As an acupuncturist one of the most frequent questions I get from patients (or anyone inquiring about acupuncture) is how I got into acupuncture.  I think it’s often asked because it isn’t that common of a job and alternative medicine as a whole is somewhat of a mystery to the average person walking on the street.

I was first introduced to acupuncture by my mother, who had terrible asthma.  Allergic to dust, pets and all green plants, she had been getting allergy shots for the majority of her adult life and carried an inhaler with her wherever she went.  After years of acupuncture treatment her allergies improved to the point where she no longer needed the regular allergy shots and needed to use her albuterol less frequently.

At the time I was referred to an acupuncturist I was a teenager.  I had studied classical guitar for a number of years and was beginning to think about auditions for colleges, conservatories, and other music schools.  My practice time had revved up to 3-5 hours per day and I was starting to get pain in my forearms near the elbow joint.  It wasn’t tendonitis, but it was irritating enough that I was mentioning it with regularity.

When she first recommended acupuncture I thought the idea was ridiculous, in all honesty.  I didn’t know much about it, except for that brief scene in Hard to Kill with Steven Segal.   But she had been going to an acupuncturist for such a long time I figured I should try it once since she offered to cover the cost of my session.

After the first treatment the pain in my arms went away.  I actually laughed during treatment, mostly due to being both fascinated and mystified how I could just lay there with needles in me for thirty to forty-five minutes and get up off of the table feeling pain free and more relaxed.  I decided that my experience was a positive one and I wanted to keep having acupuncture treatments on a regular basis.

I got to experience firsthand acupuncture’s broad spectrum capabilities for dealing with pain management.  I sought treatment for chronic jaw pain, a sprained ankle, back/shoulder or other minor aches and pains,  and while my pain was not always completely gone after each treatment, it was never worse and often much improved.  Over the years of acupuncture treatments I noticed other benefits such as better overall mood, increased self awareness, and improved personal relationships.  During those first couple of years of treatment I would tell others that I felt more even keel, that I wasn’t as easily upset over the little things.

That isn’t to say acupuncture is a miracle cure, I often find myself explaining to patients that acupuncture doesn’t make life easy or change what happens to us, but it can alter how we may deal with life situations, especially when in less pain or feeling more relaxed.  With a non-invasive wide range of applications I was drawn to study acupuncture for all the possibilities of benefit, be it the subtle or the miraculous.

Currently I spend one part of my week in Towson with my private practice and the other part of my week in The University Health Center at University of Maryland in College Park.  I am fortunate to be able to treat the local community in the comforts of my private practice, while the university allows for me to treat students, faculty, and staff in a medical setting.  I am National Board Certified and participate with a number of insurance companies.  I can be reached via the website, by email at lucas.naden@gmail.com, or by phone at 410-218-1162.  I hope to be hearing from you soon and that you enjoyed reading a little about me.

-Lucas Naden, Dipl. Ac