Hi my name is Jean G. I had a medical procedure on 5-2-06 which left me with numerous complications. The very next day I started having tremors. I was told to go to the E R. The doctor I saw thought I may have had Parkinson's. The tremors were very visible from the top of my head to my feet shaking non-stop. Because of the constant movement it set off other medical complications to my head, neck, & jaw.
Two months later this caused my jaw to move off track & then migraines began. Over the past 14 months I've seen numerous doctors. I was placed on all kinds of medications but no one could help diagnosis me. It became frustrating & very depressing, I saw one specialist after another. I'd given up on the medical profession & doctors - you see I've worked in the medical field for 22 years now. The migraines I'd experience were weekly & I had to get shots just to help with the pain.
But in Jan. & early Feb I was involved in 2 auto accidents which caused additional complications. My doctor didn't know what to do so he suggested I go to a chiropractor. The two car accidents turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I never knew what holistic medicine was until I went to it the chiropractor said he'd not seen a case like mine for a number of years. Because of my progress was slow & painful he suggested I try acupuncture. My nerves were on high alert constantly.
My insurance company sent me a list of acupuncturists in the area. I didn't know of any so I ran them by my chiropractor. He'd heard of Dr. Phillips so I called, made an appointment & started treatments.
After a few treatments the migraines slowed down & the tremors eased up little by little. They actually stopped for the first time in 14 months. I actually had a feeling of hope to living a normal life again. The tremors stopped in April and most of May but came back the doctors don't know why, the migraines aren't like they used to be.
I feel like Dr. Phillips with his experience & years of practicing acupuncture has helped. I've meet 2 very good doctors who care about the quality & care of each and every patient. Dr. Phillips spends time with you and is genuinely concerned about your welfare. I would like to thank Dr. Phillips for everything he's done for me. I feel better than I have in quite some time. The tremors & migraines fluctuate, but I'm not taking a lot of the medications I was once placed on.
The power of positive thinking will also improve your health as well. Thank you Dr. Phillips for all you've done for me in a short amount of time. Keep up the great job.
Sincerely, Jean G, Female, age 45-50
Nine years ago, I endured a car accident that caused me a "whiplash" injury to the right side of my neck. At the time of the accident and for a several months following, I was in a significant amount of pain.
Although it seemed to gradually decrease with the use of ibuprofen and physical therapy. My physical therapist warned me that I would need to keep my body strong with exercise and stretches to prevent further injury or pain. However, what I failed to know at the time was that exercises and stretches wouldn't be enough. I carried a heavy backpack on one shoulder for many years during my college career. Bad idea!
This act alone increased my injury exponentially more than I anticipated. I always maintained a very healthy lifestyle, exercising and stretching as advised, yet my injury was worsening. About four years after my accident, I had reached the point where my neck and back would spasm out of control, causing excruciating pain to the point where some days I could not function with normal, daily tasks.
This began to happen more frequently, and I was having pain in places I hadn't before. The pain was radiating through the entire right side of my back, my neck, and my head. It was intolerable. I didn't know what to do anymore. Ibuprofen wasn't working, certain exercises seemed to aggravate the pain further, Yoga helped somewhat, but nothing was quite enough. By word of mouth, I heard about Steve Phillips' acupuncture practice. I had always wanted to try acupuncture but was afraid I couldn't afford it. Fortunately, I took the risk and attempted my first visit. Lo and behold, I was able to pay a reasonable cost that allowed me to receive my first treatment. The immediate relief I felt was invaluable. My pain ceased almost instantly, and I found the treatment to be incredibly peaceful and calming. Later, I realized that my back wasn't going into spasms anymore and I wasn't accumulating pain like before. I was absolutely thrilled! I finally found a treatment that is effective over a long term and doesn't require medication that potentially poisons my liver.
I continued going to treatments, a few times a month at first and now once a month for maintenance. A price tag cannot be placed on the relief I experience from acupuncture. I've even found that I look forward to my treatments and use the time to clear my mind, relax, meditate, de-stress, or even pray. By the time my treatment is over, I'm out of pain, relaxed, and my mind is clear. I am able to walk out of the clinic in confidence that I can live my life virtually pain free.
I highly recommend acupuncture to anyone seeking pain relief. I am certain you will find the relief you seek, because I most certainly have!
Janelle H. of Antelope, CA age 25-30
In the 17+ years since I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on medical specialists, prescription medicines, herbal supplements, and therapies (e.g., biofeedback, hypnosis, massage, magnets, chiropractic treatments, Kinesiology)—with little or no results. My chronic pain, fatigue, and all the other symptoms associated with fibromyalgia continued to worsen. I was referred to Steve Phillips in 2000, after my third car accident in less than one year (hit by a tour bus!). In addition to the injuries sustained to my neck and low back from the accidents, the physical trauma made the fibromyalgia excruciating. After receiving acupuncture treatments from Steve for only a month, I noticed that my pain had lessened and stamina/energy increased. I was able to sit, walk, or stand, for two or more hours at a time and not be in agony. Previously, I could not sit, stand or do anything for more than 20 minutes without having to shift/constantly change position, take pain medications, stop the activity, or lie down.
Acupuncture is one of the few things I have found over all these years that gives me relief from my chronic pain and exhaustion and affords me a more normal life. It's not just the acupuncture, but Steve has a calming, compassionate, and positive demeanor that is therapeutic. His caring approach, years of expertise in this art, and extensive knowledge of herbs and natural curatives make him a true healer. I have referred Steve to numerous friends and family members who have also had amazing results.
Carol K.
I was in a major motor vehicle accident in 1996. A car t-boned the side of my car at 45 miles per hour. I had a punctured lung, hemorrhaged spleen, 7 broken ribs, broken collar bone, shattered pelvis and a multi-broken and cracked tail bone. I was in ICU at UCD Med Center for approximately two weeks.
Once I returned home, I was dealing with a lot of pain. I was not able to sleep at all. I had problems with any movement and with so many ribs broken, it hurt to breathe. Recovery was slow and the pain medication was causing stomach problems and lethargy. I was eventually using crutches and struggled through physical therapy (which I viewed as torture).
After about six months of pain and suffering, the medical profession discovered my ribs were not healed. My ribs were flailing in my chest. This was causing scraping and tearing every time I moved or took a breath. Having flailing ribs for so long also caused a lot of scar tissue. I had been in a substantial amount of misery for a long time and it was taking a toll on me. At this point, I started falling into a deep depression, exhaustion and desperation. The drugs the doctors were prescribing were causing more problems than they were solving.
I then in desperation tried acupuncture. My first treatment was a huge relief of pain and the depression and the heavy feeling I had across my chest was improved by at least 30%. I continued with treatments for the next several months with continuous relief.
Steve Phillips has been the best acupuncturist I have ever used. I still have the pain in my chest when I breathe. It is a difficult pain to manage because it is related to breathing and so chronic. My ribs finally healed about 1/2" apart. This abnormal healing has caused chronic misalignment of my neck and back. To deal with the pain, I try to have a treatment with Steve about every two weeks. I find that if I go more than 3 weeks without a treatment, the pain level starts to rise higher and I start using more medication. As soon as I use more medications, I start having stomach and digestive problems. Then I start having sleeping problems followed by exhaustion and depression.
Steve has been critical to the survival of my quality of life. The pain management treatments are a necessary part of maintaining health for me. When you think about it, why would acupuncture survive unless it worked. It is against human nature to let someone put needles in your body and lay still for 20 minutes. Although it is not painful, it is not something a person would do unless it worked!
For me, acupuncture has become an answer to a chronic pain issue with no side effects.
Dorothy A.