Stick it to pain: Acupuncturist opens in Coon Rapids – ECM Publishers

A new alternative for pain treatment has opened in Coon Rapids.

Just down the road from Mercy Hospital, Minnesota Integrative Medicine and Acupuncture is the newest acupuncture and eastern medicine clinic in the city. The clinic opened the first week of February.

My goal is to help people who dont really have another resort, owner Kierstin Beaman said.

She has spent a decade studying chronic conditions to help people suffering long-term pain. Many of her patients have taken more conventional routes, but to no avail.

It really dives down deep and treats the chronic issues at hand and kind of gives long-term effects so theyre able to get back to a pain-free life, Beaman said.

Beaman is a locally and nationally licensed, board certified acupuncturists and herbalist. She earned her masters at Northwestern Health Sciences University. Before that she earned an undergraduate degree in biological research, Beaman said.

Beamans interest in acupuncture comes partially from seeing her mother, Kim Olson, suffer from chronic pain conditions and partially from her husbands fight with cancer.

My mother has been struggling with chronic issues my whole entire life, and western medicine has really fallen short her whole life, Beaman said.So the only kind of pain relief shes gotten is with an eastern approach.

Beamans husband, Troy, was diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer. He had trouble handling the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy treatments, but eastern medicine helped.

Troy was first diagnosed after serving in the Navy. While finishing his degree he wrestled on his college team, where he realized he was getting fatigued quickly.

Eventually doctors found a mass on Troys stomach. Later analysis revealed it was a rare cell type that has not had enough treatment trials, so it is unclear how it responds to chemotherapy, according to Troy.

To treat the pain and the side effects of the chemotherapy, I had acupuncture as well as other eastern medicine modalities, Troy said.

The mass has been removed, but Troy remains vigilant.

Patients looking to work with Kierstin Beaman can schedule a consultation to discuss their medical history and reason for coming in. Kierstin will use that to determine if she can help or should send them to someone who can, she said.

Treatments can vary based on what medications a patient is on, what theyve tried in the past and the severity of their symptoms. Those variables impact how often and what treatments they receive.

Each program is very specific to the person, Beaman said.

Generally patients can expect to see a cluster of treatments up front, intended to help the patient heal faster. Later on, patients likely will come in less often for maintaining their treatment.

Acupuncture needles stimulate nerves under the skin, which causes the release of neurotransmitters that regulate pain, according to Beaman.

When a needle goes into the body it stimulates a neural response, which treats the pain that is happening, Beaman said.

Along with acupuncture, Beaman practices herbology. Eventually she hopes to and integrative treatments such as ozone therapy, she said.

The clinic is at 3800 Coon Rapids Blvd. For more information go to mimaclinic.com.

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Stick it to pain: Acupuncturist opens in Coon Rapids - ECM Publishers