And what now?
After reading my last post, I realized I did not talk about what I am doing now. Well six months ago I re-opened Whole Body Healing in Northampton, Massachusetts. I joined an already existing wellness office with a naturopath and psychologist. Working with other health practitioners is important as it allows for a much more comprehensive treatment if necessary. In my practice I mainly use acupuncture, Chinese herbal formulas and massage. I do not use massage alone but in combination with acupuncture and or “cupping”. Acupuncture has been shown to effectively treat many different kinds of ailments but in my office I mainly see patients for women’s health issues, pain and or stress management.
In my last practice I worked with hundreds of women with fertility issues. I helped couples to conceive both naturally or assisted with IUI or IVF. Acupuncture can help increase IVF success by 70%. That is a huge considering how expensive an IVF procedure and the medications can be. Acupuncture during this time is important as it can be both emotionally and physically demanding. You want your body to be as healthy as possible. In treating women’s health I also work with menstrual irregularities and perimenopausal symptoms.
Pain management is what most people think of when they think of using acupuncture. There are thousands of studies that show acupuncture to be effective in treating low back pain, knee and shoulder injuries. It can also help with chronic headaches or migraines. It is great that you can get a reduction in pain without the use of pain medication. It has also been found to make the pain medications work more effectively so you can decrease the dose and frequency of its use. I don’t need to tell you how addictive pain killers can be and how big of a problem this has become. I feel good knowing I can help patients reduce their pain in a safe and natural way. Feeling relaxed and maybe taking a nap on the table are the main “side effects”. I personally have given thousands of acupuncture treatments for pain. I have seen people be able to put off surgeries, reduce pain meds and even completely heal after years of suffering in pain.
Lastly and the most important thing I treat is stress, anxiety and depression. There is nothing better than seeing people be able to find joy in their life again. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can’t make the stress in your life go away but it can calm you enough to move you in the right direction. There are always going to be “stressful” things in your life, it’s just how you perceive and manage them. Research has shown how acupuncture can be just as effective as some medications at regulating serotonin levels, without the negative side effects. For me seeing the shift in people from before the treatment to after the treatment is why I love what I do. People come in grumpy or anxious and leave relaxed with a smile.
So what am I doing now? Hopefully making people healthy and happy!
To Health, Healing and Happiness.
