City Lifestyle

Want to start a publication?

Learn More
Featured Image

Featured Article

Acupuncture at SuNu Wellness

Enhancing Whole Body Wellness with Acupuncture and Integrative Health Practices

Article by Erica Ciardelli

Photography by SuNu Wellness

A WELL-ROUNDED HOLISTIC CARE PLAN INCLUDES ACUPUNCTURE 

Acupuncture has always been an essential part of SuNu’s approach to whole body wellness. We believe that a diverse, robust and well-rounded care plan is a more effective method. In fact, that’s why SuNu is designed as a holistic collective with a variety of  health care options available within one space. Therefore, practitioners and modalities can work in tandem to support patients in a way they can’t find anywhere else. The benefits of acupuncture can build upon the benefits a patient simultaneously receives from seeing one of our Chiropractors, in addition to regular body work from a Massage Therapist.

Carey, one of our Acupuncturists in Minnetonka, has been with SuNu for 7 years. She’s built an esteemed reputation based on authenticity and sincere service. Andrea has been with our SuNu team in Linden Hills going on 3 years. She also has a distinguished reputation within the Twin Cities through her work in acupuncture medicine. Adrienne, is an incredible Acupuncturist that works at both of our locations. We are lucky to have such intentional and ethical women leading SuNu’s services in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

EXPERIENCING ACUPUNCTURE MEDICINE AT SUNU

There are countless benefits to acupuncture medicine. People have been using acupuncture for over 2,000 years to assist in treating a wide variety of things ranging from common ailments/discomforts to infertility, hormone management, mental health and more.

Something we find ourselves coming back to when describing the efficacy and experience of acupuncture, is regulation. The use of acupuncture to regulate the body, mind and heart, allows transition to occur more easily and readily within the body. So much of preventative health care is about guiding a person to self-regulation. For instance, the collective work that happens at SuNu, offers many paths to help people come to recognize their health and find their way to more of it. If, for example, through acupuncture, a client is able to get familiar with what it feels like to feel ‘better/clearer/calmer’, then they may be more likely to notice when something feels off and (hopefully) do something about it sooner.

As Andrea explains, “One way to think about it is ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ and that is why we need to interact with other people who can point things out to us. In the case of acupuncture, a session can help your nervous system regulate so you can feel what a bit more calm or clarity is like – or less pain. Once a person can regularly feel a healthy shift in their body, it can allow for more long term shifts toward vitality or balance to emerge.  We create a positive feed back loop …”

SYMPTOMS ARE BOTH PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL 

Unlike what is so often the experience in Western medical thinking, there is no split between the heart, mind and body. Symptoms are ways to describe what is being experienced whether it is physical pain or emotional pain or numbness. In acupuncture medicine, symptoms like feeling sad, anxious, irritable, short fused, depressed, etc., hold the same relevance as the physical symptoms that we may be more familiar with reporting.

Every session is different for each person, of course. Because it is a collaboration between client and practitioner in identifying the patterns of symptoms, behaviors and observations. Cary and Andrea look for where the innate health of a person is showing up;  their personal knowing, wisdom, healthy perspectives and impulses.  They look for where things may feel stuck or under-resourced and focus clinical interventions to those areas.

MEET SUNU’S PRACTITIONERS

CAREY

Carey is available in Minnetonka. She has been practicing for over 19 years and graduated from NWHSU College of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine in 2002. Master of Chinese Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Diplomate in Acupuncture (NCCAOM). Carey worked for 9 years in an adult and adolescent residential eating disorder treatment facility. She’s going on her 7th year of working at SuNu Wellness. Her experience has given her the necessary tools and wisdom to treat a wide variety of patients and conditions. She commonly helps clients with symptoms including, but not limited to: depression, anxiety, digestive issues, pain and injuries, menstrual irregularities, fertility, auto-immune disorders, headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and menopausal discomfort. Carey uses an individualized, intentional and patient-led approach to care. She creates space for healing and change to happen.

I TAKE TIME TO LISTEN TO EACH PATIENT AND TO HEAR ALL OF THEIR CONCERNS. EACH PATIENT’S COMFORT IS MY NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.

Click here to learn more about Carey and here to schedule an appointment or free 15 minute consult at our Minnetonka location. Carey sees clients Tuesday-Saturday.

ANDREA

Andrea sees clients in Linden Hills. Like Carey, she also has almost 20 years of experience practicing acupuncture and East Asian Medicine. She has established a reputation for quality, professional and compassionate care. Andrea has a diverse resume of training. She’s certified as a Doula, in Shiatsu, meditation, qi gong and is also actively involved in food justice initiatives. When working with Andrea, patients can expect careful listening and inquiry to build an accurate picture of what they’re experiencing. She uses her gentle and versatile application of training and experience to address the whole person.

Adrienne

Adrienne (She/Her) is a licensed Acupuncturist in Minnesota and Wisconsin with a Master of Traditional Chinese Medicine from Northwestern Health Sciences University. She has over 100 hours of Craniosacral Therapy and Dynamic Body Balancing training under Dr. Carol Phillips and is also a certified Birth Doula. Adrienne’s extensive experience and education equip her to treat a wide range of symptoms and provide relief to all patients.

Adrienne's approach is thorough, incorporating multiple modalities to ensure exceptional results. With her expertise in birth work and women’s health, she is a valuable resource for prenatal and postpartum clients, as well as anyone on their birthing journey. Adrienne also offers pediatric CST services and comprehensive care through cupping, moxibustion, guasha, and herbal therapies. She believes acupuncture nourishes the body for optimal performance, making her an ideal practitioner for those seeking to feel their best.

Adrienne provides a unique 90-minute East/West Extended Session, tailored to each individual’s needs, which may include acupuncture, cupping, craniosacral therapy, or guasha. She sees patients at both our Minnetonka and Linden Hills locations. When not at the clinic, Adrienne enjoys practicing as a Birth Doula and spending time in the water, whether cold plunging in winter or paddle boarding in summer.

Businesses featured in this article