Brian Healy, AP, DOM, LMT, CKYT, has been a holistic health practitioner for 29 years  and is trained in medical massage, acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Western biomedicine and Ayurveda, and specializes in a multiple modality approach to providing each individual the type of healing they need at the right level of their being.

He says, “As a holistic physician, when people come to see me, there is generally some degree of emotional content to their ailment, especially with health issues that have not resolved with conventional courses of treatment. I have many techniques to treat issues of the heart, whether physical, emotional, mental or spiritual. A yoga therapy session involving poses that stretch the front of the body and open up the chest and heart, such as fish and bridge poses, combined with intentional breathwork, can be incredibly effective at opening the chest and releasing stagnant emotional holding in the heart and lungs. This can be especially powerful for people working through issues of grief and loss.”

For physical ailments of the heart, acupuncture and herbal medicines offer great support for mild to moderate forms of heart congestion and arrhythmias. Acupoints at the wrist, inside the elbow and inside the ear along the heart and pericardium meridians are effective at regulating the heart and opening the chest. One such point at the wrist is called shenmen, which translates as calm spirit. "There is a point on the ear with the same name which also treats the mind," advises Healy. "It is one of auriculotherapy’s major points on which we use often place a tiny adhesive bead as a way of treating stress and anxiety over the course of a few days."

Chinese herbal medicines can also provide relief for mental issues, as well. For example, the Emperor of Heaven’s Special Teapills for the Heart are very effective at alleviating anxiety and insomnia. Other heart formulas can treat depression, mania, and brain fog. "In treating the physical heart muscle, often I will needle two points on the pericardium meridian, the protective organ around the heart," notes Healy. "One is commonly used for arrythmias and palpitations. And then there is another point right in the center of the chest that regulates the qi of the heart."

He explains, “Holistic medicine offers many ways to nurture and nourish our hearts, allowing them to blossom and radiate joy and acceptance for ourselves and for all others, elevating the people and situations in our lives for the betterment of all of us and our environment.”

Fort Myers Acupuncture & Massage is located at 16680 McGregor Blvd., Ste. 2, in Fort Myers. For more information, call 239-437-9355 or visit FortMyersAcupunctureMassage.com. See ad, page 26.