If you are not going to read my entire post – please read this:\r
1) Erik is a great acupuncturist – very effective at treating specific ailments\r
2) Acupuncture is a very effective tool to MAINTAIN general health\r
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To be honest, I could go on and on about how great the folks at Inner Gate acupuncture are. And it would be completely true. However, there are tons of reviews that provide this information. So I will try to provide a unique review.\r
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As an engineer, I like to know HOW things work. I want a direct explanation of WHY things do what they do. I do get that there are explanations of why acupuncture works, but it doesn’t sound very scientific to me, and therefore is hard to accept. \r
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In light of this, going to acupuncture was very hard for me. I know there is research on what acupuncture can treat, and opposing opinions of the effectiveness of acupuncture. However, I decided to try acupuncture when no other western medicine options were available for me. I had mono for 6 months, and ended up having to take 3 months off work to give my body, and my not so effective immune system a chance to heal. There was nothing to be done, except rest and eat well (to boost my immune system). I have a friend who recommended acupuncture, and decided to try it. \r
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Thankfully, my friend recommended Erik at Inner Gate Acupuncture. While I initially went for treatment of a weak immune system, I have seen tremendous results not only in boosting my immune system, but also treatments for every day ailments. \r
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Since I’ve professed to be a scientist – I will attempt to provide you with the evidence that it was the acupuncture, and specifically the acupuncture from Erik at Inner Gate, that caused the results. \r
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While I went to acupuncture for my immune system, to specifically get over mono sooner, I found that Erik was able to identify other issues with my body. I continued to see Erik after my mono was gone, but stopped going soon after I felt better, around Jan of 2008. After that time, I was sick very often. I had colds that lasted weeks, multiple occurrences of the flu, walking pneumonia that lasted 4 months. I missed a lot of work due to illness, and generally accepted that this was the way my life would be – that I would just be sick often. My primary care physician treated each illness as appropriate, whether with antibiotics, anti-virals, or simply rest. I also saw an immunologist to see what was so wrong with my immune system. There were no concrete answers.\r
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Finally, out of frustration, I began seeing Erik weekly in the Fall of 2009. I have been seeing him since, and have been so much more healthy. Every other variable has remained the same – food choices, stress at work, being a smoker (yes – I know – you can publically ridicule me now), not working out. But what changed was my weekly visits with Erik. Since this time, I have missed little work, and when I do get sick, Erik is very effective at treating it and preventing it from lasting more than a couple days. One specific example was a sinus infection. I went in with a throbbing sinus headache, and walked out pain free. I was pain free for 24 hrs, and then had minor pain. I was fine the next day. \r
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Why do I think Erik is so effective? When he is doing triage of my body – he will identify a problem area, and then use acupressure to identify the most effective place to put the needle in to resolve the issue. He will treat multiple issues at each visit, but is also careful not to “energize” an area when your body can not handle it. One example was when I was having stomach pain, but my immune system was also weak. He treated my stomach first, and the following weeks focused on my immune system. You’ll have to ask him why this makes sense – but it worked. \r
Pros: Effective treatment of many common ailments
Cons: None!
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