All about acupuncture with Noemi Martinez of Anew Healing
We're chatting with Noemi Martinez again (also featured in Issue 39 in a Q+A about the heart-opening benefits of ceremonial cacao), but this time we're talking about acupuncture.
Noemi graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science and Masters of Chinese Medicine in 2009 from Acupuncture & Massage College in Miami, FL.
"I went to acupuncture school after my own experience while I was pregnant with my daughter. I desired to have a home birth with my midwife. I got to 42 weeks with no signs of labor and my midwife recommended I try acupuncture to induce labor after exhausting all the possibilities of what she knew. And it worked! I went into labor 24 hours later, but it sparked my curiosity."
A couple of years after her daughter was born, she enrolled in Chinese Medicine School and has been practicing ever since — a total of 14 years.
Now, Noemi will take it away to give us an introduction into acupuncture in her words.
Intro to acupuncture
Acupuncture is just a branch of Chinese Medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine includes: acupuncture, Chinese herbology, cupping, guasha, and tuina (a manual therapy technique with the hands). It’s medicine rich with more than 5,000 years of history in various philosophies that understand the laws of nature, energy, yin and yang, and the power of intuition and deduction to reach a diagnosis without the use of technology.
Over the last 14 years, I have expanded my knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and am certified in even more branches of acupuncture like: Community Acupuncture, Scalp Acupuncture for Neurological problems, Facial Rejuvenation to assist with natural ways of looking younger, Esoteric and Alchemic Acupuncture to help evolve a persons consciousness, Acupuncture for Psychosomatic Disorders, and acupuncture for children, pregnancy, women’s health, etc. I knew that entering into this field of study and practice would be a lifelong learning experience that would only help me evolve into a better practitioner to help and serve others.
The benefits of Acupuncture
Think of any Western diagnosis for disease, acupuncture more than likely has a treatment for it. However, unlike Western medicine where prescriptions are often given to manage a disease but can cause other side effects, we take a holistic approach to the problem and attempt to treat the root cause of the problem while treating the symptoms without side effects.
It’s also very individualized. It produces a cascade of hormones that helps the body relax so it can heal (acupuncture naps are the best), boosts the immune system, and restores balance to the emotional, physical and spiritual body. It’s truly a beautiful thing. Lastly, it’s a modality that can be used in prevention medicine too.
Some examples might include
*Boost the immune system during a cold, flu, and allergy season
*Help with anxiety, depression, and insomnia
*Support during cancer treatment
*Relief from headaches, migraines, and pain of any kind
*Help with menstrual and hormonal disorders
*Pregnancy care or any issue during pregnancy
*Support for Bell’s Palsy, stroke recovery, diabetes, gut disorders, etc.
The idea is to restore balance to the body and rid the physical body — as well as the emotional and spiritual body — of dis-ease.
How often should someone see an Acupuncturist?
I like to encourage people to do prevention care monthly with acupuncture, but a majority of the clients I see have exhausted all possibilities with most other types of practitioners and see me as a last resort. That is shifting to less and less, but it’s still a major population of the types of clients I work with.
It's hard to generalize this because everyone’s health and needs are so individual. However, chronic conditions could require one-three times a week in severe cases. Some clients come bi-weekly when we are managing care of a specific problem.
Because acupuncture is a branch, we can use Chinese Herbal Medicine to assist us with the treatment process outside of the treatment room in conjunction with dietary suggestions and lifestyle changes.
A good first time service
A New Patient Health Consultation is where the practitioner can gather information about your health history and emotional state to determine what would be the best approach to your care. It’s also an interview process for both parties to determine if your energies align.
It’s something I highly recommend before starting your care. I’ve heard stories of Acupuncture not working for clients giving it a second try, but it’s most likely been the connection between the client and practitioner that was not aligned to begin with.
4 tips for newbies
1) Go into your session with no expectations and an open mind.
2) Eat something an hour or so before your session to prevent blood sugar dropping during the session.
3) Be sure not to have something planned after your treatment to allow things to integrate afterward.
4) Be yourself, dress comfortably, and try not to wear any make up.
Learn more about Noemi and her services by following her on Instagram. Are you local to Columbia, SC and ready to give it a try? Book a service.