Working in medicine means you also get to work alongside other incredible practitioners. Most conditions we treat at Sparq Physical Therapy have a multidisciplinary approach due to their complexities. We have created a new page under patient resources, preferred providers, that we will continue to add to & keep updated. Alongside this page we will intermittently showcase some of these practitioners that we’ve worked with throughout the years that are listed on this page, sharing with you their practices & stories.
Meet Rachel Muich of Firewood Acupuncture. She is originally from St. Louis, Missouri. After a decade of working as a contract wedding photographer in Chicago, she opened her own photography business and moved to Denver. It was here she found acupuncture & Chinese medicine completely accidentally, but fell in love with quickly. Her focus is on being an advocate to her patient’s health goals; making gentle suggestions, administering needlings & herbal remedies, and most importantly listening to their needs & wants. Having goals for a patient’s health is what she wants to discuss, not just symptoms. Rachel believes your health is a journey, not a finish line.
What was your journey to finding acupuncture & wanting to become a practitioner?
I first tried acupuncture because I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) in 2013 after years of irregular periods, absent periods, and a laundry list of other hormone-related symptoms. After several doctors and specialists told me my only hope was synthetic hormones and expensive pharmaceuticals, my path forked and I met a friend who encouraged me to try acupuncture. Within a few months of treatments, my cycle regulated and something magical happened...I began sleeping better, my aches and pains lessened, and my digestion improved. This is because Chinese Medicine is holistic medicine. It turns out, the root cause of my menstrual symptoms caused imbalances in other areas of my body. By addressing the other imbalances along with my root cause, my overall health improved and I saw meaningful and lasting results in my quality of life.
Knowing that there are millions of women who struggle with menstrual issues, I knew it was time for me to be in service to the women in my community. Finding acupuncture and going back to grad school was not something I ever planned on, but I'm so happy I did.
How would you describe your treatment style?
I'm a generalist at heart. I believe acupuncture is for everyone and everyone could use support in their lives to become their healthiest and best selves. In my clinic, I focus on helping you to connect the dots between all your symptoms so you can understand why you're feeling the way you're feeling, but also to give you peace of mind! Our bodies are highly intelligent and know how to self-repair, but sometimes it just needs a little reminding. That's where acupuncture really shines. I use needles, Chinese herbs, fire cupping, moxibustion, gua sha, and other techniques to help bring you back into balance naturally.
Recently, what is your favorite tool or technique you've been implementing? What's its main benefit?
I've been utilizing Gua Sha recently and it's quickly becoming one of my favorite modalities. Whether I'm helping you relieve symptoms from allergies or a spring cold, or performing it on your facial rejuvenation sessions, Gua Sha is natural and effective. It's a scraping technique performed on your skin using a tool often made of stone or ceramic to improve circulation and reduce inflammation.
Traditionally, short or long strokes are used to stimulate microcirculation of the soft tissues which increases blood flow. Using a topical oil on your skin, the tool is used to repeatedly "scrape" your skin in a singular motion bringing up what Chinese medicine calls "sha" or "sand." This "sha" that arises is a sign that stagnation or pathogens are venting up to the skin level.
Gua Sha is usually performed on the back, neck, scalp, arms, and face. This therapy feels like a deep tissue massage where, the harder the pressure, the more benefit you'll receive.
Lastly, when would you suggest someone seek acupuncture?
Acupuncture is available for you anytime, during any phase of life. It's preventative medicine and should be practiced, at minimum, during every season change, but optimally, at least once a month for a full body tune-up! Most patients find their way to me when they feel out of balance. Common complaints include, but are not limited to, pain, menstrual irregularities, fertility issues, digestive upset, insomnia, fatigue, or maintenance of chronic illness. As you can see, acupuncture can really treat anything and it does it really well! Treatments are usually front-loaded, meaning, I ask to see you weekly for 6-8 weeks until we see lasting improvement in your overall health - then we can extend out every other week or monthly to maintain progress. I never say I never want to see you again because again, this is holistic medicine, but getting your body to a place where it can self-repair more easily is our goal.
We love working with Rachel & having her as a resource for our patients who live in Denver. If what you read resonates with you & are looking to schedule an acupuncture appointment, make sure to visit her website to book!
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