I'm an Acupuncturist and I Love Acupuncture

By Olivia Peters-Lazaro, L.Ac.

I'm an acupuncturist.  I've been getting treated with acupuncture since 2003 when I had debilitating neck pain and treatments turned that around.  I still get treated regularly, which ends up looking something like 2-3 times per week for a few weeks while I work on something specific, and then monthly if nothing, in particular, is going on....when I just need a “tune-up.” And, I'm not exaggerating, EVERY TIME I get treated, whatever I was getting treated for gets better, and EVERY TIME that happens, I'm delighted and amazed that it worked.  I shouldn't be surprised that acupuncture works right?  I'm an acupuncturist!  I've practiced and studied this stuff INTENSIVELY since 2005, yet, whether it's my own experience of my own health, or when my patients tell me that they improved, that it worked, I'm still like "wow, that's awesome!"  There is awe and delight in seeing the positive effects of treatments on people. 

There are many ways to explain "how acupuncture works" but the "big picture" explanation that I love the most is that acupuncture works by helping your body be in the best possible position to heal itself.  Yes, we could talk about endogenous endorphins, and opiate receptors, and inflammatory processes, and circulation, and channel theory, and empirical points, and mirroring, etc. etc....but basically, we stick needles into strategic locations to optimize your own physical, mental, and emotional ability to come back into a state of health.  Wow.  We all need help sometimes, and acupuncture happens to be a particularly effective, easy, and safe way to get that help.

Since May (big thanks to the North Valley Community Foundation grant), we have given almost 1250 free treatments to hundreds of individuals impacted by the Camp Fire.  I wish I had a specific quote to give you here, but the theme, over and over and over again, was that the treatments helped them to calm their nervous system, to help settle their minds, take the edge off the anxiety, lift them out of depression, help them move through their anger, sleep a little better, handle the next step in fire recovery, reduce the severity of a trigger response.

Although at this time we don't have more funding, we hope that you all, and those you know who need it, will get into the clinic and get treated.  We really want to see our community make a great recovery, each and every individual gaining more peace and ease in their lives, and we feel very strongly that acupuncture is a cornerstone piece of the recovery puzzle.

I'm an acupuncturist, and I love acupuncture!  I love helping people with this particular tool.  When I completed my schooling to become licensed in 2009 (yes, acupuncture is a 4-year program, in case you were following the dates I mentioned above), my vision for starting an acupuncture practice in my hometown was simple:  to be a really useful tool for my community's health.  I think that vision is alive and well by virtue of you all being here and using us!  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for being a source of daily awe and delight in my work at this clinic.