New acupuncture clinic opens in Castlebar
By Tom Gillespie
EXPERIENCED practice nurse Therese Nolan turned to alternative medicine when orthodox methods did not cure her back pain.
Now with acupuncture, life coaching and nutrition coaching skills, the Turlough, Castlebar, native has launched her New U Acupuncture clinic in the county town and has returned to her native county after 10 years in Dublin.
Therese told me: “I have always had a big passion for natural remedies and alternative medicine. That is the route I would have taken to heal things in myself.
”I decided in February 2020 to go down the route of acupuncture, just before Covid. I signed up for it and went to college in Bath. The college was open because it was also a clinic, so I was able to do my studies. And I completed them in February this year.”
She added: “I usually can sense when I meet someone what will work for them. Sometimes it will be acupuncture, sometimes nutrition and sometimes it might be a food sensitive test or a combination of things.
“I can pick up things in people intuitively. I never knew that was a gift until I started going down the route of natural healing. I just presumed it was something that everyone has. It was a blessing when I was nursing but now I hope to utilise it more.
“My new career didn’t just start there. It actually began back in the 1990s when I started my nurse training in London. I had a fascination for all sorts of healing, not just orthodox medicine. It was only when I got sick myself with back pain and was on non-steroidal medication that upset my stomach and then on medication for my stomach issue. I ended up on a whole load of medication and it just made me see what it was like to be on the other side of the bed.
“I realised that while orthodox medicine had a whole lot to offer, I would not knock it. But I wasn’t getting a cure and that’s when I woke up to the fact that many of the patients I was looking after weren’t getting a cure either. It was more symptom control.
“That’s when my true journey began. I started just out of interest, doing different courses. I had a keen interest in quantum physics. I realised we were much more than a mass of cells. We are energy and matter and that’s when I started to explore more through energy work.”
She continued: “I found myself going to acupuncturists when I needed help because they would work outside my work hours and I did not have to be asking for time off.
“I did night courses, life coaching courses and nutritional coaching in Dublin. I am heading to the UK to do battlefield acupuncture which is done on the ears. It is instant pain relief. It can also do a great detox, among other things.
“I initially went into practice nursing because I liked the idea of preventive medicine. Having had certain illnesses myself I realised they were all preventable if I had known how. But it wasn’t as preventive as I thought it would be. I was very frustrated and started to explore other modalities.
“When I was working away as a practice nurse I felt I was only using the 'tip of the iceberg' in my practice nurse role and I had so much to offer with all I had learned.
“Everything that I do now, everything I have to offer the client, I have healed myself with. It is not just something I read from books. It is stuff I know truly works.”
Therese admitted some clients might have an aversion to needles, but she assures them: “I hope to invest in a device that works on acupuncture points. It is a super device and there are no needles involved. It is an amazing piece of technology. I’m checking it out at the moment.”
She concluded: “While prevention and well-being are high on my list I also treat back, neck and shoulder pain, insomnia, sciatica, arthritis, fatigue, women’s problems, sinusitis, nausea, anxiety, depression, digestive issues, headaches and asthma, plus much more.”
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine and has been in existence for thousands of years.
It is a technique that balances our life force otherwise known as Qi which is believed to flow through pathways in our body known as meridians. When these pathways are blocked it causes 'dis-ease.' It is widely known as a therapeutic practice to relax and heal the body by using very thin needles. Many people have tried this procedure and are satisfied with the results.
“Thin hair-like needles used are pressed into the skin. The body may feel slight pain which only lasts a couple of seconds. I recently had a client who described it as ‘good pain’. It is a very beneficial way to obtain instant results.
“One main benefit of acupuncture is that it improves the overall well-being of the individual as well as pain relief and relaxation. It promotes changes that enable rapid positive emotional and physical changes.”
* Therese Nolan has her clinic at Kachina in Castlebar and appointments can be made by contacting (089) 9616623 or visit https://newuacupuncture.com/.
* Do you have a story to tell about your business? If so, Tom Gillespie would be delighted to hear from you. Get in touch at (087) 9680780 or gillespietom49@gmail.com.