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More turning to complementary medicine for help

Posted at 6:48 PM, Mar 25, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-25 18:49:25-04

It’s been growing in popularity. Complementary and Alternative medicine also known as ‘CAM’— has never been more popular with nearly 40-percent of people turning to it for help.

Vicki Finkelstein tried everything to lose weight, but nothing was working.

She turned to acupuncture even though she was a little skeptical.

"The goal was for me to lose weight and my nutritionist suggested it,” says Vicki.

She’s been coming here to Point Well Taken Acupuncture on Falls Road for about six weeks and already, she’s seen results.

"She's doing some needles in the meridians in my ear for that and a magnet for that and I've already lost a couple of pounds," Finkelstein said.

Point Well Taken co-owner and certified acupuncturist Laura Coleson-Schreur, started as an ICU nurse in Washington D.C. before turning her focus to acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

"I kind of had a moral dilemma. I was not seeing the whole picture of a patient. We were just focusing on one organ or disease," Coleson-Schreur said.

Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of healing, originating in China 3,000 years ago. The practice uses thin needles to help increase the flow of blood and energy to different parts of the body.

But Coleson-Schreur says acupuncture shouldn’t be used to replace a doctor’s visit, it should be as complementary treatment.

"Everyone has their doctor and everyone should have their acupuncturist. That’s what I think," Coleson-Schreur said.

As for Finkelstein, she plans to continue her treatments, even if she doesn’t love those needles.

“I’m definitely a ninny with the needles," Finkelstein said.

Coleson-Schreur says, "If you really stick with this, this can be a great preventative medicine. It can really keep people healthier, it deals with things we spend so much money on."

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Healthsays acupuncture is generally considered safe when performed by an experienced and well trained practitioner using sterile needles. Improperly performed acupuncture can cause serious side effect.

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