Prior to receiving a Masters degree in Acupuncture from the Maryland University of Integrative Health (formerly the Traditional Acupuncture Institute) in Columbia, Maryland in 2000, I was working as a Physician Assistant. I had graduated from Essex Community college with a Physician Assistant Certificate in 1992 and worked primarily in an outpatient setting seeing patients with a wide variety of illnesses. I enjoyed my work and loved the connection that I had with my patients. Long hours of work re-aggravated a back injury sustained in a car accident years before. The usual tests and therapies were completed, yet no treatment or therapy seemed to relieve my symptoms. One of my friends suggested acupuncture, and as a last ditch effort, I decided to give it a try. I have to say that acupuncture completely changed my life. With regular visits, my back pain resolved within 6 months. For the first time in years I was pain free. However, other aspects of my life changed as well. I was happier and less stressed. My friends and family noticed how much more relaxed and easy going I had become. To this day, I continue to use acupuncture to maintain my health and well being. Back to that first life changing acupuncture visit and why we are here now at East to West Medicine. During the visit, we talked about my injury, the pain, and its effect on my life. We also discussed my life, my career, and where I saw myself in the future. My pain and injury were significant, and so were the other aspects of my life. Each aspect affected the other. My acupuncturist was interested in treating all of me: body, mind, and spirit. I felt cared for and tended. It was during this visit, that I realized that something was missing in the way I practiced medicine as a physician assistant. What was missing was the human holistic approach. I wanted my patients to experience the care and tending that I received during my acupuncture treatments. I wanted to be able to treat the whole person, not just symptoms. This is an exciting time for me as I relaunch my full time acupuncture practice. My current approach to health care is holistic, emphasizing the patient’s overall well being. I recognize that many factors affect health, including exercise, diet, rest, environment and heredity. I practice whole-person health care with the vision to see the human body as much more than the sum of its parts. I see my clients as more than people coming to my office with a set of symptoms. My vision encompasses the entire individual in all of his or her unique complexity, and I work in partnership with my clients to ensure optimal health and wellness in all facets of their lives. Acupuncture focuses on maintaining optimal health naturally so that the body is better able to resist disease. Through identifying the root cause of your symptom or illness and then addressing the imbalance in a way that works naturally with your body, acupuncture seeks to restore optimum health so the body’s natural healing mechanisms can take over. I would love to be your guide, working in partnership, as you take back your health and life. Call me at 410-984-3700 and we can discuss how acupuncture can serve you in your quest for health and well-being. Schedule an appointment today! Wishing you health in body, mind, and spirit.
