WELCOME TO POINT HOLISTIC WELLNESS
My mission is to guide you on a holistic path to well-being by providing accessible, affordable, and integrative healthcare.
Using ancient tools and wisdom passed down from generations of healers, this medicine is more than just acupuncture, but herbal formulations and methods of manipulation - such as gua sha and cupping, nutritional counseling and lifestyle modifications. Chinese Medicine, and my approach, boosts the body’s intuitive ability to heal itself, empowering you to be the healer on your own quest.
Most patients in the Western medical system often feel uninformed, unsupported, and misunderstood. They become a passive administer of their own healthcare - being told what to do, what medicines to take, with little to no explanation of what they do and the many side effects they will have. Chinese medicine, on the other hand, has little to no side effects, are all natural plants and herbs found in nature, and in many of the foods you currently eat. Learning how to use this ancient art form, in concert with the diagnostics and imaging of Western medicine, puts the power in your own hands. And since the methods of this medicine are simply tools to help the body jumpstart its own innate healing capacity, it is safe and effective to use both preventatively, as well as for acute and chronic pain and illness.
I realize the importance of patients taking an active role in their own health. I serve to support and inform you of all that is available to help your body heal itself. The body has the tools; sometimes it just needs to be pointed in the right direction.
As an ABORM fellow, I understand the process and medications and help to fill in the gaps; taking the time to explain and listen to your concerns, giving you a deeper understanding of the western fertility landscape.
what is acupuncture? how does it work? IS IT SAFE?
Acupuncture is an ancient form of Chinese medicine that has been practiced for over 3000 years, making it one of the oldest and most long-standing health care systems in the world. It is thought that energy, or qi, (pronounced chee), along with blood, flow through your body and along pathways called meridians.
Illness occurs when the body becomes unbalanced. One way this can happen is due to an excess or a deficiency of qi and/or blood within the body. The technique of inserting tiny hair-thin needles into specific points causes micro traumas and can stimulate the body to respond by sending blood and qi to the site. This either helps to break up and remove a blockage, or replenishes a deficiency, bringing more blood and energy to the area. Acupuncture stimulates the body's natural healing mechanisms to bring itself back into homeostasis. It has been proven to reset the nervous system, or the body's stress response, which is the underlying cause of many ailments and conditions. It does this by being able to access the blood and qi within the body. There is significant proof that acupuncture prompts the body to produce the release of endorphins (feel-good hormones) and other neurotransmitters that help decrease or eliminate painful sensations; it is also proven to reduce inflammation. The body has the innate ability to heal itself, but it is acupuncture, this painless, yet invasive technique, that jumpstarts the body to do so. It is also this approach, of keeping the body in balance, that makes acupuncture great as a preventative treatment. As a natural form of healing, acupuncture has the following benefits: provides drug-free pain relief effectively treats a wide range of acute and chronic issues treats the root of disease and illness, as well as the symptoms provides a holistic approach to the treatment of disease and illness, linking mind, body, and emotions assists in the prevention against disease and illness, as well as the maintenance of general well-being. Is acupuncture safe? Acupuncture needles are sterile, disposable, and extremely thin. They are FDA approved medical devices. A licensed acupuncturist has gone through a rigorous training program of over 3,000 hours.
VARIOUS MODALITIES
Your treatment may include various modalities in addition to acupuncture such as Gua Sha, Cupping, Moxibustion, Electrostimulation and/or an herbal prescription. They help with musculoskeletal disorders such as pain or muscle spasm, respiratory disorders such as colds or asthma, neuropathy, immune regulation, and more.
Gua Sha is the traditional East Asian practice of press-rubbing the surface of the skin with a tool to create increased circulation and may result in temporary petechiae, or red spots on the skin. This acts to break up areas of stagnation, scar tissue, or muscle tension or cramping. The result is freedom from tension and knots like you’ve never felt before.
Cupping is a technique that uses small glass or plastic cups to which a vacuum effect is applied. The cups are then either left stationary, or moved much like a massage. This has similar effects as Gua Sha with a deeper effect on the body.
Moxibustion is the burning of the herb Artemisia, or mugwort, near the surface of the skin to produce a warming effect. This acts to support and move the body's vital energy, or Qi, to address deficiency or stagnation. It is used often in prenatal care to help turn a breech baby or to increase blood volume.
Electrostimulation, or E-stim, is a device similar to a chiropractors TENS unit. The main difference is that instead of sticky pads on the surface of the skin the e-stim device clips directly onto the needles. The result is a more directed, and potentially deeper, sensation. The goal is to help loosen and relax tight muscles, bring better blood circulation to an area, and turn off the sympathetic nervous system. It is used in many aspects of care, from pain management to fertility.
Herbal Remedies
Chinese herbs can be very powerful and potent tools to help fix your symptoms and balance your body. Some common Chinese herbs are rou gui, or cinnamon bark; gou qi zi, or goji berries; ren shen, or ginseng - proof that food really is medicine. Most of the time herbs like the ones mentioned above are mixed together with many others to create a customized formula, specific to your needs at that specific time. These teas or capsules are meant to be used for a short time and reevaluated and changed according to the changes that happen in your body.
Creating a TREATMENT plan that works for you
I fully believe in the power and history of Eastern Medicine and I feel that there is a place in today's society for both Western and Eastern medicine - especially in concert with one another. They both have their strengths and can certainly complement one another. I look forward to guiding you on this journey.