Moxibustion
The dried and powdered leaf of the mugwort plant is rolled into a stick, or placed at the end of the needles, then burned as a form of heat therapy.
Indirect moxa has been shown to increase the red and white blood cell count within hours of administering treatment.
It is widely used to relieve soft tissue and joint pain, chemotherapy side effects and promote blood circulation.
I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure more than a decade ago. Since then I have had a couple of heart attacks, stents put in twice and countless medications prescribed. I started seeing Sophie about 3 years ago because my doctors told me that they cannot do anything for the pain I have been experiencing in my legs. I get weekly acupuncture treatments that have helped me tremendously. I used to not be able to walk for more than 1 minutes at a time because of the severe muscle cramps in my calves.
About a month after starting treatments, I was able to walk for 5 minutes at a time before having to sit down for rest. Currently, I am walking about 30 minutes a day. I have noticed that my breathing has also improved. I don’t feel so out of breath and my chest doesn’t feel quite so heavy when I am walking. Sophie has helped me not only with my leg pain, but she has also advised me on nutrition. She is patient and caring and explains everything very thoroughly. I question everything and she addresses whatever concerns I bring up. I feel very cared for under her care.
Samuel W:Acupuncture treatments to alleviate leg pain and improve breathing
Let me just start by saying that before I started seeing Dr. Sophie I was the biggest skeptic when it came to acupuncture or any other types of holistic treatments. I came to get acupuncture out of desperation as a last resort for my headaches. As far as I can remember I have suffered from debilitating migraines at least 2-3 times a month. Medications have helped in the past but they did nothing to prevent the migraine attacks. They only helped with treating the pain.
Progress with acupuncture has been slow but definitely there is a steady improvement. Dr. Sophie does cupping on my upper back that helps relax my neck and shoulder muscles. Cold laser immediately reduces the pain I feel. We have also reevaluated my diet which has made a huge difference because she was able to figure out some of my food sensitivities that would trigger my headaches.
I am very happy with my treatments. The care that Dr. Sophie gives is complete and inclusive. She doesn’t just treat the symptom. She treats, as she puts it “the branches as well as the roots of the problem.” I definitely recommend it to anyone who has headaches.
Anna B: Acupuncture, cupping and cold laser for treatment of headaches
I started seeing Sophie because of post partum depression. It was 2 months after my son was born, and it was the most debilitating and irrational feeling I had ever felt. A friend had recommended me to go see her because she had helped my friend with anxiety and depression not associated with child birth.
I am very in tune with my body and I was open to any treatments that would not involve medicating myself since I was still breastfeeding.
Sophie is very knowledgeable and professional. She listened to my concerns very attentively and helped me understand and process what I was going through. And what a difference she has made in my life! She assured me that these feelings are normal and nothing to be ashamed of or guilty about. Her treatments include acupuncture in a very serene setting on a warm and comfy bed, acupressure or trigger point release. She always has some aromatherapy going on which automatically puts you in a more relaxed mood.
She prescribed me herbal medicine that had no adverse effects on my son. If anything, I noticed that once I was on herbs, his digestion began to shift. He was no longer gassy or fussy – Sophie told me that she would modify the herbal content of the formula to make sure that not only was it beneficial for myself, but also for my son. The herbs did exactly that!
I have been with Sophie for over 2 years now. She helped me deal with my depression in a very organic manner, no harsh prescriptions, or lifelong commitment to pharmaceuticals. It is very empowering to know that a human body is able to heal itself from within.
If you have not given acupuncture a try, try it! It’s awesome! Sophie is great and with her as my acupuncturist I feel an extra layer of protection around me.
Annie J:Acupuncture, acupressure and aromatherapy for post partum depression
I started seeing Sophie for chronic knee pain. At the time when I first started acupuncture, I was in constant pain for about a year. Eventually the pain was so severe I was limping. I was convinced that there is something broken or torn in my knee. I was ready to go get an MRI and have surgery. But with her treatment, about 2 months of weekly acupuncture, I slowly started getting better. I don’t remember when I stopped limping or feeling such intense pain. One day, I noticed that I could just get out of bed and WALK! I know it doesn’t sound like a big deal but when you’re in constant pain and one day your realize that the pain is gone is a great feeling.
Sophie worked on knee with acupuncture, laser therapy and ultrasound. She would stretch out my IT band and also taught me how to do them on my own. I am very happy with the treatments and would like to recommend them to anyone who is suffering from any kind of chronic pain.
Jeff M:Acupuncture, laser therapy and ultrasound for knee pain
I have 3 disks in my neck and I am pretty much always in pain. Sometimes the pain is worse than other times. Sophie explained to me that acupuncture can help reduce the inflammation of the disks which will help with the pain. I am not a big fan of needles but I was pleasantly surprised that there wasn’t much pain involved with needle insertion. She attached electrodes to some of the needles, and she explained that the electricity is used to block the pain. After needles, she stretched my neck and helped loosen up the muscles that were rock hard and tight. The entire treatment took about 1 hour. I didn’t feel any change in my pain level until after the 3rd treatment but from that point on I started feeling some relief with each treatment, and what’s most important, I have been able to maintain the progress that we have achieved with each treatment. I am also doing the stretches that she taught me for my neck, which really help between treatments.Sophie worked on knee with acupuncture, laser therapy and ultrasound. She would stretch out my IT band and also taught me how to do them on my own. I am very happy with the treatments and would like to recommend them to anyone who is suffering from any kind of chronic pain.
Ara B:Electroacupuncture for neck pain
I started seeing my acupuncturist, Sophie, after having ACL surgery in 2010. I can honestly say that acupuncture helped expedite the recovery process. This was my 2nd ACL surgery. I had my first ACL tear and surgical repair about 10 years ago. At that time it took me about 9 months to make a 90-95% recovery. Fast forward 10 years, and a lot of miles on my knees and legs (I play basketball a lot), when I had my 2nd ACL surgery on my other knee, I decided to incorporate acupuncture into my rehab. This reduced the time needed to return back to work by about 30% and I was able to return to work 6 months after having the surgery.
Joe A:Acupuncture to help with ACL surgery recovery
My experience with acupuncture has been a positive one. I was referred to Dr. A. after getting physical therapy on my back for severe muscle spasms. While physical therapy helped me initially, I got to a point where I wasn’t getting any more relief. I liked acupuncture treatments because, first and foremost, they are relaxing. You are disconnected from the world, and it’s blissful.
Dr. A’s technique is refined and almost pain free. I thought I was going to have 100 needles in me (movies!), but instead I had about 15. You feel a little tension building around the points, which means it’s working. Then you lay there and let the needles do their magic!
What I like about my acupuncturist is that she takes her time and she delivers results! I recommend Dr. A and acupuncture to anyone who has pain or just needs a little a tune up.
Maria D:Acupuncture for treatment of severe muscle spasms
Previous
Next