How A Portland Acupuncture Business is Seeking to Change the Face of Health

Thursday, August 06, 2015

GoLocalPDX Business Team

Collaboration. Control. Understanding. Hope.

These are not typically words we associate with healthcare, but this is exactly what Erin Brockmeyer, LAc wants her patients to find.

“I think it is crazy how little we know about our own bodies. I remember being 27 and in school —medical school — when that thought dawned on me. Of course we are a nation of sick people. We have no idea how our bodies work or how to read the signals we are getting, so we have no idea how to get well.”

That is why she decided to offer a different approach to healthcare. The idea behind her integrative acupuncture, herbal and nutrition practice in downtown Portland is to help people feel better in part by helping them understand their bodies. When you walk into the office, you are greeted by the sweet herbal smells, soothing music and comfy vibe you’d expect to find in an acupuncture office. But once your treatment starts, things feel different.

The goal at Solstice Natural Health is not only to give patients symptomatic relief — relieve pain, reduce allergies, regulate menstrual cycles, decrease stress — but also to heal the root of the problem. This is not band-aid medicine.

“I want my patients to learn about their bodies. I want them to stop feeling like they are at the mercy of their symptoms.” It’s healthcare that’s not just aimed at feeling good — it’s about having the freedom to live the life you want.

She makes it a point to learn about her patients’ health goals. Whether they want to be able to ride their horse again, expand their family or have enough energy to hike Dog Mountain, Ms. Brockmeyer’s treatment plans are aimed at helping patients meet these goals. It is the blend of the modalities she uses, the time she spends with patients, and her collaboration with other health providers that allows her to have great success treating complex health issues like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, fertility concerns, and acute and chronic pain.

Brockmeyer is not only providing acupuncture to her patients, but a whole system of medicine. “Most people think of acupuncture as only being good for things like tendonitis. They don’t realize that a model like this can address all of their health concerns. Plus they get to relax during the process which is icing on the cake.”

Erin got her undergraduate degrees in creative writing and anthropology and moved to Portland from Madison, Wisconsin to experience the best of the mountains and the coast. After finishing school, she developed a serious anxiety disorder that was brought completely under control by acupuncture.

“Feeling good is important,” Brockmeyer says. “But the important piece is learning how to stay healthy so that you can live a full and happy life.”

Solstice Natural Health is located at 510 SW 3rd Ave, Suite 201 in downtown Portland.

Related Slideshow: The 7 Best Health and Fitness Apps

Here is a list of some of the most obsession worthy health apps.

Prev Next

MapMyRun

MapMyRun is the number one selling running app for a reason: it is easy to use, offers community support if you want it, and tracks and stores your exact routes for you. If you are training for a race or a serious runner, users say that the extra perks in the upgraded paid version are well worth it.

Made for iPhone, Android and Blackberry

Prev Next

MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal seems to be the clear favorite amongst everyone polled. It is helpful not only for the fitness tracking aspect, but everyone polled mentioned how much they loved the food/diet aspect as well. From carb counting for diabetics to recipe ideas to complement your fitness goals, users love this app.

Made for iPhone and Android

Prev Next

JeFit

JeFit is another fitness app that has rave reviews. It not only tracks progress for you, but offers a huge database of workouts. While many apps offer community support, JeFit allows you to sync workouts with friends who use the app, offering a (real) virtual buddy system.

Made for iPhone and Android

Prev Next

Strava

Strava gets the highest mark of all the cycling apps. While it is also great for runners, the cyclers seem particularly inclined towards the fierce competition that can be ignited by this app. You can track all of your rides via GPS, then you can compare your efforts to those logged by others in the community on the same stretch of road. You can also join ongoing challenges that can net you great prizes (in addition to bragging rights).

Made for iPhone and Android

Prev Next

YogaStudio

YogaStudio gets the top vote for Yoga apps. It has a lengthy collection of full class-length videos available at your fingertips. Unlike many other apps, this one also allows you to customize your own video yoga class. All of the poses are done by qualified yoga instructors, and you can find classes suitable for all levels of yogis.

Made for iPhone only

Prev Next

SimplyBeing

SimplyBeing meditation app offers the best of both worlds. You can choose to run this app as a background for your meditation with soothing music or natural sounds that run for a set amount of time. Conversely, for those of you who have trouble focusing during meditation, you can choose a soothing voice-guided meditation.

Made for iPhone and Android

Prev Next

Fooducate

Fooducate is an app all about educating people so that they make healthier food choices. Although not perfect, this app is easy to use (you can even take pictures of bar codes to instantly find foods in their database). It gives food a letter grade, tells you the pluses and minuses, and gives you better ranked alternatives. You can also use it as a weight loss tool by tracking your daily calories.

Made for iPhone and Android