Today is a beautiful Sunday, like so many Sundays in Cary, NC. I love it here and I am happy – finally. And wow, what an effort it has taken to get me to this point of stillness, just long enough to begin my new “blogging life”! This historic blogging event is taking place in Caribou Coffee House – I am sure this blog will make me famous… but ah, I will not forget my humble beginnings at Caribou, where it all began (I’m so grateful that if any employee of the Cary, NC Caribou Coffee reads this, I will give you 10% off your first acupuncture or massage therapy treatment in my office!).Really, I cannot believe I am finally blogging… but I’m ready to go, because there are so many things to tell you about my profession and my experiences. Let me start at the beginning:
I am a REAL SOUTHERN BELLE, from Charleston, South Carolina. I had a very personal and ultimately liberating experience in 1990, which made me reassess my life and what I wanted to do. I’d always worked well with people, and I really felt like it was my calling to help them. Initially after this reassessment, I became a massage therapist; I also went to school to get into the medical field, and eventually found my way by training and getting a Master’s of Science degree, specializing in acupuncture and herbal therapy. I have been an acupuncturist now since shortly after the turn of the century! I moved to Cary in October 2001, just after the planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York; in March of the following year, I opened an acupuncture practice, then called Acupuncture by Fran Ammons (now The Acupuncture and Skin Rejuvenation Center). Shortly afterward, many tech companies and “dot-bombs” in the Triangle crashed, causing many in the area to lose their jobs – times were hard. And as luck would have it – happy, happy, joy, joy – I almost starved to death during my first 3 years here in Cary, myself. So now I actually consider myself a real Southern Belle/Caryite, ’cause I suffered right along with everyone here! But things have improved, and I cannot be happier today, because of all the ways I’ve been able – and continue – to help others.
Acupuncture…My Passion
There are so many things to tell you about the wonders of acupuncture, let me just start with an overview. It’s been an effective medical practice for thousands – yes, that’s right – thousands of years. Did you know that both acupuncture and massage increase the immune system’s power to protect you and fight off pathogens (germs) that could make you sick? Also, acupuncture treats many syndromes, including back and knee pain, arthritis (osteo and rhuematoid), migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, anxiety, depression, emotional problems, stress, insomnia, asthma, chronic fatigue, BELL’s PALSY, PMS, WOMEN’s ISSUES, INFERTILITY, MENSTRUAL CRAMPING, digestive issues such as GERD, indigestion, colitis, diverticulitis, IBS, nausea and vomiting, in addition to COMMON COLDS and FLU, SORE THROAT RELIEF (sometimes within 15 minutes), constipation, diarrhea, dental pain, shoulder and elbow pain (such as golf and tennis elbow), SINUS ISSUES, and weight loss. I am also a certified acupuncture addiction specialist – certified by the National Addiction and Detoxification Association – so I can even treat addictions to food, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and much more!!!
Skin Rejuvenation…a Great Complement!
In Summer 2007, I discovered another fabulous technology that is a great complement to acupuncture, which is now the skin rejuvenation portion of my practice. It was developed over 25 years ago, and was first introduced and marketed in Europe. Dr. Charles McWilliams, the inventor of the devices, is a naturopathic physician who also established Florida’s first school of acupuncture and homeopathy and currently runs a large naturopathic training clinic in the West Indies. After many years of proven use in Europe, the devices were then brought to the United States:
- A low-intensity, radio-wave device that is the only light and color energy device in the world to also include the use of harmonic sound and gemstone technology. This technology is perfect for erasing fine lines and wrinkles and also controls and heals acne and scarring and other skin disorders; treatment actually decreases the size of large facial pores, and can also relieve tension headaches by restoring the skin’s natural cellular activity.
- A high-frequency, energy light-emitting device that is used for lymphatic drainage. This device has the ability to remove toxins from the face and body by the induction of a flood of negatively charged electrons that penetrate the skin, terminating free radicals and increasing the oxygenation of the cells. This device will also treat conditions such as hyper-pigmentation, sun damage, and age spots on the skin.
The ability to use appropriate acupuncture points when using these devices is the only way to provide optimal results for any purpose. So, can you imagine how excited I was when I learned about this technology, saw what it actually did and how much it really helped and how it complemented my acupuncture practice?
The face treatment is unique; we are the only facility in Cary certified to do it with this technology! The full series of 10 treatments can easily give 10-15 years back to your face, erasing what time and stress has imprinted; results typically last 3-5 years. We’ve also successfully used it for acne control and other skin disorders such as rosacea and brown age spots on the face!
In addition to the face, this technique can also lift and tone the entire body in areas of the breasts and buttocks, relieve muscle knots and spasms, clear the sinuses, and tighten the “ripple-look” of the thighs and buttocks. At the same time, pain can also be relieved in many areas of the body (the anti-aging factor is an additional benefit). During treatments on various patients, I have also noticed a decrease in spider veins on the legs and stretch marks on the abdominal areas. The treatments have also downsized the thighs and arms and made many, many patients very happy!
Here’s the best part: Both face and body rejuvenation treatments are completely painless, USING NO NEEDLES. It is non-surgical and non-invasive – we don’t inject you with any poisons, we don’t burn off layers of your skin , and there’s no bruising or downtime necessary for healing. Plus, there have been no known side effects when properly administered except for the possibility of a slight redness (from blood stimulated to the surface of the face) that dissipates within the hour after treatment. That’s a far cry from the “possibility of death or serious adverse effects” – which is in all of the fine print disclaimers you see at doctor’s offices when you go in for their “facial rejuvenation” practices.
So that’s my overview…. WOW! I can hardly believe I have become so technologically advanced that I am ACTUALLY blogging – I am SO proud of myself! I hope you can read and feel the passion and excitement I get from seeing the results of acupuncture and skin rejuvenation treatments on my patients. It is truly a blessing to be able to help others… and I plan on sharing my passion with you on this blog. More to come!
