PORT ST. LUCIE PEOPLE
monks spoke of God, too.” For much of the training, Tetreault
and other Western students needed an interpreter. Accommodations
were meager but comfortable; vegetarian meals
were plain but delicious. “On weekends we wore whatever
we wanted but had training clothes during the week, as well
as tai chi attire.”
The internship included a semester of tai chi, a Chinese
low-impact, slow-motion exercise shown to reduce stress
and help with certain medical conditions. Tai chi is touted for
decreasing stress, anxiety and depression as well as increasing
energy, stamina and balance, and Tetreault currently leads
a weekly tai chi class.
Rather than wait for symptoms to present themselves and
require treatment, Chinese medicine looks for imbalances in
order to prevent symptoms. “There needs to be balance —
mental, physical and spiritual,” says Tetreault.
“I do an assessment, looking first at the tongue to see
what’s going on — the color, coating, thickness and geographic
features all mean something. The pulse in both wrists
tells me something else.” She also gets a thorough medical
history. Some patients, of course, seek treatment for pre-existing
conditions.
Looking at the big picture in terms of health, Tetreault
says that getting sick occasionally isn’t necessarily a bad
thing. “The immune system needs to ‘get a work-out’ in
order to strengthen.” She has no qualms about referring patients
to traditional doctors, either. “Not everyone or every
condition responds to acupuncture. With my background in
critical care, I know how Western medicine works too. I can
see both sides.”
Tetreault has kept her respiratory therapist certification
current; she
still picks up
hospital shifts
some weekends.
During
the week she
practices acupuncture
46 Port St. Lucie Magazine
at
Southern Salt
Therapy and
several area
chiropractors’
offices using
Tetreault uses thin disposable sterile needles placed at
points on the body which are believed to correspond
thin, sterile,
with various organs of the body.
disposable
needles. Most people feel no discomfort as she inserts them
into points along the meridians corresponding to different
organs of the body.
A mild electrical current may be used to stimulate the
needles. After all needles are inserted, they remain in place
for about 20 minutes while the patient relaxes and listens to
soothing music.
Tetreault, herself an acupuncture success story, has seen
many others helped. “Two particular patients come to mind.
Both were told they needed surgery but after acupuncture,
they did not. Surgery may be the answer … but not always.”
From the hills of Kentucky to the hills of China — and now
to Port St. Lucie — Rachelle Tetreault has found her niche,
combining ancient wisdom with modern research. As she
says, “If we give our bodies what they need, they can often
heal themselves.” E
ELLEN GILLETTE
Combining ancient methods with modern research, Tetreault checks the pulses in Rachel Fuller’s wrists, each of which may indicate something different.