Turning Point Center, LLC

“When I first started getting acupuncture, there were days when it was so painful to bend my knees that I could barely get down the three stairs in front of my house. Now I can run down whole flights of stairs, do strenuous yoga exercises involving deep knee bends, and sit cross-legged during meditation for an hour at a time without experiencing any pain at all. Having weekly acupuncture treatments made this dramatic healing possible in two ways. The first was the acupuncture itself which helped my knees heal and regain their strength after years of a nearly constant inflammation. The second was that having time every week to talk with Janeen and Tom about my state of health enabled us to eventually discover that the cause of my inflammation was a wheat allergy. Once the source of inflammation was removed, the acupuncture had even more dramatic healing effects.

The initial health history forms are so thorough. Just filling them out was an amazing lesson in what true health actually is. Having lived a pretty healthy lifestyle for most of my life, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what it meant to be healthy. But time and again I found myself checking off a symptom on the symptom check-list that I had had no idea was a sign of imbalance. ‘Waking up during the night to pee?!’ I would later object to Tom. ‘Doesn’t everyone?’ No, it turned out. They don’t. And neither do I, now that my kidneys and associated organs have been strengthened by acupuncture.

From the beginning, I have been very sensitive to the needles. Tom likes to joke that it’s because I’m a redhead. Janeen just says I’m just a very sensitive person. Whatever the reason, the discomfort was certainly never going to stop me from having acupuncture treatments for I knew that it meant that the needles had been put in just the right spots. Besides it never lasted long. However, when Tom and Janeen placed a special order for a box of super-super thin needles, I was touched by their desire to make the process more pleasant for me. I was even more delighted when we tried them out for the first time and I could barely feel them going in!”

–Tara Jones, Eugene, OR

“When I first started getting acupuncture,” says longtime patient Tara Jones, “I couldn’t bend my knees or walk down the stairs. As a result of working closely with Janeen and Tom, we discovered the causes of the problem, which included wheat allergy. Ongoing treatments made me stronger. Now, I can sit for long periods with crossed legs or do strenuous yoga exercise without any pain.”

Tara is particularly impressed by the focus on true health at the clinic. “The initial health history forms are so thorough. Just filling them out was an amazing lesson in what being healthy is. Having lived a pretty healthy lifestyle for most of my life, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what it meant to be healthy. But  I found myself checking off many symptoms on the check-list. ‘Waking up during the night to pee?! Doesn’t everyone?’ No, it turned out. They don’t. And neither do I, now that my kidneys and other organs have been strengthened by acupuncture.”

Of the smaller needles used in Japanese acupuncture, Tara says, “From the beginning, I have been very sensitive to the needles. Tom likes to joke that it’s because I’m a redhead. Janeen just says I’m just a very sensitive person. Whatever the reason, the discomfort was certainly never going to stop me from having acupuncture treatments for I knew that it meant that the needles had been put in just the right spots. Besides it never lasted long. However, when Tom and Janeen placed a special order for a box of super-super thin needles, I was touched by their desire to make the process more pleasant for me. I was even more delighted when we tried them out for the first time and I could barely feel them going in!”

When the clinic had an opening for an office assistant last year, Tara was an obvious choice. Then, when beloved office manager Joanna Brook moved to Texas, Tara was quickly promoted to the post. When not greeting patients and ensuring the smooth flow of the clinic,

she teaches yoga, enjoys time with her 12-year-old daughter, Sophia, plays and composes music for the piano, and performs with the Roving Park Players. This past summer, she played Prospero in The Tempest (which we hope you did not miss, because she was amazing!).

This video is a demonstration of direct moxibustion by Tom Williams, L.Ac. In Japan, moxibustion is a clinical specialty on par with acupuncture. It is an ancient form of heat therapy, using the ground and dried leaves of the plant Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris). The Mugwort is pressed into sticks or cones for use in indirect applications or is left as loose granules for use in direct applications.

This Japanese-style technique stimulates blood circulation and is effective for stress-related illnesses, including back and neck pain, headaches, digestive problems, hormonal imbalances, infertility insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, and weakened immunity.

We regularly teach a class in the home use of indirect moxa (not the kind captured here!). Call the office for details.