North Shore Naturopathic and Acupuncture

North Shore Naturopathic and Acupuncture ♥ 142 Mill Street, Canandaigua, NY  

(585) 955-3975

A visit with Dr. Bonnie Cronin at North Shore Naturopathic is nothing short of life changing, and I certainly speak from experience.

I’m always checking out alternative/natural remedies for anything from getting more energy, to overcoming a cold, and decided to give acupuncture a whirl to combat some stress I had been experiencing. And since Dr. Bonnie is also a naturopathic doctor, I knew I could get answers to my questions and stress relief in one visit. Talk about weights lifted off my shoulders.

Before I get into my experience, here is an overview of What Acupuncture Is.

Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine that focuses on balancing the energy or qi (pronounced chee) in the body. This energy (qi) naturally flows through the body but when disharmony and illness occur the flow is disturbed. Through the insertion of fine needles at specific points the energy can be redirected to restore harmony and balance to the body. Acupuncture focuses on restoring balance and in doing so symptoms are alleviated. It can be used preventatively to bring balance back to the body, improve energy and manage stress as well as used to treat specific problems such as pain, insomnia, digestive problems, treat the side effects of cancer and much more. In fact, the World Health Organization recognizes the ability of acupuncture and traditional Oriental medicine to treat over 200 commonly encountered conditions.

Now onto MY experience and Dr. Bonnie!

We all know stress affects us negatively, but the cool thing is that Dr. Bonnie knows that stress affects us all differently, and on many different levels.  Eastern medicine is based on treating the cause of our issues, not merely masking the symptoms. And that’s exactly what her approach is during the intake. Getting to the root. She prepares a holistic comprehensive plan combining acupuncture, recommendations for supplements, and best practices tailored to living a better daily life.

 

Intake

I didn’t feel rushed AT ALL when dishing out the scoop of my current situation, and I knew that Dr. Bonnie was actually listening. (ever notice how your “regular doctor” listens for trigger words, then hands you over a slip for some drugs-problem solved??) She asked all the right questions to get to the root of my stress, and then developed a treatment plan to relieve tension in my mind and help me sleep more soundly, which will eventually alleviate the tension in my neck and shoulders.

 

The Non-Scary Needles

Acupuncture will relax you on levels deeper than massage. After Dr. Bonnie applied the soft prick of the needles, she applied a warming lamp (if you’re always cold like me), taught me a deep breathing sequence to practice, and left me to my relaxation. After a few minutes, that lamp was warming me inside and out. There was something about being in that room alone, with this meditative music, and the subtle feeling of the needles, that was bringing me such a sense of peace. It’s like you’re saying to yourself- Hey self, wait- it’s time for some self-care so I can connect with what matters and become better at this life thing.

It’s a healing experience on many levels.

After the acupuncture Dr. Bonnie gave me a neck and shoulder massage- and let me tell you- it’s the icing on the cake. The knots in my neck and shoulders melted away.

The After Party

I was feeling quite at ease mentally and physically. And aside from this obvious state of deep relaxation, I walked away from my appointment with a solid plan of action for treating my stress, no prescription required.  Just a heads up- I would not suggest doing anything of a critical nature after the treatment, quite the contrary actually. Create space for yourself to simply -just be- with the results for the rest of the day.

If I could, I would make this a weekly practice, but thinking even monthly will do a world of good on my physical, mental, and spiritual well -being. : )

-Amy Hebert, A-List Contributor

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