Southport Acupuncture Clinic was established in Davenport Street, Southport on Queensland’s Gold Coast in 1992 by John McDonald.  The clinic moved to its current location at Suite G, 4 Railway Street, Southport in 2008. 

Dr John McDonald, PhD

Registered acupuncturist     Reg. Number: CMR 0001712607

Fellow of the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association

John McDonald commenced acupuncture studies in 1971 with Russell Jewell, who later established Australia’s first acupuncture college, Acupuncture Colleges (Australia). In 1975 John qualified as a Registered Psychiatric Nurse and in the same year established an acupuncture withdrawal programme, along with colleague, Dr Rod Muirhead, at the New South Wales Health Commission’s Drug Dependency Service (later called Narcotics Dependency Programme) in Sydney. In 1976 Dr Rod Muirhead and John McDonald established a private acupuncture clinic together in Glebe, Sydney.

In 1977 John commenced teaching acupuncture and has continued to teach ever since. Since 1976 John has attended numerous acupuncture conferences and presented lectures, workshops and conference papers around the world. For details of John McDonald’s publications press the “Publications” tab.

Dr John McDonald was awarded a PhD in 2015 from Griffith University. His thesis was an original research project entitled “The Effects of Acupuncture on Mucosal Immunity in the Upper Respiratory Tract” – in other words, how does acupuncture modulate the immune system when used to treat hayfever (allergic rhinitis)?

Currently John McDonald is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the School of Medicine at Griffith University and is a member of the Menzies Health Institute Queensland. John is Vice-President of the Acupuncture Now Foundation, an international charitable foundation dedicated to educating the public, other health professionals and health policymakers about the benefits of acupuncture based on the best available evidence. Click here to learn more about the Acupuncture Now Foundation

Dr John McDonald is also a contract academic and member of the Curriculum Advisory Committee at the Endeavour College of Natural Health which is a direct “descendant” of the original Acupuncture Colleges (Australia) where he was first introduced to acupuncture.

Mrs Annabelle McDonald, Dip TCM

Registered acupuncturist & Chinese Herbal Medicine Practitioner

Reg. Number:  CMR0001710905

Member of the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association

Annabelle is a mature acupuncture practitioner, and a graduate in Traditional Chinese Medicine from the New South Wales College of Natural Therapies in Sydney.

Annabelle’s special interest and experience lies in the treatment of women both during their younger, more complex fertile years and then afterwards, balancing and smoothing the confronting challenges of ageing in the more mature woman.

Annabelle especially enjoys adding to her large clinic “family of babies”, and assisting through the menopausal years.

Annabelle has a particular interest in the effects of trauma and mental attitude on vibrant health and wellbeing.

Annabelle uses only disposable acupuncture needles, together with moxibustion and cupping therapy. Laser acupuncture is available if required.

Dietary advice and suggestions for wellbeing are included in the treatment cost.

Treatments are rebatable under “extras” tables of private health insurance funds.