My mother died at the age of 93. She did not die of stroke, as did the rest of her family. Nor did she suffer paralysis or other stroke symptoms that she was predisposed for. She had one episode -- a transient ischemic attack -- that is a warning stroke. She woke from a nap and talked zibberish to my dad. That lasted for about a half hour and scared the wits out of them both. But a stroke never followed.

I firmly believe that was because of the acupuncture treatments I began giving her shortly after that incident and that continued the rest of her life. Acupuncture was a very positive intervention for my mom. A pattern that could have led to obstruction of the circulation to and from her head never developed.

Of course we can’t “see” prevention. It is much easier to appreciate when a problem that once plagued us clears up. I have many clients with stories like that. But it is harder to prescribe acupuncture so that something that might happen never does.

The good news is that in the process, acupuncture administered by a nationally-certified, licensed practitioner feels good. Whether one believes in prevention or not, one can experience relaxation and a release from the pressures of stress. It is not unlikely that one can become unburdened of subtler emotional hardships or physical constrictions. Someone ordinarily bogged down from the pressures of life might find him or herself walking along, looking up at the sky thinking: wow, what an amazing day.