After suffering from a viral infection, Jennifer Cardenas began experiencing severe joint pain. For over three and a half months, the 39-year-old was in constant pain, and it started to affect her quality of life.
“My rheumatologist started to recommend an antirheumatic medication, but I had numerous coworkers recommend acupuncture as a holistic treatment,” said Jennifer. “I work for The Valley Hospital, and when I saw that we had opened an integrative medicine practice, which offered acupuncture, I started to look into it further.”
After also getting a recommendation from her nutritionist and receiving clearance from her physician, Jennifer made an appointment at Valley Medical Group’s Integrative Medicine practice for acupuncture with Daniel Yoo, LAc, acupuncturist.
Acupuncture is a holistic technique that involves inserting thin needles into specific points of the body to stimulate and heal those areas.
“I was not sure what to expect and was a little nervous as I don’t love needles, but was eager to see if this would help. I was ready to start feeling better, and to get back to the gym and coaching,” said Jennifer.
At her initial appointment, Daniel thoroughly reviewed Jennifer’s symptoms to make sure he knew the source of her pain. He took time to explain acupuncture treatment, what she may feel, and showed her the needles before use.
“He made me feel incredibly comfortable with everything, and I barely felt the needles,” said Jennifer. “The best way I can describe it after he placed the needles is that I then started feeling this energy going to all of my joints where I was having pain. It was a pretty wild feeling. I also went in with severe neck pain for about two months and very limited range of motion, and I left the appointment with no neck pain and full range of motion. I couldn't believe it!”
Jennifer has now been receiving acupuncture for more than nine months. After three months of regular care, she found her joint pain had completely resolved. Daniel explained that there is a typical six-to-eight-week timeframe for feeling the effects, but everyone is different. She now goes once a month for maintenance.
“Daniel is amazing at what he does and has a great bedside manner. Even though I went for joint pain, he also addresses other issues I may have, including an illness or stomach pains,” said Jennifer. “He gave me back my quality of life and made me, me again.”
Jennifer is now back to her regular activities, including being active with her children, coaching, and going to the gym.
“I would recommend acupuncture to anyone who is thinking about it. It is not as scary as it may seem,” said Jennifer. “Give it a try! You may not like it and not continue, but on the flip side, it may help you with whatever ailments you may have and give you back your quality of life.”
For more information about integrative medicine care at Valley, including acupuncture, please visit ValleyHealth.com/IntegrativeMedicine, or call 201-746-9389 to schedule an appointment.