Daniel Axelrod: Five Element Acupuncturist
About two years ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with excruciating pain in my neck. My husband helped me out of bed and I spent 20 minutes under hot water from the shower on my neck until I could move it. After several visits to my family doctor, a D.O. who gave me adjustments and shots in my neck and back, and several visits to a chiropractor, I was frustrated. My pain subsided but never disappeared. In the meantime, I began to have skin eruptions and facial swelling, mostly on the same side of my face as the neck pain.
After several months, I decided to go to an acupuncturist, and Daniel was recommended to me. He practices five element acupuncture, which means that the five elements of fire, earth, metal, wood, and water are related to the major organs in the body. The needles don’t necessarily go into the site of the injury, but along the meridian of the organ related to the problem. My neck spasm and facial eruptions were related to my digestive track, since the meridian starts on the right side of my face and then travels down my back and into my intestines, the true source of my problem in my neck and face.
Daniel has been practicing for seven years, combining his impressive background with his wonderful “tableside manner.” He starts each session with a question and answer period, asking me what bothers me (physically) and what is bothering me (emotionally), since the mind and body are definitely linked.
Daniel’s website http://www.elementacupuncture.com/gives a full explanation of the five elements and the organs they govern, with interesting information on the relationships among the elements, the seasons, and the body. Taking my pulse before, during, and after he uses the needles, Daniel is able to balance my body so all the elements are also balanced. It is a fascinating field with the Eastern medicine emphasis on the person who has the dis-ease, not the facts of the dis-ease, regardless of the person, which is the Western medicine approach.
Daniel’s website also contains endorsements by satisfied patients as well as a referral list for acupuncturists all over the US. His approach is gentle and caring. When I asked him: “Why acupuncture?” he answered:
“It works for me and for lots of people. I get to know myself and get to know the people for who they really are and help them to get to know who they really are. Acupuncture brings people into direct experience of what it’s like to be balanced and whole at the body/mind/spirit level.”
I heartily recommend acupuncture as a way to bring you back in balance on every level. The process is not a “magic bullet,” but it is definitely a path to wellness worth investigating.
