Holistic Healing: Eastern Medicine Brings Energy and Peace

In the wake of COVID-19, when the world was in dire need of healing, three women in Vancouver found their life callings diverted and retooled to heal others. Though the times seemed bleak, each woman soon found that their skills were desired more than ever. Each had been led to their craft. Now their crafts are leading them forward.

Blending Eastern and Western Medicine

In 2001, Diane Russell suffered a severe rotator cuff injury. Having exhausted all traditional medical options, Russell took a chance on acupuncture. Acupuncture is a health treatment wherein thin, nearly hair follicle-sized needles are inserted into specific locations on the body in the pain meridian. Pain meridians are the yin and yang of the unseen energy that flows through each body. “On my first visit I felt some relief. It wasn’t until the fourth visit that the real healing took place.” The rotator cuff was not the only thing healed. Suddenly, she slept better, felt energized, and was more alert than she’d been in years.

Inspired by her healing, she began researching this unique eastern treatment. By 2007, Russell had completed her master’s degree, becoming a licensed acupuncturist. Immediately she opened Shān Dào Acupuncture. Eager to contribute more, she pursued a doctoral degree in 2018, with a specific emphasis on uniting eastern and western medicine, becoming a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

The COVID-19 pandemic did do its best to displace her. Tenaciously, she kept her doors open, yet patients were reluctant to enter any facility. The lack of clients prompted her to downsize. She packed up and moved to Hazel Dell. As lockdown restrictions lifted, clients came back, their bodies craving natural healing. Dr. Russell’s gentle use of acupuncture, as well as Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM), and Teding Diancibo Pu (TDP) heat therapy among other modalities, activate the self-healing abilities of the body.

Dr. Russell believes the term “holistic healing” creates a divide in the healthcare field. As a practitioner, she is pioneering patient-centered care; which unites the expertise of traditional western doctors and eastern trained professionals under one umbrella. Her goal is to give patients the most complete healing package available. The holistic approach of Chinese medicine is to treat the underlying cause as well as the symptom of a condition or disease. Her approach is embraced by multiple doctors in the area.

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