the Salt Mine