One thing that has consistently aroused great curiosity in me is the impact of the mind when it comes to clinical outcomes. It never ceases to amaze me how patients who come through the door with a plan, and a positive mindset, experience superior clinical outcomes. One of the things that I emphasize strongly is patient education. It is highly advantageous for patients to have a basic understanding of the workings of some of the pertinent underlying structures within the body. It has been said that knowledge is power, and I believe this couldn’t be more true as in the case of when it pertains to oneself.

Another aspect of successful clinical outcomes is sensitivity and openness. The helpfulness of this cannot be overstated as I seek to understand each patient’s unique circumstances in order to apply my knowledge best. When patients approach the doctor-patient relationship with a willingness to explain their symptoms in a detailed manner, I can make decisions that ensure their safety and wellbeing throughout their journey to healing.

I believe that trying acupuncture for the treatment of chronic illness requires for a patient to be, well, patient. Under the influence of the operational model of the prevailing medical system in the West, we are sold the idea that health can be bought and that drugs and surgery are fast and effective cures that can and will help us live forever. The ideal patient recognizes and is grounded in the reality that their chronic health issues did not develop in one hour, and that spending one hour with me could not possibly undo the weeks, months or often times, years of disease factors that have been accumulating in the background of their lives.

The ideal patient is someone who is highly motivated to be an active part of their healing. I hold that healing is a collaborative process, and not something that I or anyone can do for a patient. I can hold space, but I cannot breathe for someone else or experience any other requisite part of the human experience for them. We are all complex, individual organisms, from the inside out. All of our cells are in a constant state of flux, with their own unique vibratory signatures that make us who we are and that either lead to health or bring us disease. The ideal patient is driven by a mission, often a spiritual one, that helps bolster their commitment to improvement when their bodies and minds grow weary or risk being drawn back to old, painful patterns of thinking and being.

Lastly, the person who stands to benefit most from acupuncture believes in being present with their thoughts and feelings. Research has actually shown that patients with issues that block the perception of pain actually don’t experience the same benefits from acupuncture. Our thoughts about ourselves and our health can act as the living script of what manifests in our physical reality. This is why it is of paramount importance to maintain positivity and serenity within the mind, so that illness can never take root and grow in the body, mind or spirit. Our most potent source of power against disease lies within the mind and its ability to dictate the guideposts that ultimately tell our stories.

We are all capable of exercising patience and willpower, and determining which thoughts we entertain and which we reject. Sometimes, however, our habitual patterns make embedded thoughts of a negative nature more difficult to shed and release. In such cases, a qualified healthcare professional such as myself can serve as the bridge between a life history and a life destiny. I invite you to call our office at 773-828-3001 to see how we can work together to help you add more health, harmony and balance to your life.