My How and Why
Hello and welcome! I’m Savannah, the owner and acupuncturist at Redwood Acupuncture and Herbs. I want to share my experience with you so you know how I got into acupuncture and why it has become so important to me.
Many acupuncturists will tell you that they had health concerns that were either not responding to or not being addressed by western medicine so they turned to acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. They experienced such profound results that they went on to study Chinese medicine and become an acupuncturist. My story is a little backwards in that before applying to school, I had never tried acupuncture. Besides frequent nosebleeds and stepping on rusty nails, I was rather healthy and rarely needed medical intervention.
My journey began when I witnessed a classmate perform acupressure on another classmate for an asthma attack. I was pretty much convinced on the spot that it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Mind you, I am not old enough to know unsliced bread except when I make it and have to slice it myself. I really do think pre-sliced bread is great because I do not excel at making evenly sliced bread. I digress… After witnessing that awesomeness, I went home, did some research, and applied to Chinese medicine school.
During my school tour, I was given a voucher for a free treatment in the student clinic. I had recently moved to San Diego and was bike commuting about 19 miles round trip for work. I developed a bit of pain in my knee and decided to use the voucher to see what acupuncture could do. I was very impressed at how well a single treatment helped my knee and equally, if not more, excited to start school so I could learn more about this incredible art.
About two weeks before starting school, I experienced something that traumatized me to my core. Here I was working full time, about to add full time school, and to just really top off that busy schedule, let’s add post traumatic stress disorder. I wasn’t sleeping, was terrified of new people and places, and incredibly stressed, which for me equates to not eating. It was the least ideal time to start something new, but it was also the best time given the journey I was about to embark on.
My school had an on site clinic for our internships and same day openings were available to students free of charge. It was a win-win situation because the interns got more experience and the students got much needed treatments. I took full advantage of this and began getting treatments at least twice a week. While my healing wasn’t overnight, between acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and counseling, I was eventually able to overcome the PTSD. I won’t say that I’m perfect or “back to normal” because I would be completely lying if I said that, but I am 95% better and that is a huge success.
Throughout the five years that I was in Chinese medicine school, I used acupuncture and herbal medicine for every little health concern that popped up in my life. Anyone who has been through medical school knows that when you are a med student, you all of a sudden have a million different conditions and diseases. Needless to say, I got a lot of treatments whether it was for actual conditions or those that I made up in my head after learning about them. It was amazing to me how well it worked for a wide variety of ailments.
Shortly before graduating, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. My doctor gave me a pamphlet and a laundry list of medications that she recommended. She couldn’t tell me what caused PCOS, if it would go away, or how the medications were supposed to help other than they would take care of the various side effects of my hormonal imbalance. She told me that unless I wanted children, it didn’t really matter. I left the office feeling more confused than anything.
As such, I refused all western care. I didn’t want to be on birth control pills to “regulate” my cycle because I knew that isn’t how that worked. I didn’t want to be on any of the medications they listed because I didn’t have the health issues those drugs treated. I wanted to get to the root of the issue and treat it from there. Chinese medicine to the rescue! Acupuncture, herbal medicine, a few dietary and lifestyle changes and I can proudly say that I no longer have ovarian cysts, I have regular, pain free menstrual cycles, and my hormones are mostly regulated. No pharmaceuticals used.
I’m not saying that Western medicine is bad because I firmly believe there is a time and a place for everything. However, there are many conditions that respond really well to acupuncture and Chinese herbs and the best part is that they treat the root cause, not just the symptoms (more on this in the next post). I have experienced this first hand and I want others to as well.
That being said, I wholeheartedly believe that teamwork makes the dream work. What I mean is that while I credit Chinese medicine with making me better, it required work on my part. I had to change my diet, alter a few lifestyle choices, take my herbs, and show up for myself. Was it as easy as just taking a pill every day? Heck no! But in the end it was worth it because I wasn’t just putting a bandaid on the situation. I, with the help of many, healed my body and I want the same for you.
Being in pain, mentally or physically, sucks. I understand it, have experienced it, but I have also experienced the relief that Chinese medicine can provide. Given the chance, I believe we can make profound changes to your health. This is why I am an acupuncturist and why I started Redwood Acupuncture and Herbs. I look forward to helping you feel like your best self!