By Nancy Brumback, contributing writer
Westborough – After three years of providing acupuncture and massage therapy to patients in a downtown space, Wellsprings Acupuncture has relocated to the Westborough Shopping Center.
“We'se doubled our space, are more accessible and parking is easier,” said Deb Hall, a licensed acupuncturist who owns the practice.
Wellsprings Acupuncture plans an open house to celebrate the move Tuesday, Oct. 22, from 4 to 8 p.m., with a ribbon-cutting at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to visit the new space and to learn more about the benefits of acupuncture and the different types of massage therapy offered.
“If someone comes with a friend and both schedule an appointment, each will receive a 20 percent discount on that first visit,” Hall said.
Hall became interested in acupuncture 13 years ago when it helped deal with allergies. She has an undergraduate degree in psychology. “I's always been interested in health and wellness and decided this was the avenue for me,” she said.
While her husband, a U.S. Marine, was stationed in San Diego and then deployed to Iraq, Hall spent four years full-time at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, including a clinical internship, graduating with a master's degree in traditional Oriental medicine.
In her Westborough practice, she treats both adults and children for a wide range of conditions which she has found improve with acupuncture, including chronic pain, menopausal symptoms, depression and anxiety, insomnia, arthritis and tendonitis, and autoimmune disorders.
“Good candidates are people who have tried various medical treatments and tests but have not gotten better. Those are the most challenging. I can's give a diagnosis but I do treat their symptoms,” Hall said.
“I will use acupuncture directed at their specific symptoms, but also add points that might focus on root causes, increasing that direction over time so the symptoms don's come back.”
Chinese medicine, she explained, is based on the premise that everything in the body works together, that illness and pain is the result of stagnation in specific parts of the body, and that acupuncture releases that stagnation.
“You don's have to believe in all the premises of Chinese medicine to make acupuncture work,” Hall said with a laugh, “though it is helpful if you are open-minded about it.”
Acupuncture does not require a referral from a physician. The treatments are not covered by insurance, though Wellsprings has agreements with Fallon, Tufts, and Aetna health plans to give members a 25 percent discount. The treatments are covered under health savings accounts.
At the first appointment, Hall discusses the patient's complete health history, and uses careful observation, the patient's pulses, and an examination of the tongue to determine the initial course of treatment. All of those tools are critical in Chinese medicine.
During a treatment session, she generally inserts 12 to 18 needles at carefully determined points. The needles are as thin as a human hair so there is little or no pain when they are inserted, and they are only used once. The patient lies on a table with the needles in place for about 15 to 30 minutes.
Hall schedules the first three sessions close together then evaluates the results to determine further treatment needs.
“After the first treatment, the patient usually feels relaxed, more settled, and the pain may start to subside,” she said. “Everyone's body reacts differently. The results of acupuncture are cumulative as we retrain the body to get it back in balance.”
Wellsprings has three other therapists who offer reflexology and Reiki treatments and massage therapy.
In October, the practice will begin offering monthly mindful meditation and restorative yoga workshops.
Wellsprings Acupuncture is located at 30 Lyman St., Westborough. For information or an appointment, visit the website, www.wellspringsacupuncture.com, or call 508-366-0613.
