top of page
Portrait of Dr Dustin Vaughan

Dustin L. Vaughan

DACM, PMD, Dipl.OM, AP

Dr. Vaughan is a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM), the highest degree awarded in the U.S. for acupuncturists. He is a NCCAOM National Board Certified Diplomate of Oriental Medicine, a licensed Acupuncture Physician, and a licensed paramedic with extensive experience in emergency departments, trauma centers, and as a first responder with the fire service. After 15+ years in emergency medicine, he retired from the fire service to pursue a passion for integrating his Western medical expertise with Eastern medicine, providing a holistic and integrative approach to health and wellness.

 

Dr. Vaughan is certified in Exstore, a proven system for evaluating movement and identifying muscle inhibition that can lead to weakness, pain, and poor mobility. By restoring proper muscle function, Exstore helps patients move better, recover faster, and reduce injury risk.

 

He enjoys working with athletes to help them achieve their goals, maintain wellness, and recover from injury or trauma to perform at their best. However, his practice is not exclusive to athletes—because injuries, pain, and mobility challenges affect people of all ages and activity levels.

“I chose to focus my practice on movement and sports medicine, leveraging my knowledge and experience as both an athlete and a coach. For years I competed in youth and high school sports, CrossFit and in the Firefighter Combat Challenge, and I know what it means to strive for health and wellness as an athlete and what it requires to recover from injury. I have had my fair share of injuries, and I am sure I can relate to what you’re going through!”

Education:

Memberships:

  • Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM)

  • Master of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM)

  • Bachelor of Science in Professional Health Studies 

  • Florida State Oriental Medical Association (FSOMA) 

  • American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

  • Florida Homeopathic Society

  • North American Society of Homeopaths 

Certifications:

Licensures:

  • NCCAOM Diplomate of Oriental Medicine (Dipl.O.M.)

  • Florida State Acupuncturist (A.P.) 

  • Florida State Paramedic (PMD)

  • NCCAOM Chinese Herbal Compounding & Safety (CHCS)

  • Acupuncture Point Injection Therapy (APIT)

  • Reiki Master-Teacher

  • FMT Blades: Advanced – Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization (IASTM)

  • FMT Movement Specialist, Advanced

  • Fascial Movement Taping (FMT), Advanced

  • Nutrition

  • Sports Nutrition

Professional Experience:

  • Firefighter for 11 years

  • Paramedic in Level 1 Trauma Center

  • Emergency department EMT and Paramedic

  • Florida Task Force 4 - Heavy Rigging & Search Specialist

PUBLICATIONS:

Vaughan, D. L. (2023, August 14). Assessing and treating the root cause of low back pain with acupuncture. Acupuncture Today. https://acupuncturetoday.com/article/34409-assessing-and-treating-the-root-cause-of-back-pain-with-acupuncture 

bottom of page