I
Health & Fitness
ALTERNATIVES
While selling healthcare products in
Chicago to nursing homes and other
institutions, Silver was devastated to
see "how compromised the care was. It
seemed so helpless and impersonal:'
For her own health, Silver had done
acupuncture by a practitioner who had a
medical degree, but expressly practiced
the ancient treatment.
"When anything worried me, I went
to him instead of to the doctor:' she says,
admitting that the two treatment modes
are compatible. "I was already doing
some soul-searching. And then I went
on a wilderness trip alone in northern
Canada — and I just knew I had to get
out of what I was doing."
A Better
Body And
Mind
Healthcare associates share
a love for promoting wellness.
Lynne Meredith Schreiber
Special to the Jewish News
I
n her wildest career dreams, Julie
Silver never imagined she'd be pok-
ing the members of Bon Jovi — with
acupuncture needles.
But the managing partner and owner
of Acupuncture Healthcare Associates
of Michigan did exactly that before the
band's recent Detroit concert — which
shows just how far Silver and her dynam-
54
May 20 • 2010
is practice have come since she created
the firm 11 years ago.
"In this business, I am truly making
a difference in people's lives:' says Silver,
who made a dramatic career change
from healthcare sales and marketing to
acupuncture and traditional Chinese
medicine. "These ancient methods are
not only helpful for specific ailments
— they're a great recipe for ongoing
good health, stress reduction and overall
wellness."
Getting Going
In 1997, Silver enrolled in a three-year
program at the Midwest College of
Oriental Medicine in Chicago. When
she graduated, she decided to return to
Michigan to start a practice near family.
"I knew it was a great business oppor-
tunity to move back to Michigan:' she
says. "There are not a lot of acupuncture
practices here.
"One of the mandates of our prac-
tice is to educate the public about the
many ways acupuncture and traditional
Chinese medicine (TCM) can enhance
wellness and create healing and we get an
opportunity to do that every single day."
Acupuncture and TCM comprise a
comprehensive healthcare tradition dat-
ing back nearly 3,000 years. Today, one-
quarter of the world's people make use of
this system. Acupuncture and TCM treat
a range of conditions, from the common
cold to infertility.
A 2007 survey revealed that 3.2 million
Americans have undergone acupuncture
in the year prior — up from 2.1 million
in 2001. The most common uses, accord-
ing to the government's National Center
for Complementary and Alternative
Medicine, are chronic pain (arthritis, low
back pain and headaches), fatigue, anxi-
ety and digestive problems.
Studies have shown evidence of
acupuncture's positive effects on many
conditions, including infertility, addic-
tion and reduction of nausea and fatigue
caused by chemotherapy.
Her first year in business, Silver
worked out of a doctor's office and "met
with anyone who would talk to me." She
also met potential patients at health
fairs, Whole Foods Market, Nutri Foods
and other local spots. After a year, she
was so busy she decided to lease space
on Orchard Lake Road, north of 14
Mile, where the practice is located today
— albeit in double the space.
Growing Staff
Soon after, Silver hired Monica Mae
Leibson, who is 30 and "a very soulful per-
son," says Silver. Leibson is married to Joe
Leibson, is the mother of 9-month-old Vera
and lives in Plymouth.
Julie Shindler-Cohen, 27, came on board
last summer to make a team of three acu-
puncturists; Dr. Jen Green, a naturopathic
physician, rounds out the practice.
Local TV celebrity Lila Lazarus has
been a patient of the practice for years. She
swears by the ancient method for treating
all manner of ailments.
"Who knew that being poked with
needles could feel so good?! I've had
acupuncture for a multitude of reasons,
from strains and shoulder pains to stress
and anxiety;' says Lazarus, who lives in
Commerce.
"I always walk out of Julie's office feeling
a million times better than when I walked
in. And there's no question that it boosts
my immune system. When I'm regular
with my appointments, I stay healthy and
balanced. While other acupuncturists have
left me feeling like a pin cushion, Julie is
compassionate, competent and has turned
into a close friend."
Their Training
Silver, who will turn 50 in May, holds
a master's degree in social work from
Wayne State University. She is an active
member of several professional organiza-
tions, including the American Study for
Reproductive Medicine, RESOLVE, the
National Association of Women Business
Owners and the American Association of
Oriental Medicine. She is vice president of
the Michigan Association of Acupuncture
and Oriental Medicine and was recently
elected to the board of directors of
the Hebrew Free Loan Association of
Metropolitan Detroit.
Shindler-Cohen, who is the daughter
of Marc Shindler, owner of Brody's in
West Bloomfield, has a specialty in tradi-
tional Chinese medicine. She spent time
last summer in China, learning from the
experts.
After earning an undergraduate degree
in cellular and molecular biology from
the University of Michigan, Shindler-
Cohen married Marc Cohen and moved
to Chicago, where she earned a master's at
the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine.
She is NCCAOM [National Certification
Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental
Medicine] board-certified in acupuncture
and Chinese herbology.
Shindler-Cohen returned to Michigan a
year ago specifically to join this practice.
Leibson earned a master's degree at the
Santa Barbara College of Oriental Medicine
and is a NCCAOM board-certified acu-