By Janice Lane Palko
“To be honest, my mother had gone to an acupuncturist back when I was in college, and I was a bit skeptical. However, since then acupuncture has become more commonplace, and I was getting sick about four times a year,” said Christiane Cormier, 46, of Seven Fields, who teaches third grade in the Butler Area School District. “Students were getting sick with strep, viruses, the flu, and pink eye, and I was picking things up from them and getting sick often. So, six years ago, I went to Bridges Acupuncture seeking a way to support my immune system.”
Located in Harmony, Bridges treats a variety of health concerns including pain/musculoskeletal injuries, GI disorders, migraines, allergies, respiratory conditions, anxiety/depression/insomnia, gynecological issues, and many other conditions including immune support.
All their patients receive excellent and expert care as they listen carefully to their patient's history and create individualized treatments according to the patient's Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis. They clearly explain their process so that patients are as fully informed as possible about their care. In addition, they work collaboratively with patients to create a treatment plan that is effective and works for them.
“The treatments I received as well as the herbs I was prescribed really helped; I’ve gotten sick about once a year after receiving treatment, and this was before the pandemic,” said Christiane who credits Bridges for keeping her well when her daughter came down with COVID. “She came down with it over Labor Day last year, and it’s hard to stay healthy when you are sharing the same house with someone who’s ill and you are taking care of them. But I didn’t catch it, and I credit Bridges for strengthening my immune system so that I didn’t get sick.”
During the school year, Christiane visits Bridges about every three weeks and goes about every five weeks when school is out. “Everyone asks if acupuncture hurts. I’m not that excited about needles, but acupuncture doesn’t hurt at all. In fact, it’s very relaxing. I lie on the massage table and once the needles are inserted, I usually fall asleep. It’s very calming and helps with stress management too,” said Christiane.
Sometimes, insurance will cover acupuncture treatments. While Bridges does not accept insurance as a form of payment, they can help you submit for reimbursement yourself. They've researched the most common insurance plans in the Pittsburgh area, so they can advise you on how likely it is that your plan will reimburse for treatments and how many treatments you might expect to get as part of your plan. Bridges also accepts HSA and FSA cards as payment.
“What’s really important when it comes to strengthening my immune system is that my acupuncturist will actually fine-tune my treatment and herbs to combat what illnesses are currently spreading throughout the school,” said Christiane.
“I can’t recommend Bridges enough. It really helps, and we’ve come full circle. My mother goes there now for treatment too,” said Christiane.
For more information about Bridges, visit the website at: www.bridgesaom.com or call: 724-453-4335 or email at: info@bridgesaom.com
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