In October of 2017 I decided to take the plunge and find an acupuncturist in my local area in order to help support my wellness lifestyle and assist in my goals of managing my chronic illnesses naturally. I was diagnosed with Endometriosis when I was 17 and have been living with it since (I’m now 33). The pain I have endured has been debilitating. There have been many times that I have had to miss work, events and other fun things due to the excruciating pain. I had tried everything Western Medicine could offer from birth control to shots to painkillers on a monthly basis. I was at a point where I didn’t have anything to lose because I would rather just survive in this pain and not go back on hormones.

Then in an act of synchronicity, my yoga studio posted a photo on social media about JuJu and it became clear that I needed to investigate. When I first reached out to her, via her website, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Up until this point I had only relied on Western Medicine so was uncertain how Eastern Medicine would help; but because it’s ancient and amazing, I thought that it was bound to do something for my body.

During my first visit I was blown away. She spent time with me and listened. She looked at my whole body from my pulses, yes, I said pulses, to my tongue, to palpating my stomach. She truly cares about her work and wants to help patients get better. She asked me questions that got to the root of some of my issues and we did the first treatment. I just remember feeling lovely.

Over the next 8 months things started shifting and changing within me. I saw her once a week for my treatment. She started me on a variety of herbal protocols and changed my diet for two weeks to help support killing off SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) that had developed in my gut. She started me on liver detox pills, fish oil and a host of other herbs to promote wellness in my whole body, not just in my uterus.

With that, the weight I had put on so long ago started to fall off. I also noticed that my body stopped aching when it was hot out, I stopped sweating when I was sitting still, I stopped getting headaches, I didn’t get the flu that was going around and my knees didn’t swell when I walked for too long.

But best of all – my pain that had always existed started to ease up. So much so that I had several months of menstruation with little to no pain. As an Endometriosis sufferer, this was a HUGE deal, especially considering that I have been dealing with this illness most of my life.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still experience SOME pain: localized but pain/discomfort nonetheless. But it isn’t nearly as bad as it once was and isn’t debilitating like it has been for the majority of my life.

Besides helping my physical body, an added bonus of acupuncture is that it has helped my emotional body and my mental health. It has made me a more relaxed human and has supported me in my healing journey. Additionally, it has opened my intuition to better read my own needs and how I navigate the world.