Joe Bickle, L.Ac., C.SMA
Licensed acupuncturist specializing in chronic musculoskeletal pain, and co-instructor of AcuSport’s 3-Day Cadaver Lab for the Acupuncturist.
At a glance
Outcomes-focused care for complex chronic pain
Joe Bickle is a licensed acupuncturist specializing in chronic musculoskeletal pain, with additional certifications in trigger point dry needling, Active Release Technique and joint manipulation techniques. He completed the Sports Medicine Acupuncture Certification (SMAC) Program in 2019, spent five years as a teaching assistant with AcuSport, and joined the faculty in 2024.
Joe co-instructs AcuSport Education’s 3-Day Cadaver Lab for the Acupuncturist alongside Brian Lau, bringing a clinical perspective developed over more than 15 years treating complex chronic pain in high-volume clinical environments. He is also teaching and helping develop AcuSport’s trigger point needling, palpation and myofascial release curriculum — coursework that draws directly on his experience treating chronic complex pain where standard protocols often fall short.
Before opening his own clinic, Joe spent more than a decade within the Allina Health system, specializing in chronic pain management across multiple locations, including the United Pain Center — a hospital-based multidisciplinary pain clinic where he treated high volumes of complex, diagnostically challenging patients until the clinic closed in 2025. Working with patients who had typically already failed conventional care built the practical, outcomes-focused approach that informs his teaching and course development.
Joe owns and operates Performance D.N.A., a specialty clinic in the Minneapolis area focused on chronic musculoskeletal pain and joint hypermobility, where he integrates Sports Medicine Acupuncture, herbal medicine and progressive movement work within a structured, outcome-based program model.
Clinic, classroom and cadaver lab
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2019
Completed the SMAC Program
Certified Sports Medicine Acupuncturist (C.SMA).
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2019–24
Teaching assistant with AcuSport
Five years assisting in SMAC and foundational classes.
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2024
Joined the AcuSport faculty
Co-instructs the 3-Day Cadaver Lab for the Acupuncturist with Brian Lau, and helps develop the trigger point needling, palpation and myofascial release curriculum.
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To 2025
Chronic pain management, Allina Health
More than a decade across multiple locations, including the hospital-based United Pain Center.
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Today
Owner, Performance D.N.A.
Minneapolis-area specialty clinic for chronic musculoskeletal pain and joint hypermobility.