A few months ago, I did an open call on my personal Facebook page asking for help regarding my husband’s rheumatism. I received lots of great advice but if there was one reoccuring piece of advice, it was acupuncture. One friend in particular was insisted we connect with Karen Marks from Alpenglow Acupuncture in Wheat Ridge so we setup four appointments to put their Acupuncture and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) techniques to the test. Following our series of appointments and some small lifestyle changes, he found some reprieve. That was enough for me to start researching these methods that send gentle signals through his system, nudging his body back toward homeostasis.
TCM is often used for treating chronic issues that are often poorly managed by western medicine and rarely have side effects. “It has been used for thousands of years by millions of people around the world,” says Karen. “It is one of the few complimentary therapies recognized by major health organizations such as the World Health Organization and National Institutes of Health.”
I sat down with this new mom who has been practicing acupuncture and Chinese Medicine since 2003. She primarily uses Japanese-style acupuncture, as well as adjunct therapies such as moxa, cupping, tuina/shiatsu, and electrical stimulation. Karen enjoys working with children, using a Japanese technique called Sho-ni-shin, which utilizes special tools for tapping and rubbing the skin in place of- and sometimes in addition to- needling. She is also trained in Acutonics and cosmetic acupuncture.
“I am again learning firsthand how useful this medicine can be. From the residual aches and pains from delivery (I had the benefit of being able to use acupuncture DURING my labor even) to the aches and pains of developing a whole new set of muscles from toting around a baby and/or car seat, I have been lucky to have this tool to help resolve issues. I have also been treated for irregular digestion/mood swings/night sweats all related to hormone imbalance. I have also started doing Sho-Ni-Shin and using Acutonics on baby Henry. He has had some torticollis and trouble eating from a bottle, so in addition to doing some stretches, I have been treating him. He loves it!”
For kids, Alpenglow Acupuncture addresses allergies, eczema, asthma, colds and ear infections, sleep disorders, digestive issues and teething pain, as well as many other problems. For mom, they tackle stress, sleep, fatigue, digestion, hormone imbalances, fertility, pain and more.
Karen got into acupuncture after having received a successful treatment when her friend talked her into going to a student clinic. She was super skeptical about being treated for low back pain but after a number of sessions she noticed that not only did her back feel better, but her asthma had pretty much gone away. She learned firsthand how TCM sees health issues as patterns of disharmony, and quite often several seemingly unrelated symptoms can actually fit under the same pattern. She was hooked and eventually enrolled in acupuncture school.
Author: Amber Johnson
Amber is the founder and editor of Mile High Mamas, travel writer and former columnist for The Denver Post. She is a passionate community builder and loves the outdoors. She has two awesome teens and is happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin.
