I am a Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc) in Kauai, Hawaii & Texas.
Many practitioners offer acupuncture, but you must look for the safest training. Physical Therapists, chiropractors, and some MDs have limited training, sometimes just a weekend certification. Conversely, Licensed Acupuncturists require over 2000 clinical hours on patients, a 4-year Masters Degree and 4 national board exams to be able to perform acupuncture.
I was introduced to acupuncture and yoga following a herniated disc injury. When western medicine failed to help me I searched for a more natural solution. Ultimately, acupuncture and yoga changed my life by preventing me from having surgery and I’m out of pain to this day. I’ve been there and acupuncture can help you too.
Symptoms Dr. Brooke Can Treat:
I was a western medicine traveling drug rep and fitness fanatic. Ignoring all ‘check engine lights’ going off in my body to slow down, destress and take care of my self, I kept a frenetic schedule. “Keeping up with the Joneses” I called it – otherwise known as: achieve, achieve, achieve. Until one snowy day I walked out of the Sioux Falls, SD airport and schlepped my luggage into my rental car for the 100th time and hurt my back. I was immobile and the security from the airport had to pick me up off the ice.
I then did what most of us do, I went to the doctor. The doctor told me I’d need surgery and drugs for the herniated discs and he could get me on his schedule for surgery in a month. He also mentioned in a positive way that the surgery had a 50% chance of reducing my pain. What? Cut on me and a big surgery for 50% – NO WAY. So I decided to see what I could do for myself. I reluctantly went to a chiropractor, who in the past I had thought were quacks and achieved ok results. It would work for a while but come back.
Thank goodness this chiropractor decided to refer me to an acupuncturist. At the time I remember thinking, NO WAY. I hate needles. Who is this ‘granola’ person? Do they re-use needles? Is Chinese Medicine quackery? When you are in so much pain you will try anything – and I did. I arrived at the acupuncturist’s office and was shocked to see that she was Caucasian and not Chinese. How will this work if she’s not even Chinese I thought? … so stereotypical. She told me to expect the pain to be gone in 3-6 treatments. Riiiiiiight? I’m signed up for surgery, chiropractic and massage didn’t work and now somehow this will? So I decided to try the treatments. Lo and behold within 4 treatments she had me out of pain and I ultimately avoided surgery.
