Walking into Heaven Qi & Earth, it is uncertain if you have entered a medical office or an intimate spa but you discover why as you see the information on the esthetician that shares the waiting room. A selection of herbal teas are offered with a warm, cheerful greeting from Elizabeth McDowell who, true to her name, resembles a sorority girl more than the traditional vision of Eastern Healer. With a quick perusal of her pedigree, you quickly realize that you are definitely encountering the latter in the guise of the former. \r
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The diplomas in her spare and tidy office nearly wallpaper one section of the wall. Prompted by her observations of acupunture's effectiveness in a close relative's return to mobility from debilitating rheumatoid arthritis that Western doctors had all but given up on, the frames display degrees and certificates earned studying locally, in China, and for many years under the watchful guidance and apprenticeship of the most highly renowned practicioners of this ancient healing art.\r
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Elizabeth is sincere and genuine about helping her patients and brings to the practice a bedside manner that is generally nonexistent elsewhere in the field. Her friendly, easy-going yet professional manner immediately puts one at ease. Simple, straightforward questions about medical history are easy to answer and even delicate topics seem as easy to relate as yesterday's weather. \r
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The spa ambience returns in the treatment room where aromatherapy is often incorporated into treatments as soothing music softly plays. At the end of the session, after booking the next appointment and receiving instructions to pick up a herbal prescription, a warm goodbye punctuates the end of the visit. This acupuncture treatment is a world away from the brusque, standoffish bedside manner and broken English usually encountered elsewhere. What a welcome change. This is the future of acupuncture and it is here now, at Heaven Qi & Earth.
Pros: Friendly to work with, easy street parking most of the time
Cons: Not a traditional ""Chinese Medicine"" atmosphere, if that is what you seek.
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