If They Ran Doctors Offices Like Acupuncturist Offices
After having spent the last several months in and out of doctors offices, some alternative, some conventional, I’ve developed a little theory. I think if they ran doctors offices like acupuncturist (or other alternative healers) offices, people would be a lot healthier.
Some of you already know that in August, I had quite the little mishap, ending up in the hospital with 16 facial fractures. Naturally after you get out of the emergency room, you have followup visits over the next few months with your regular doctor to make sure you’re healing properly. Well, I’m more of an alternative medicine kind of girl, so I didn’t have a regular doctor. (My last regular doctor visit had been to the pediatrician when I was 10).
Given the shattered state of my face, however, I figured, yeah, maybe it was time to find a regular doctor again for those follow up appointments, which I did. I also made multiple appointments with several local, alternative medicine practitioners in effort to avoid having the surgery I’d been told I’d absolutely need to have. The alternative medicine appointments were with Dr. Bonnie Cronin, my usual acupuncturist; Lisa B. O’Shea, a qi gong healer recommended by my mother; and Laura Fritz, a craniosacral therapist recommended by sister.
Obviously the differences between these three healers and the conventional doctor lies a lot in the manner of treatment, but aside from that, there’s another huge difference that one picks up on immediately; their offices. Of course I’ve noticed before how soothing my acupuncturist’s office is, having been there multiple times (since I didn’t go to conventional doctors before my big face break last year). But after going to treatments with qi gong and craniosacral as well, and then finally returning to a conventional doctor, I realized just how stark those differences were.
I noticed that a conventional doctor’s office is, exactly that, an office. They’re rigid, factory-looking places painted in alternating shades of beige, white, and taupe. You feel like just another number in a cold, industrialized setting. And while the doctor is certainly nice and friendly, it still feels impersonal, just a job, just another patient. It reminded me of why I had given up conventional doctors long ago.
By contrast the acupuncturist, qi gong, and craniosacral offices are warm and inviting. It’s hard to explain unless you experience it first-hand, but the whole atmosphere is just nicer. They’re usually soothingly decorated in shades other than just beige, and when they are shades of beige or white, they’re broken up with colored decor or warm wood. They look like they were decorated by a person, not a machine. If there’s a scent on the air, it’s usually like that of a pleasant essential oil rather than the sterile smell of Lysol in a doctor’s office. The brochures are usually for other local businesses, often also focused on healing, in contrast to the drug-sponsored propaganda found in conventional waiting rooms. There’s often an abundance of plants or inspirational sayings and images. The waiting furniture is soft and comfortable, not the harsh furniture found in conventional waiting rooms. It’s a wonderful healing atmosphere. You feel like you start healing right when you walk in, before you even see the alternative doctor/therapist.
The doctors are different too. You’re on a first name basis with the alternative doctors/therapists. If there’s a “Dr” in the name, it’s usually followed by their first name rather than their last. Alternative practitioners seem to just naturally exude an atmosphere of warmth; you don’t feel like you’re just another number. There are no “general” prescriptions thrown at you like you get in a conventional doctor’s office. In an alternative practitioner’s office, the prescriptions you get are really meant to help you specifically.
There are of course limits as to what an alternative practitioner can do, and sometimes you really do need a conventional doctor. That is exactly why I feel that if they ran their offices a bit more like alternative practitioners do, it would be a much more welcoming atmosphere for the patients, and therefore much more conducive to healing. My acupuncturist, qi gong therapist, and craniosacral therapist were able to help me heal so much faster than anyone expected and I ended up not having to have the surgery that the conventional doctors were so sure I would need. I’m a firm believer in the power of alternative medicine, because I’ve seen it work time and time again, and maybe the way they run their offices is a part of that.
Disclaimer:
The information provided on this website is merely opinion. I am not a medical doctor or a scientist and this information should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your own doctor for medical advice. The information on this website is intended for informational purposes only. The information on this website should not be used for treatment or medical diagnosis. Always seek professional medical advice from your doctor before beginning any new practices.
Copyright © Amber Reifsteck ~ The Woodland Elf
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The emotion code is different from the emotional freedom technique in that magnets are used to draw trapped emotions from the body. It works well for pain too – especially if it’s painful to tap on a injured area.
Your acupuncture story is amazing. What lucky pets you have. ☺
Cool, I’ll have to check and see if anyone practices it in this area. Thanks.
Hi Amber. My family and I are all into natural healing and remedies. Ironically my husband is a pharmacist, but the joke in our house is that you’re more likely to walk out of his store with a bunch of herbs and vitamins than regular over the counter medication. He also practises qi quong and, while not quite a master, is definitely an advanced student. My oldest daughter has a natural healing clinic here in our home, where she uses something called the emotion code to help people release past trauma, and I’m a great believer in acupuncture. When I was pregnant with my son, I developed Bell’s palsey. It effects your facial muscles and felt and looked like a stroke on one side of my face. Doctors told me there wasn’t much I could do for it, especially as I was pregnant, and that eventually it would go away. Trouble was, my left eye wouldn’t close (I had to tape it shut) and I could barely open my mouth to eat. So. . . off I went to an acupuncturist, where after just one session, I was able to drink through a straw, and partially close my eye. After four treatments, the doctors where asking me what I’d been doing, as my recovery was so fast. 🙂
As for the acupuncture clinic itself? Well, soothing music, gentle hands and being greeted like a dear friend can only ever help on a patient’s journey.
I hope you continue to heal with no lasting scars – inside and out.
That is pretty amusing about your husband being a pharmacist, lol. Very cool story though. Like you, I’ve seen the alternative remedies work so many times on “uncurable” conditions. We even have an acupuncturist that treats our pets and they benefit from it, some were even cured of cancer. The emotion code your daughter uses is intriguing. I wonder if it’s anything like the emotional freedom technique, which consists of tapping certain acupressure points to help a person release emotional “baggage.”