Acupuncturist/herbalist Christina Morris founded Element Natural Healing Arts (518 Henry Street) in December 2001, to provide care and holistic therapies for those seeking to improve their health and well-being. Morris said that she’s always been interested in women’s health and infertility, and had wanted to pursue obstetrics and gynecology before deciding to study Oriental Medicine at the International Institute of Chinese Medicine in both Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
“While working on my undergraduate degree [in biology pre-med at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville], I experienced some truly amazing and inspiring results from acupuncture for the treatment of pelvic pain,” Morris explained. “At the time, over 20 years ago, acupuncture wasn’t as commonly practiced.”
Morris later moved to New York and started practicing and working with doctors, including ob/gyns, reproductive endocrinologists, general practitioners, sports doctors and other specialty practitioners. It was then that she realized that this type of work was her passion.
“I loved helping people reduce their pain, get pregnant, lower their anxiety, improve digestive issues and lessen their stress,” she said. “I was able to really make a difference in helping people achieve a better quality of life, which inspired me.”
Morris’s Carroll Gardens location, with 15 treatment rooms, offers a variety of holistic therapies, including reflexology, acupuncture, massages, herbs and supplements, facials and skincare. Its other services also include Thai bodywork, shiatsu, Maya abdominal massage, rolfing, private yoga and more.
Morris said that some of the most popular services at Element Natural Healing Arts are massages, facials and acupuncture — in which all treatments are tailored to individuals’ specific concerns.
She explained that common conditions that attract people to acupuncture, for instance, are muscular pain, headaches and migraines, stress and anxiety, digestive concerns and fertility issues.
Acupuncture treatment can be effective in improving energy and concentration; boosting the immune system; increasing blood circulation; triggering the activity of the body’s natural painkillers; and stimulating the body’s natural healing response.
“Studies indicate that acupuncture releases endorphins that bind to opiate receptors, which decreases pain and inflammation. Acupuncture can help manipulate both the connective tissue and motor neurons in muscle tissue affecting the contraction and release of muscles,” Morris said. “This form of manipulation with the needles helps to reset muscular balance.”
A common misconception people have about acupuncture is that it hurts, as thin needles are inserted all over the body. While acupuncture shouldn’t hurt if needles are properly inserted, Morris said that it can sometimes be a little uncomfortable. She explained that some people can experience itchiness, achiness, numbness, heat, electrical tinge, tingling or a heaviness — also known as “Qi” sensations. But she reassures her clients that they are in control during the treatment, being able to let her know when to stop or when to remove a needle at any time.
Another misconception is that acupuncture only includes the insertion of needles. Acupuncture treatment comes in many other forms, including: acupressure (pressure to acupuncture points), moxibustion (an herb used to heat specific acupuncture points), tui na (a style of bodywork/massage), gua sha (scraping the skin with a specialized tool), cupping (glass or plastic cups placed on the skin to create suction), TDP lamp (therapeutic heat therapy), press tacks and ear seeds (used for continuous pressure to acupuncture points as a take-home treatment) and electrical stimulation (a mild electrical current applied to the needles for continuous stimulation to acupuncture points).
Element Natural Healing Arts is open weekdays (9 am-9:30 pm) and weekends (9 am-8:30 pm). Visit elementhealing.com for more information or call 718-855-4850 to schedule an appointment.
Top photo courtesy of Morris
