I have struggled with a calcified knot as well as neck and shoulder pain for many years. I remember it would throb I played high school sports 12 years ago. As I got older it seemed to get worse, especially with stress.

After the birth of my first child I experienced severe pain during the first attack of a sciatic syndrome. Months after the birth of my second child two years later, my hips and pelvis would not stabilize and I variously experienced pain from my neck to my knees that interfered with my ability to care for my baby.

I was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease when I was 20 years old. CMT is one of the most common inherited neurological disorders, affecting both motor and sensory peripheral nerves, resulting muscles to contract.

My neurologist told me I’d have to take antidepressants to get rid of my chronic migraines unless I wanted to try acupuncture first. Helen Law got rid of my cyclic migraine that first visit, and fixed my acid reflux to boot!

What a relief! After a month of daily and sometimes severe headaches; I went to see Dr. Law. She asked me insightful questions and took a lot of time to listen to me and to respond. She explained to me that many headaches derive from neck issues and then she quickly identified the source of my pain.

During the early summer of 2010 I experienced severe and disabling sciatic nerve pain in my left leg caused by bulging disks in the L4/L5 area and scar tissue from a previous surgery. I could not stand, walk or even sit in a chair – I was bedridden.

At the prompting of a neighbor who had been successfully treated by a Chinese acupuncturist for nerve discomfort in her feet, I decided to try acupuncture treatment for arthritic problems in my hands. I also am experiencing a balancing difficulty that was thought to be aggravated by an essential tremor that I have lived with, and medicated, for twenty years.

One night in the middle of July I woke up at 2:30am in excruciating pain in my right shoulder. I couldn’t get comfortable and soon began to realize that the pain was so severe that I felt nauseous and even about to pass out.