Needles aren’t the headline—balance is. We sit down with Lafayette acupuncturist Donna Greene to unpack how Traditional Chinese Medicine reframes health from “fix the symptom” to “restore the system,” and why steady, consistent care beats quick fixes. Donna’s story runs from psychology and social work to massage, shiatsu, and acupuncture, giving her a rare lens on pain, mood, and the way stress shows up in the body. She breaks down meridians in plain language, explains why one session won’t solve long-term issues, and shows how Eastern and Western approaches can work together without ego or guesswork.

We get practical. Donna walks us through a first visit, from tongue and pulse to point selection, and shares how she reads breath as a real-time stress meter. She lays out what acupuncture reliably helps—digestive issues, neuropathy, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, hypertension, and diabetes—then spells out when Western medicine must lead, especially in acute or emergency care. Her fertility insights stand out: start three months early, regulate cycles, map treatment timelines to IUI or IVF, and reduce stress so the body can do its job. Along the way we dig into shiatsu, ashiatsu, and the difference between relaxation massage and targeted therapeutic work.

The heart of the conversation is mindset and community. Donna views grief literacy as a health skill, not a crisis response, and teaches simple self-care that people actually do: daily walks, sunlight, time off screens, and finding your tribe. She champions food therapy, short-term herbs, and collaborative referrals so patients feel supported from every angle. If you’ve been curious about acupuncture, cautious about needles, or stuck with chronic symptoms that never quite resolve, this is an honest, hopeful roadmap to moving forward.

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