When Westminster resident Beverly Fox felt tired, stressed and pain, she turned to the Tevis Center for Wellness for help. She had heard about the benefits of the center’s acupuncture services and decided to try it. She said it was one of the best decisions she’s made for her emotional and physical health.
“It was almost immediately that I felt it was helping me,” said Fox. “I felt more energized, happier, less stressed out.”
Acupuncture is one of several complementary health services offered at Carroll Hospital’s Tevis Center for Wellness (others include massage, facials and reiki) and has long been recognized as an effective complement to traditional treatment for a variety of health issues such as stress, depression, anxiety and headaches.
At Carroll Hospital, sessions are performed by a licensed acupuncturist and involves inserting tiny, hair-thin needles into specific points on the body to stimulate proper energy flow, said Carroll Hospital acupuncturist Susan McIntosh. When the flow of energy is unblocked, the body can function more effectively, she added.
“Acupuncture is not a cure, but it can help keep your body in balance. People often report that their immune systems are better, and they feel and stay healthier,” she said.
Carroll Hospital offers a variety of acupuncture therapies aimed at improving symptoms for a range of conditions. They include auricular (or ear) acupuncture, which focuses on the acupuncture points of the outer ear to lessen pain and stress, and to promote a greater self-awareness; auricular acupuncture for weight loss and addiction; community acupuncture, offered in a group setting; and acupuncture facial rejuvenation to reduce facial skin imperfections.
“We have different types of acupuncture for various needs,” said Mary Peloquin, manager of community health and wellness at Carroll Hospital. “The needles are placed on specific points of the body that are related to the system that they are trying to treat. So, we tailor the treatment to what the person is coming for,” she added.
While the results are effective, Peloquin recommends that people continue their acupuncture treatments for a least a month because its effects are cumulative with the benefits building with each treatment. She also recommends that patients discuss their use of acupuncture with their primary care provider and work together with the provider to come up with the best individual overall treatment plan.
Fox is one of the fortunate ones. She started to feel the benefits after only one session. She said she’s been receiving acupuncture once a week for the past two years and has no plans to stop.
“I enjoy it [because] it’s very meditative and calming. You just relax for 45 minutes. I feel like it’s ‘me’ time,” Fox said.
For more information on acupuncture and other complementary health services offered at the Tevis Center for Wellness at Carroll Hospital, please call Care Connect at 410-871-7000 or visit our website.
