At their open house on Thursday, August 23, 2007, Indy Acupuncture & Health Services made a point, to welcome the village to their practice, that is. They opened their doors in June of 2006 and, since then, "couldn't be happier with the response here."

Mitch and Erica Harris are the husband and wife duo who practice both in Broad Ripple at Indy Acupuncture and in Carmel at Ology Medical Spa. Both are board-certified licensed Acupuncturists. They're also practitioners of Traditional Oriental Medicine, a comprehensive system of health that includes acupuncture, herbology, bodywork, diet and exercise principles.

Mitch is currently President of the Indiana Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Erica is also a feng shui practitioner (Chinese art of placement and environment) which explains the comfortable feeling their practice exudes. According to Mitch, "The BRVA was very encouraging to us and liked how we could bring some diversity in healthcare to the area." For them, Broad Ripple was a natural place to establish an acupuncture practice. They, "truly enjoy the strong sense of community and variety here that is very unique to this area."

Acupuncture can be used to treat a vast number of problems, many of which you may have never imagined. The treatment list includes not only the commonly conceived conditions (arthritis, sciatica, back pain and headaches) but also the lesser known treatment topics. Ailments such as ulcers, acid reflux, ear aches, asthma, sinus infections, impotence, morning sickness, depression, addictions and insomnia, along with dozens of others also make the list.

Acupuncture enhances the body's own natural ability to heal in a variety of ways. It triggers the brain to release endorphins, stimulate the dilation of blood vessels to improve circulation and decrease inflammation by reducing levels of inflammatory hormone and increasing immune system cells. Studies show that acupuncture regulates areas of the brain linked to heart rate, breathing, hormone output, emotion and relaxation response and safely balances these functions through the nervous system.

Mitch describes the basic idea as "our bodies are incredibly intelligent at correcting most problems if they are directed towards a balanced state. So we give the body a stimulus using acupuncture or herbs that is very easy on the overall system."

Indy Acupuncture offers complimentary half hour consultations for people who are curious or have specific questions about their services and what acupuncture can do for them. They evaluate what's going on and give each person an honest opinion based on their clinical experience. Then, the initial visit consists of a comprehensive health history intake and evaluation followed by acupuncture.

A course of acupuncture is typically 4-12 sessions, depending on the specific condition being treated and benefits are often felt immediately after the first treatment. Acupuncture needles are as thin as human hair, sterile and disposable. Most insertions are completely painless but sometimes there is a very mild sensation that lasts only a moment.

You can check their website www.indyacu.com to find out when educational seminars are offered. Sign up on their contact page to receive the quarterly e-newsletter which contains clinic special events and seasonal advice on how to stay healthy.