Article and Photos by Jessica McCafferty
As society has become more cautious about pharmaceutical addictions created by treatments for pain, mindful movements and traditional techniques are resurfacing as mainstream options. To learn more about this approach I recently spent a day with two local women with businesses centered around holistic services.
On Point Wellness
My spent my morning in Plattsburgh, focused on techniques of the past. Florence Reynaud of On Point Wellness practices acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine technique that dates back more than 3,000 years. This approach involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body, called acupoints. The needles are inserted into meridians, which are pathways that carry the flow of energy. Acupuncture stimulates the flow of energy or “Qi” through energy pathways to restore balance or homeostasis within the body and ultimately improve health.
Reynaud was born in France and grew up in Montreal. She studied massage therapy in Toronto where she spent a few years before returning to Montreal for acupuncture training. In 1988, she traveled to Jinan, China for a 10-week internship in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). There, she rode her bike six days a week to the hospital for total immersion training and worked alongside Chinese doctors at the Shandong School of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
When her training was over, Reynaud returned to Montreal where she opened her practice. In the late 1990’s she relocated to Maryland when her husband was offered a new job opportunity. Each relocation brought more educational courses as she expanded her knowledge. That included earning a Public Health degree which brought her to work at the Center of Injury Research and Policy at John Hopkins University while also working as an acupuncturist and massage therapist in Baltimore.
With their aging parents still living in Montreal, Reynaud, her husband, Gilbert, and their children, Julien and Genevieve, decided to relocate, choosing Plattsburgh as their new home base. Reynaud passed her New York State Boards in Acupuncture and Massage Therapy and obtained her licenses to practice. At first, she shared offices with a local chiropractor and then partnered with Pearl Physical Therapy for six years. She appreciated working and learning from these professional collaborations, but when the pandemic changed how care could be administered, she decided it was time to fulfill her longtime dream of having her own wellness center.
She explained she found herself “trolling the streets of Plattsburgh one day” and found the perfect building. After an eight-week remodel, Reynaud opened On Point Wellness in November of 2020. Today the practice has four providers offering various therapies including Physical Therapy, Craniosacral, Massage Therapy and Acupuncture (only Reynaud does acupuncture.)
Approximately 70% percent of Reynaud’s client base requires ongoing treatment for chronic pain issues. After evaluation, a treatment plan is determined. Appointments can start out weekly, progress to bi-monthly, monthly, or quarterly. As with any treatment the amount of time needed depends on each patient’s response and progress.
I asked Reynaud, “What is pain?” She explained, “Pain is a blockage of energy (Qi) and blood stagnations. What acupuncture does is to invigorate blood flow and mobilize energy. I would liken it to clearing a traffic jam in the body, getting the energy flowing again.” Reynaud will often combine additional healing modalities such as cupping, moxibustion, acupressure, Tuina (Chinese massage), Guasha, herbal remedies, and lifestyle recommendations as part of her sessions.
While at On Point, I was able to sit in on a treatment and speak to a patient about her experience. Sophie’s visit was for ankle pain and sleeplessness. The points used were on the forehead between the eyes, in the ear, on her wrists, and along the leg. Most points are bi-lateral, meaning they are done on both the left and right sides. These points will remain in place for 20-30 minutes. Once the needles are in place they are gently moved until the patient can start to feel the energy fluctuate. The needles are placed along specific meridians in the body, and stimulate the flow of blood and energy (Qi) along those pathways to treat a particular pain pattern.
Sophie described the feeling as “one of total relaxation and a sense that the energy is circulating between the points.” Reynaud noted that some patients find it rather euphoric and sometimes need a few minutes to settle after a session and before driving. This feeling, as though they are “under the influence” is brought on by the flow of “Qi” and the rush of endorphins which are natural painkillers released within the body during an acupuncture session.
Mainstream medicine has become more open to alternative holistic medicines and many doctors are now recommending acupuncture to their patients as a healthy alternative to surgery and long-term use of pain medications. Reynaud believes that a greater collaboration between health care providers, acupuncturists and holistic practitioners can bring on much needed relief for patients suffering from pain.
Pinnacle Yoga & Retreat Center
Moving on, my afternoon was spent on the grounds of Pinnacle Yoga Studio & Retreat Center, nestled on the edge of Augur Lake in Keeseville, New York. The studio was named after Pinnacle Mountain that looks down on the lake and studio. Robin Gucker chose the name because of her connection to the mountain that she ventures up almost every day.
Gucker and her husband started building the studio in 2015 while she was still teaching kindergarten. Soon after, Gucker received a cancer diagnosis and the long-time yogi put her studio dreams on hold. Focusing inward on her yoga and inner strength during her breast cancer battle, she learned moves and poses that helped carry her through her illness, while she gained knowledge to share with others. Gucker touts that she did yoga throughout all her treatments and it was “the best thing” she could have done for herself.
During the pandemic many yoga studios closed, leaving both clients and instructors seeking new options. Wanting to share what she learned with anybody and everybody, the Guckers restarted their effort to build their studio. Just as they were reaching completion, the world was opening back up from COVID. Ongoing restrictions kept classes small which allowed Gucker to ease herself into the management side of things and grow the business slowly.
Now, two years later, Pinnacle has six instructors, including Gucker, and several workshop presenters. Each has a different area of focus touching on the various styles of yoga such as Vinyasa, QiGong, SUP on the lake, Aerial, and Yin Yoga. They even offer Aromatherapy and Kirtan, a form of chanting. The average class size is between 10-15 students, with the singing/devotional classes allowing room for more attendees.
I asked Gucker how people approach specific issues such as back pain. Is there a certain set of movements? I learned there is not a standard answer. Instead, you start a process to discover your body’s needs. There are several somatic yoga poses that may be suggested, but not all are universal because of various body types. There are also modifications done to poses to accommodate ability. “There are so many options”. Gucker gushed, her passion rather infectious.
In the twenty-teens, Hot Yoga was becoming all the rage and there were several studies done on the benefits of yoga on chronic pain. A study published in the Annal of Internal Medicine cited that of 313 people with chronic lower back pain those taking a weekly yoga class saw increased mobility compared to those who only followed standard medical care. In 2018 Harvard Health did a meta-analysis of 13 clinical trials involving 1557 patients with osteo and/or rheumatoid arthritis. Yoga training was found to be useful in reducing knee arthritis symptoms, promoting physical function and general well-being of the patients.
Yogis, like Robin Gucker, have been practicing for over 2,000 years. Its popularity seems to ebb and flow with the times. With the current focus on well-being, it makes you wonder if this time around it will remain more commonly used.
On Point Wellness
14 Latour Ave
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
518 593-4254
Pinnacle Yoga and Retreat Center
419 Frontage Rd
Keeseville, NY 12944
518 569-4675
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