Sharone Franzen, LAc

My career as an acupuncturist started with my own chronic pain...

For years, I used all types of pain relievers (and probably too much) just so I could soldier through work or school on bad days. Occasionally I’d try “natural” treatments, which were mostly herbal formulas plucked off a shelf from a vitamin shop, none of which were specifically prescribed for me – and none of which helped. (Now I know – quality and appropriateness are everything!) 

Finally, someone sent me to an acupuncturist. I’ll never forget the feeling I had after those treatments, floating down 24th St on my way home, feeling no pain. After a few weeks, I started thinking …. Hmmm, I could do this for other people! Thus, my loooong journey toward becoming an acupuncturist began.

Once I started acupuncture school, I fell tail-over-teacups in love with herbs, starting with personal experiences. First, Chinese herbs pulled me out of the depths of postpartum depression. Later, I plied myself with an herbal formula during a particularly bad bout of the flu, and my days-long fever dropped in half an hour. Thereafter, I took herbs to boost my immune system, and found myself avoiding the yearly cold-or-two I usually caught. Then as an intern I started to see what herbs could do for my patients, and I was amazed at their results as well. Hey, these herbs actually worked! Now I take herbs every day (probably too many).

Nowadays at my own clinic, I use what I learned from my personal experiences and from my brilliant teachers to get the best results for my patients. I use both Chinese herbs (which are backed by thousands of years of documented usage), and Western herbal formulas (which are based strictly on modern research) – all from the safest sources, and the best quality available. I also provide dietary prescriptions to help people contribute further to their own well-being. And to help get deeper and more long-lasting results, I use acupuncture to rewire the nervous system. Every treatment plan is crafted for an individual’s particular needs.

It's important to me that patients understand how they got to their current health condition, and how acupuncture, herbs, and nutrition will work to get them out of it. The body is complicated, and sometimes Chinese medicine can seem strange to those of us who didn’t grow up with ancient Eastern concepts, but at the clinic we explain things in simple-to-understand language. Knowledge and understanding can set us on a new path, and most of us can feel so much better than how we are feeling right now.  

If you are tired of feeling “just OK” or of putting up with chronic health issues, it would be my honor and privilege to help you feel your best.