By Jason Emerson

Editor

Some people may feel nervous thinking about a medical practice that inserts needles into their skin as a way to relieve medical symptoms, but acupuncturist Melissa Gale sees it as a highly effective (though lesser-known) form of treatment that she wants to educate people on and use to empower people to enjoy a healthy life.

“A lot of people know acupuncture but are unfamiliar with acupuncture treatments and what the experience is like,” Gale said. “My goal is to help clients alleviate their symptoms, rebalance their system so that they have a healthy foundation and their body’s innate healing capacity can thrive.  The focus of acupuncture is as much on the prevention of disease as it is on alleviating the symptoms of disease.”

Gale, who is a licensed acupuncturist with an advanced degree in traditional Chinese medicine, recently opened her practice, Acupuncture Health and Wellness, out of a home office on Glenwood Drive in Cazenovia. Her training in traditional Chinese medicine encompasses acupuncture; Chinese herbalism and nutrition; and a physical manipulation similar to massage called Tui Na. Her training also encompassed traditional Western medicine in topics such as anatomy, physiology and pharmacology.

She said her practice philosophy is empowering people to pursue a healthy lifestyle through acupuncture, nutrition and wellness coaching. “So I can really focus … to ultimately be able to get the client’s body to go back to its own natural healing state,” she said. “It’s not just acupuncture; it’s so much more than that — that’s what I’d like to offer to the community.”

According to Gale, acupuncture, as a holistic approach, is able to treat numerous chronic and acute conditions, including physical ailments, internal issues, autoimmune disorders and mental/emotional conditions — in laymen’s terms: she can treat symptoms such as insomnia, stress, joint pains, allergies, anxiety, gastro-intestinal issues, food sensitivity, menopause, infertility, arthritis and much more.

So how does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture is a form of Chinese medicine based on the theory that energy, called chi, flows through and around the body along pathways called meridians. Acupuncturists believe that illness occurs when something blocks or unbalances your chi. Acupuncture is a way to unblock or influence chi and help it flow back into balance by putting very thin needles into the skin at certain points on the body. Patterns and treatments will change based on a person’s symptoms and physiology.

Before there are needles, however, there is the consultation where Gale explains her practices and techniques to her client and gets her client’s full history, information and health goals. Follow-up appointments usually last about an hour with the actual acupuncture treatments lasting 20 to 30 minutes.

Gale said the first and obvious question everyone asks is, Does it hurt? “It does not,” she said. The sensation, if any, is often a tingling feeling or just a sense of calmness flowing through the body, she said. “People find it incredibly relaxing,” she said. “Sometimes they fall asleep. I have yet to have a client come in and not have acupuncture,” she said.

Acupuncture is cumulative, she said, so treatment could be two or three sessions, or it could be more, it depends on each individual’s needs.

Gale, who moved to Cazenovia several years ago with her husband and two children, said she loves “everything about Cazenovia,” and is eager to share her practice with her community. While she likes the serenity of her home office, as the only licensed acupuncturist in the Cazenovia area she is also interested in eventually opening an office downtown and potentially in Fayetteville or Manlius.

Gale’s patients do not require a doctor’s referral, and she does not yet accept insurance. Her rates are $45 per session. “I’m happy to talk with people who are unsure and have questions with a quick consultation or over the phone,” she said.

For more information about Acupuncture Health and Wellness, visit Gale’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/MelissaGale.Acupuncture, call 663-1167 or email [email protected].