blogging....my first attempt....

OK. Dear readers, before you read on please know that I've never blogged before...this is a new experience for me....

Why begin a blog at all? A good question. The shortest possible answer is that I have a passion for Chinese Medicine and I want to share my passion with others.

I recently completed my education, received my License to practice Acupuncture in New York State and opened my own practice - Bloom Acupuncture - in Manhattan. One of the first things I did, after opening my practice was to build a website - www.bloomacupuncture.com. As I worked on the content for the site, I realized that I might have more to say on this, my favorite subject, than I could realistically put into my website (at least in version 1.0!). And thus, the idea of a blog began to form - a place to muse and contribute and share my thoughts, and hopefully to encourage and inspire others to consider Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine as a serious, and extremely helpful form of medicine.

I guess the best place to start is at the beginning (at least MY beginning). How did I first come to experience Acupuncture treatment...

I had my first experience with Acupuncture in the ‘90’s while living in San Francisco. One day I experienced a sudden onset of pain in my upper back. The pain was severe in every position – standing, sitting, even lying down. I saw my doctor quickly and after a barrage of images and tests, I was told that my pain could not be diagnosed, and therefore it could not be treated. My doctor recommended I take over-the-counter painkillers and suggested that the pain would probably subside within 12 weeks.

I couldn’t face the idea of 12 weeks of pain, and didn’t want to be dependent on painkillers for such a long time. I was desperate for help and someone I knew suggested that I try Acupuncture. I had heard of Acupuncture, although I didn’t really know what it was, but I was willing to try anything to relieve my pain.

I saw an Acupuncturist for the first time a few days later and was amazed by how much better I felt after the treatment. The pain was much less, I was much more relaxed and I was able to sleep through the night for the first time since the pain began. I saw my Acupuncturist once a week for about eight weeks and my back pain was completely resolved, without the use of medication.

My severe upper back pain has never returned, although I continued to see my Acupuncturist off and on for relief of other complaints. I was amazed and inspired by the power of this medicine and knew very quickly that I wanted to study and practice Acupuncture myself.

That's how it all began...and it has only gotten better!