Holistic Healing in San Diego: Cara's Acupuncture Insights

Join us for an enlightening episode of Bed Back and Beyond as we sit down with the inspiring Cara Dinote, a skilled acupuncturist whose journey into acupuncture and Chinese medicine is nothing short of fascinating. Cara's transition from studying psychology in Philadelphia to practicing acupuncture in San Diego showcases her dedication to holistic healing. We explore the pivotal role of qi, the vital life force in Chinese medicine, and how acupuncture harmonizes this energy to enhance physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being. As the acceptance of acupuncture grows in the U.S., bolstered by medical research and increased insurance coverage, Cara's insights offer a compelling look at the merging of Eastern and Western medical philosophies.

In the second half of the episode, we uncover acupuncture's remarkable impact on pain management and recovery, through intriguing case studies, including a unique case involving spasms post-colonoscopy. Cara shares how acupuncture provides a holistic approach to complex medical conditions and post-surgery recovery. We also invite listeners to share their own positive recovery stories, fostering a community of hope and support. For those in San Diego looking to connect with Cara and experience her healing touch firsthand, visit her website, andaraacupuncture.com. As we wrap up, we express our gratitude for Cara's expertise and our shared commitment to a holistic path to wellness.

Transcript

Acupuncture

Speaker 1 0:00

When a needle goes into a point, some people feel a dull, heavy sensation, and that is called qi, and so in Chinese medicine that's really important. It's kind of like this vital life force or energy that's flowing up and down these channels, and so we're always trying to balance the energy of qi, which could be obstructed or damaged through diet stress. Obstructed or damaged through diet stress, physical trauma, emotional trauma.

Speaker 2 0:34

Welcome to Bed Back and Beyond, sharing positive stories of recovery from serious back or neck injury. Your host is CK, a fellow champion who draws on her own experience with herniated disc surgery. Join her as she talks with others who have overcome the physical and emotional trauma of a painful injury and discover for yourself how you can find hope and encouragement in recovery.

Speaker 3 0:57

Hi, and thank you for joining me for this episode of Bed Back and Beyond. I am super excited for today's episode. My guest is Cara DeNote, and not only is she a very talented acupuncturist, she is a longtime friend of mine. I am so honored that you agreed to do this episode with me. Hi, Cara, hi, how are you? I'm amazing, so glad to be talking to you. Glad to be talking to you too, thank you. So, before we just dive into acupuncture and all the knowledge that you have to share, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Speaker 1 1:32

Sure, I'm originally from Philadelphia area, as you know. Delco, you can claim it Delco from Delco and I've been in San Diego now for a little over 20 years. I've been practicing acupuncture for about nine years now, had private practice from day one. And a little bit about me. Love the outdoors. As you know, we've been camping together, hiking together, so there's anything outdoors. Playing outside is my jam.

Speaker 3 2:01

So yeah, so excited to finally have a camping trip with you just a couple months ago, right In May. In May it was beautiful, yeah, yeah, mammoth right, yes, yes, yes. And your beautiful wife, abby, actually recorded one of my little YouTube shorts.

Speaker 1 2:16

That's right. Well, yeah, I mean showing how strong you are now. I mean what you've been through and here you are hiking in the mountains a couple years later is pretty incredible. So I hope that was motivating for some people, inspiring as well.

Speaker 3 2:29

I think it was so you moved out to San Diego to go to college, or were you already out there and then decided to go to college?

Speaker 1 2:38

No well, I went to Penn State first and then moved to California for love reasons, right and then picked up my undergrad studying psychology at San Diego State. So I wanted to be a therapist and somehow along the way started studying Buddhism, meditation, all the woo-woo kind of stuff, energy stuff, and then I never even had acupuncture even like a year into acupuncture school. So I really had no idea what I was getting into. But it was one of those strange callings. I guess that just led me down this path. And I love acupuncture because you can talk to people, you can put your hands on people, so it's, you know, you get to really work on the physical, spiritual, emotional aspects of people, not instead of just sitting in a chair saying uh-huh, uh-huh, tell me about your mom, you know, kind of thing.

Speaker 3 3:34

I remember when you told me that you decided to go to school for acupuncture, my immediate thought was well, that makes sense, because you always had that personality of I want to take care of you, let me help you know. So I was like well, that's, it's a perfect fit. I feel like Thank you. So how long is schooling for acupuncture?

Speaker 1 4:00

It's about five years. So, yeah, and that was. I really didn't know it again when I was getting into. And you know, it's a really ambitious program, especially California, because not only do you do acupuncture but it's the traditional Chinese herbal medicine. So there's Chinese herbal medicine, the acupuncture, the theories, all the points, and then it's all Western medicine. So it's all the biology, the chemistry, the physiology. It's a lot of information.

Speaker 3 4:22

Wow, and there's a lot of actual medical research behind acupuncture, right, oh yeah.

Speaker 1 4:29

I mean, if insurance is going to pay for acupuncture, you better believe there are studies showing that it works. That's all I got to say about that.

Speaker 3 4:38

I was doing a little research and I was listening to how they had injected saline or something like that into somebody and they were tracking it along the meridian lines. Is that correct? Yeah, and it was showing the lines that acupuncture is saying that they connect. It's crazy.

Speaker 1 4:56

And how did they know this thousands of years ago, you know, before they were really, you know, opening up bodies? I mean, how did they know that one point could be connected to you know, on your foot can be connected to the eye? It's just incredible. You know what they're doing in real time MRIs, like things are showing up in the brain, like when you put a needle in an actual point that was really interesting.

Speaker 3 5:17

Yeah, is it Chinese medicine? Is that where it originated?

Speaker 1 5:20

Yeah, china thousands of years ago, I want to say about maybe 5,000, I think.

Speaker 3 5:24

Yeah, okay. And so when you started, when you first got into acupuncture, was it widely accepted in the US, or do you think it has become more accepted since you started practicing?

Speaker 1 5:35

I mean definitely more. I mean it's pretty big in California in like New York, some of the bigger cities, but I mean definitely California is really big on holistic medicine anyway. But yeah, I mean there there was three different campuses. There was New York campus, uh, san Diego and Chicago. So the school that I went to and so we had people from all over the U? S even coming to the San Diego program and they were just going to go back to the Midwest or whatever. So yeah, I mean.

Speaker 1 5:59

I think I don't even know, like the Philadelphia area, do you see a lot of acupuncturists or no? Is it still kind of you?

Speaker 3 6:06

know I don't look. I often I think to myself like I should go get an acupuncture treatment, but for me that would mean getting on a plane and going to San Diego because I'm not going to have anybody else to. You're welcome anytime. In fact, I just had a guest on the podcast a couple weeks ago Erica was her name in a car accident partial paralysis and she mentioned how she feels like acupuncture post injury has really helped save her from certain side effects. And I said to her like I have a girlfriend, I keep meaning to have her on the podcast to talk about acupuncture. So thank you again. Of course I can bore you to tears talking about it.

Speaker 3 6:47

Please do. No, please do. That's the point of the podcast. But acupuncture is different than dry needling, right?

Speaker 1 6:57

Yes, From what I understand, dry needling is like a physical therapist or chiropractors now they're. They just, yeah, they just get a needle. I don't know why they call it dry needling. I always joke. There's no wet needling, right. They just get a needle and they do it like oh, you have a knot here and then they kind of dig and then they try to create some sort of spasm or relief to that knot. So it's not actually acupuncture, like they're not following the meridians or treating the whole person by getting to the root cause. They're just basically sticking a needle in a knot, basically.

Speaker 3 7:30

Okay, okay, are you able to just kind of explain acupuncture a little bit, because honestly I don't know what's what's happening when you stick needles in me.

Speaker 1 7:40

Yeah, yeah, I mean there's obviously there's hundreds of points. They fall line, meridians, channels, and every little point has a specific location and a purpose. I said physical, spiritual, emotional. So what they do know, for example, is when a needle goes into a point, some people feel a dull, heavy sensation, and that is called chi, and so Chinese medicine. That's really important. It's kind of like this vital life force or energy that's flowing up and down these channels, and so we're always trying to balance the energy of qi, which could be um obstructed or damaged through diet, stress, physical trauma, emotional trauma. Emotional trauma, right.

Speaker 3 8:23

My life, my life, you mean Life.

Speaker 1 8:27

My life Cause your chi to be all kinds of mad at you, right? So when a needle goes in, we're tapping into that energy. Some people feel that, oh, like, this kind of it doesn't hurt, right. But you probably felt, you felt that kind of experience where, like, oh wait, something's happening. But what they do know is that we're stimulating neurotransmitters in the brain, like dopamine, serotonin, like the opioids. That's what's really happening. They have tested that. There's a cascade of response the immune system, everything Also. That was my elevator. Can I explain? Yes, I remember when I that was my elevator. Can I explain what acupuncture is?

Speaker 3 9:04

Yes, I remember, when I herniated my disc, you sent me a text message that was like oh, I wish I was in Pennsylvania so I could take care of you. And I thought to myself well, how would acupuncture help my herniated disc? But you treat people with herniated disc right? Oh yeah. Yeah, back pain and neck pain is number one, but yeah, low back pain dueated disc.

Speaker 1 9:23

But you treat people with herniated disc right? Oh yeah, yeah, back pain is and neck pain is number one. But, yeah, low back pain due to disc herniation. You know um stenosis, degenerative disc disease, all all the things for the back, yeah, Wow.

Speaker 3 9:37

What are the trigger points for treating the back?

Speaker 1 9:41

Um, I mean not only. I mean of course there are points along the spine that you actually go in, but people are surprised. They're like well, why are you putting a needle on my head?

Speaker 2 9:49

Or why are you putting a?

Speaker 1 9:50

needle in my foot and my hand and again you're treating the whole body right. So of course I will do the points locally around the back, but when you want to treat the whole person, the other points could be for pain control, helping with tendons, ligaments, the bones. So you're actually treating the structure to keep and then the immune system right and then to make sure that your sleep is good, your mood is good, because that's all going to help with the healing aspect.

Speaker 3 10:17

So is that bringing down, just like inflammation inside the body?

Speaker 1 10:21

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And just that calming sensation, I mean the being in physical pain. I'm sure it's stressful, it creates anxiety or depression. There's a cycle of pain, right? It just doesn't stop.

Speaker 3 10:34

Yeah, yeah, even after uh having the surgery that I was hit with anxiety and depression and like PTSD. It almost felt like For sure, yeah, yeah. Does acupuncture help with like muscle spasms? That's often a side effect of surgery.

Speaker 1 10:51

For sure. Yeah, it's definitely kind of calm the area, just that state of relaxation where everything is calm yeah.

Speaker 3 10:59

Do you do any other treatments in conjunction with the acupuncture or is it strict needle treatments?

Speaker 1 11:05

No, when somebody comes in, I start, we face up and they have a neuromuscular stimulator, electric stim, the version I we've probably heard of a TENS unit, but mine's a little bit. Mine goes a little bit deeper to the nerves and the muscles. We'll get that going top of the shoulders all the way down the back. That'll help a pain, inflammation, right needles on the front side of the body. We flip needles going down the back. I do cupping gua sha or scraping is like a little tool, kind of like ironing out little kinks. Right, I got my little, my little infrared light like to shine on people again oh, that's great infrared light yeah yeah, it's good for the skin, uh huh.

Speaker 1 11:43

yeah, I I try to make it a spa experience and it's not scary Like I'm just going to come in and stick needles in you. So I try to definitely make it more spotlight.

Speaker 3 11:51

You haven't offered me any guasha. Is that what it's called, guasha?

Speaker 1 11:55

Yeah, I know I got. I got this thing locked down. Now you have to come out and see my new office. Yeah, I've.

Speaker 3 12:06

Maybe, yeah, yeah, in the building Private suite. Yeah, yes, yes, yes, it's very nice. So where is that located, by the way?

Speaker 1 12:13

So so our viewers know yeah, I'm in downtown Gaslamp San Diego, right in the middle.

Speaker 3 12:19

And if somebody wanted to find you for treatment, where would they look? Do you have?

Speaker 1 12:23

a website.

Speaker 3 12:24

Yes, Andara, dara Acupuncture A-N-D-A-R-A and Dara Acupuncturecom, and do you do any kind of like counseling, for are patients just coming in and getting treatment, or are you giving them routines to do once they leave or things to consider?

Speaker 1 12:43

Always. I always try to empower patients and tell them hey, you know, there's some things you can do at home, like I'll, even if I just send them a link for the Gua Sha tool, like hey have you ever, you know, ever, in a pinch, you get up in the morning, like in a neck, like whatever, or I'll show them.

Speaker 1 12:59

There's a home cupping set, for example. I always want people to be able to take care of themselves. I'll show them how to do it. Um, of course, I'll guide them. If there's Chinese herbs that we're going to do, I'll get the herbs for them. Explain what it is. So yeah, just diet or exercise advice, of course.

Speaker 3 13:18

Yes, do people often just unload on your shoulders as you're treating them? Do you feel a little bit like a counselor?

Speaker 1 13:27

Oh, absolutely, I've been seeing people I mean God, once a week for years. I mean, people come in and you, just you do, you hear it all You're you're. It's people just want to vent, or or I watch people sleep all day, so it goes either way.

Speaker 3 13:40

So yeah, what's your favorite part of being an acupuncturist?

Speaker 1 13:48

I feel it's almost like an art form, because when somebody comes in especially a complicated case, you know, and because there's so many points to choose from, you know, it really is like you're cracking a code, you know, and sometimes one thing will work, maybe something will not work, you know. So I feel like you can really tailor a treatment to somebody and also, like your, every practitioner has like their own technique and so I don't know, I use a lot of needles because there's so many delicious juicy needles and I just like, yeah, it just feels like art. You know, that's my favorite.

Speaker 3 14:21

And then then, when it works.

Acupuncture for Pain Management and Recovery

Speaker 1 14:22

You're like oh wow, like that's because we are. We're trained to treat basically everything, even some crazy stuff like turning a baby or like a breech, a breech baby. You know, I see a lot of fertility which works, um, getting girls pregnant, and then when they have the baby, I'm like get it out and you can do things to help promote, you know, labor. It's crazy and it works.

Speaker 3 14:45

Uh, is there a complicated case that you can tell us about?

Speaker 1 14:53

Yes, I've never had anybody come in with this. Somebody went and had a colonoscopy and some, you know, there's a chance things can go awry, right, yeah, unfortunately for this person, the sphincter muscle was in a constant spasm. Oh gosh, imagine how uncomfortable this was for this person who was a teacher and had to sit down and then started getting like bladder stuff. So this poor person, you know, didn't know what to do, so acupuncture. And I didn't have to do anything, locally, of course, because he was afraid like you're not're not gonna, I'm like no, no, no, um, but just, but, just relaxing the body and doing the channel theory, just like the relaxation of all the different things. Um, he's able to go back to work oh my goodness problem.

Speaker 1 15:44

Yeah, I mean it took several months and and everything, but it's crazy. I've never had anybody with basically a butt spasm. You know what I mean. Sorry, but it's stuff like that. You're like I just maybe snort on the podcast you're all red too.

Speaker 3 16:11

When he said I'm having a sphincter spasm, did you have to like go through your textbook where you're like give me a second?

Speaker 1 16:19

I was like I'll do a little research you know, and sure enough, there was actual study, you know, and there was a point prescription and you know wow.

Speaker 3 16:33

Yeah, holy cow, yeah, that's crazy.

Speaker 1 16:36

Just a little in addition to acupuncture. We ended up getting Botox there too, and that also helped big time. I didn't know you can get Botox on the front and the back on the front end.

Speaker 3 16:51

I'm just keeping all the jokes in at this point. So someone who is interested in holistic medicine, you think acupuncture is a great place to start.

Speaker 1 17:08

I think so. Yeah, yeah, it's not scary, it doesn't hurt. You know, I think in addition to it complements physical therapy, it complements, you know, chiropractics and you can do all three together and, yeah, for sure, and there's no side effects to acupuncture. So you know medicine, traditional, you know of course there's a time and place for medicine, of course I definitely believe in that.

Speaker 3 17:27

But you know, there's always another way to right right and especially for people who don't want to drive into or dive into prescription medications.

Speaker 1 17:36

Right, right, you know, we just if yeah, I support it, if you need it, like I said, but yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 17:45

Now I see Abby gets treatments a lot. Are you getting treatments at all? Who's treating the treat?

Speaker 1 17:49

I'm so bad? I know I'm so bad at that you know, the gym is like my therapy, that's like my go to for wellness. That's what I do.

Speaker 2 17:59

Yeah, yeah, I'm always here.

Speaker 1 18:00

So, yeah, that's the one thing about having your own business. Yeah.

Speaker 3 18:05

Right, yeah, yeah, that's true, oh, my goodness, yeah. Do you have anything else that you, you think someone who is suffering from a herniated disc or recovering from surgery, should know?

Speaker 1 18:18

This acupuncture would be great for, obviously for pain management, right, I always tell people, you know, because there's something structurally going on and there was surgery, you know, obviously I can't make going on and there's surgery, you know, obviously I can't make a disc go back in place, even for people who haven't had surgery. However, we can manage your pain and we can make, you know, make the muscles and the tendons stronger. I keep the structure so it doesn't keep pressing out. If you want to avoid surgery or people want to push off surgery for whatever reason that they need to, so it it's preventative for surgery and in post-surgery it's also just pain management, just to make your life happier, your mood better, your sleep better, the immune system better. Yeah, all the things.

Speaker 3 19:00

Those first six months after surgery are pretty rough like emotionally and physically. It's full of ups and downs with pain flares and their muscles feel so weak. I can imagine that getting acupuncture is a would be a good boon for the, just the relieving the stress of the recovery that comes from it 100 percent yeah. Yeah, yeah, I'm a little jealous. I'm a little jealous of your just ability to come alongside someone and help them feel better just ability to come alongside someone and help them feel better.

Speaker 1 19:34

Oh well, that's just, I don't know. My whole life I've been like that. Everyone's like. You know. I just always just want to jump in and help where I can, and so I do feel lucky and grateful to be in this field. Yeah.

Speaker 3 19:47

Yeah, so I think it's exactly where you're meant to be.

Podcast Guest Invitation and Recovery Story

Speaker 2 19:57

Thank you. You're welcome, kara. Thank you so much for agreeing to be on the podcast with me. Thank you, it was a lot of fun.

Speaker 3 20:01

We should stream chat more often.

Speaker 1 20:03

I think so. It's so natural with this.

Speaker 3 20:08

Right, we did not practice ahead of time. If you are a listener and you have a positive story of recovery that you would like to share on the podcast, head over to bedbackbeyondcom and click share your story. I would love to include your voice on the show. And if you'd like to find Kara in the San Diego area, what is your website? Again? Andaraacupuncturecom. Perfect, kara. Thank you so much. Love you, love you.