Chronic pain, reproductive issues?
‘Holistic’ solutions at WK Acupuncture
The Sarrats, board-certified acupuncturists, opened their practice Monday, Aug. 1.
A.J., who previously worked in a hospital for 15 years, focuses on treating acute and chronic pain conditions that do not respond to conventional types of treatment. Those conditions include peripheral neuropathy, fibromalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.
“I actually worked with a guy who ran the largest clinic in the United States treating that condition, so I brought that knowledge here to Knoxville,” he said.
The practice also provides help with such conditions as low back pain, hip and knee pain, disc bulges, herniations and plantar fascitis, as well as neurological disorders, headaches, facial tics, Bell’s Palsy and much more.
Meanwhile, Monica focuses on women’s health — specializing in fertility — ranging from teenagers with painful periods to women in menopause.
“For couples trying to get pregnant, whether trying naturally or using therapy like IDF or IUI, I can help them conceive,” she said, noting acupuncture can help provide blood flow to the reproductive organs, helps improve egg quality, regulates hormones and relieves stress.
“Most people usually find us as a last resort with the best results,” Monica said. “They maybe tried everything else; they’ve been to doctor after doctor, maybe with some relief or no relief.”
“There’s no better or worse” with acupuncture versus conventional medicine, A.J. added. “Certain conditions respond better to certain treatments.
“Some people might have side effects from some of the (conventional) medications. We don’t help them get off medication — that’s up to their medical doctor to decide — but we can help them with their symptoms.”
With a background in nursing, Monica was led to pursue acupuncture after experiencing the benefits firsthand.
“I had been experiencing headaches and migraines my whole life,” she said. “I had tried everything under the sun for them, and someone recommended trying acupuncture.
“It worked so well that I decided to change my career path, went to acupuncture school, graduated in 2004 and have been doing it ever since,” Monica added.
A.J.’s interest in acupuncture began with martial arts.
“When I was a kid, I studied martial arts quite a bit … as I got higher up in rank, we started to learn more about why we do certain things certain ways,” he said. “I thought it was fascinating that you could use some of the same techniques in martial arts to heal people when they got hurt.
“I started doing more and more research when I was in high school,” A.J. added. After writing a paper about holistic medicine, he said “that was what sparked my interest in acupuncture.”
A.J., an Indiana native, and Monica, who grew up in Southern California, subsequently met in Yo San University, where they studied acupuncture in a four-year master’s program in Santa Monica, California. They completed their doctorate degrees at the College of Health Sciences in San Diego and have been practicing acupuncture since 2005. They came to Knoxville in March from Southern California.
The office is open Monday through Friday, but sees patients by appointment only by calling 865-275-2444 or visiting online at www.WestKnoxAcupuncture.com
