Gracey Holistic Health

treatment

Give thanks, get healthier

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The holiday season is almost upon us. While it can come with stress and sadness, it also provides an opportunity to reflect on the gifts and graces we’ve already been given.

Good gracious

In my practice, I offer lifestyle coaching in addition to acupuncture and holistic medicine. Perhaps not surprisingly, I teach the practice of gratitude to help you improve your own health. And it’s a powerful tool.

Being thankful is linked with mental and physical health

A study published in Personality and Individual Differences in 2012 found that physical health was strongly linked with gratitude. Grateful people were reported to experience fewer aches and pains and feel healthier than other people, essentially because gratitude improved psychological health. Additionally, better psychological health meant that people were more likely to seek medical help when it was needed. This, in turn, improved overall health outcomes.

Grateful people sleep better

Perhaps someone you know has suggested you start a gratitude journal. Before you write off the idea, consider your quality of shut-eye. A 2011 study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being found that spending a short amount of time before bed on a gratitude journal reduced worry and pre-sleep arousal, improving sleep compared to those who didn’t journal.

Gratitude increases resilience

Mother-in-law getting on your nerves? Building your resilience for stressful situations is easy as being appreciative. The journal  published a study in 2006 that found that grateful Vietnam War veterans were more mentally resilient and felt the impacts of post-traumatic stress disorder less than vets with lower levels of gratitude.

The mind-body connection

During a medical crisis or difficulty, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed by pain and frustrated by the slow process of healing. Simply prioritizing your health enough to seek treatment is a gift that you’ve given to yourself to be grateful for. In many ways, you’re helping to treat yourself.

So, while Thanksgiving is the perfect time to start your practice of gratitude, remember that it’s one you can continue for yourself through the rest of the season and into the new year.

Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Robert Gracey

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It was my chronic back pain that introduced me to acupuncture and for that I am thankful. Holistic medicine helped bring my joy in long-distance running back to me, and I’ve now made it my life’s work to help heal those who also suffer and teach those who also want to help heal.

New England School of Acupuncture

Like many Americans, I hadn’t been exposed much to this kind of medicine. Truth be told, I considered many alternative treatments for my back before before turning to acupuncture. But after only a few treatments, my back pain started to subside. And as my sense of peace and clarity increased, I knew this was the right next step in my career.

At the New England School of Acupuncture (NESA) my love for Japanese acupuncture (more on what that means in another blog!) and for Boston grew. After graduation, I joined NESA as a faculty member, teaching students and watching them find the same joy in relieving pain and bringing the peace that I felt when I first began practicing.

Non-insertive acupuncture

I have been practicing acupuncture now for over 13 years, and have had the privilege to study in both Japan and the United States. Part of what makes my practice unique is that I’ve been trained in Shakuju Therapy (SJT), which is a non-insertive form of acupuncture.

I personally remember feeling hesitant about the use of multiple needles and intense stimulation. As I learned more about how acupuncture affects the body, I realized that the same principles of healing could be applied without needing to break the skin. For someone who might have an aversion to needles to begin with, this can be a revolutionary way of understanding acupuncture.

Neighborhood treatment in Belmont and Brookline

Now, 30 years after my back pain subsided, I have been fortunate enough to operate two holistic medicine practices, one in Belmont and the other in Brookline. I have sunk my roots here in the Boston area, and I know no greater pleasure than improving the lives and well-being of those in my community.

Whether you are skeptical about how acupuncture could help you or are hopeful and want to learn more, I am an advocate for your health. The complementary therapies and health coaching I offer work as a system to improve your overall health.

If you have an existing care plan, I can integrate my work to complement what you’re already doing to improve your own well-being. This includes discussing your concerns with your other healthcare providers and helping to explain any possible side effects and interactions of medications to you.

After all, I know holistic medicine helped me, and I believe I can help you the same way.