About

Rob Mills, LAC, DIPL AC, MTCM

Hello, and thank you for your interest in my practice! 

I am a board-certified and licensed acupuncturist with over 27 years of experience. I got into the practice of medicine because I like helping people and solving problems. I have continued to practice and study because I have seen and experienced first-hand just how life changing acupuncture and herbal medicine can be. I am excited to be practicing in Bay City. I love the Oregon coast! 

Like most acupuncturists, I have always had a general practice, treating everything from musculoskeletal pain and injuries to headaches, stress, digestive problems, and much more. Unlike other acupuncturists, I have, over the past 13 years, done advanced training in multiple styles of acupuncture and herbalism to specialize in chronic and complex conditions. This includes:  

  • Kiiko Matsumoto’s Style of Acupuncture 
  • Heiner Fruehauf’s lineage of herbal medicine 
  • Balance Method of Acupuncture 
  • I am currently enrolled in a two-year postgraduate acupuncture mentorship in Neijing Nature Based Medicine with Edward Neal, MD of the Apricot Grove 

My focus on chronic and complex conditions enables me to treat a wide spectrum of difficult health problems that include (but are not limited to): 

  • Long COVID 
  • Autoimmune problems: asthma, allergies, thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, skin problems, etc. 
  • Chronic fatigue 
  • Chronic infections such as Epstein-Barr, Lyme disease, Herpes, etc. 
  • IBS, Crohn’s disease, food allergies 
  • And much more (Link to more and other conditions treated) 

Each day, I look forward to helping my patients reach their healthcare goals. 

More about me 

I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1998, I got my Master’s degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Five Branches University in Santa Cruz, CA. In 2001, after a few years of practicing in the Santa Cruz mountains, I moved to Bend, Oregon. After 25 years of living and practicing there, my wife and I decided to return to the place where she was born and raised, namely Bay City. When I am not working, I enjoy being outside, cooking, doing yoga, DIY projects, and spending time with my family. 

Emden Griffin, LAc, Dipl OM, MAcOM

Emden Griffin is a native Oregonian with over 20 years of clinical experience in the healing arts. She is a licensed acupuncturist, herbalist, and massage therapist. Her passion is assisting people in feeling their best.  

Emden graduated from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine and holds a Master’s degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. She is a nationally certified (NCCAOM) diplomate of Oriental Medicine and is licensed by the Oregon Medical Board. She received her massage certification from Central Oregon Community College.  

​The most remarkable thing about Emden is her drive to help people. She spends much of her free time studying various forms of acupuncture that deliver immediate improvements for her patients. She has completed many courses, taught by women’s health experts, which has enabled her to continue her progression as a compassionate and effective healer.  

She developed a special interest in women’s health after the birth of her daughter, Ruby. Emden currently specializes in the treatment of teens and women with menstrual irregularities. She also works with couples trying to conceive, women who are pregnant or preparing for childbirth, women who are in the postpartum phase, and women entering or going through menopause and beyond. She is currently studying to complete her certification from the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine. 

In her spare time, Emden enjoys knitting, spending time with her family and friends, and taking walks in nature. 

More about me: 

Here’s a little bit more about me and how I came to be an acupuncturist practicing at the Oregon Coast! 

I grew up in beautiful Bay City, Oregon, on the Tillamook Bay. My family lived close to the land, spending our days raising chickens, gardening, preserving, and preparing home-cooked meals. We also chopped a lot of firewood, hunted, and gathered local fruits and berries. In our leisure time, we spent many hours exploring the coast range behind our home, wandering along the tide flats, and swimming in the ocean and nearby rivers. 

My grandparents lived down the road, so I have many fond memories of adventures with extended family, including aunts, uncles, and cousins. These family members taught me how to work hard and how to visualize what I wanted in the future, which would soon come in very handy. 

While I was growing up, a close family member was diagnosed with a chronic and complex illness, which was accompanied by many debilitating symptoms. They spent years seeking treatment from many types of practitioners near and far. They also started building a library of books about “natural healing”. I started reading these books and accompanying them to appointments, including acupuncture and herbal medicine. I also started incorporating what I was learning to make better dietary and lifestyle changes for myself.  

Soon, the time came for me to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up. I always knew that I wanted to work with my hands, that I wanted to work with people, and that I wanted to be self-employed. And, that I didn’t want to work with computers or have a stressful job – ha ha! 

In 2001, I moved to Bend, Oregon, to attend Central Oregon Community College’s massage therapy program. After graduating, I opened my first massage therapy practice. It was very rewarding, but it was hard on my body, and over time, I was ready to learn more. I started envisioning where life’s path would lead me. I had never forgotten about acupuncture and herbal medicine. I was drawn to the many ailments the medicine could address and the prospect of a sustainable lifelong career. Soon, I started receiving acupuncture and went on to rent a massage room in an acupuncture clinic to learn more.  

In 2009, I moved to Portland, Oregon, to attend acupuncture school at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. My experience there was the culmination of many years in the making. 

In 2013, I moved back to Bend, Oregon, to join my partner’s acupuncture practice. In 2016, we celebrated the birth of our daughter. For the next decade, we dedicated our lives to our business and raising our daughter. Many amazing things were accomplished during this time, but it wasn’t without its pitfalls. Like many parents and small business owners, we became overly busy and spread too thin, and our quality of life began to suffer. We knew something needed to change. The time had come to reevaluate, slow down, and return to my hometown. We were the proud owners of Green Willow Acupuncture in Bend up until we sold our practice at the end of 2024.  

We wanted to show our young daughter that there are many ways to live a life. Now we live two blocks away from my parents, on the same street I grew up on. We are becoming healthier and more balanced, and we love rural living and being surrounded by nature. 

Our new acupuncture practice, Cedar Grove Healing Arts, is located in our home in Bay City. I also offer acupuncture two days per week in Tillamook. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know me. I am looking forward to hearing your story and getting to know you!