A POINT WELL TAKEN

Pain Relief found in Ancient Medicine

Words by Andrea Arntson

Photography by Dennis Krull, 5foot20 design lounge

THERE’S NOTHING QUITE LIKE WALKING INTO AN ACUPUNCTURIST'S OFFICE AND FEELING IMMEDIATE RELAXATION. The stress of the day that has been your constant companion slips away as the scents of natural oils surround you. And you haven’t even started your session yet.

This is what I felt when entering the tastefully decorated office of North Dakota born Alexandra “Lexi” Matthews. She welcomed me in, going straight to the cozy seating area where we chatted over Keurig-brewed coffee and tea about what brought her to where she is today - a new business owner in a city where acupuncture isn’t a highly sought after method of pain treatment.

When passing out cards offering a free consultation at a recent event, Matthews was shocked by how few of those entering for the service had never before seen an acupuncturist. “Out of the 40 that returned the forms, only two had been to see someone for acupuncture. Along the coast it’s such a common thing. Hospitals employ acupuncturists. There are employed acupuncturists at almost all of the hospitals in the Twin Cities,” Matthews said. “I have many of my clients referred to me by Mayo. They go there for treatment, see the acupuncturists at Mayo and then come home and don’t know where to look to continue getting the help they need. We live in such a pocket here [in Fargo] that people aren’t aware of all of the services available to them. I just want them to know that I’m here and I want to help.”

But bringing the idea of acupuncture to the F/M area wasn’t the driving force behind her decision to study it. Her mother was in a car accident and suffered continual pain as a result, which fueled Matthews’ desire to improve her mother’s quality of life through pain management.

Her journey started at MSUM where, under the guidance of highly intellectual instructors, she studied biology and graduated with a four-year degree. Her next step, after deciding oncology and chiropractic care weren’t what she was meant for, was to pursue acupuncture. After nearly three years―which included a wedding, the birth of her second child and commuting for three days out of the week to Bloomington, MN for school―Matthews graduated in 2015 with her master's degree in acupuncture. Though not an easy journey, her persistence and focus carried her through. “I kept telling myself you're halfway there, it’s almost done. Through all the blizzards, through the rush hour traffic, the construction―I knew I had to keep going,” she said.

Her space is a testament to how hard she has worked. She is now the proud owner, operator and designer of FM Acupuncture off of I-29 where she sees clients on a daily basis.

“I get to know my clients very well. And I have to, because the treatment, their history - it’s all connected,” Matthews said. “We talk about what’s been going on, why they’re coming in to be seen, what results they’re hoping to see. Some clients will say ‘I feel fine’ and then I’ll touch an area where they’ve been feeling pain and they’ll flinch, so it’s important that they're honest. That way they can get the most out of their visit and walk away feeling better.”

When the initial intake is complete, a plan is formed and tailored to suit each individual. Treatments can help those suffering from chronic pain, recovering from a stroke, undergoing chemotherapy, dealing with stress and anxiety and even dental problems. Often times, Matthews will send clients home with homework to ensure that efforts made do not go to waste. All of this is done at a cost that was decided upon with an understanding of the financial constraints many face.

“I know that it’s hard trying to afford services like this so I do what I can to help people. I’ll offer monthly discounts. For eight sessions in a month, I’ll give a discounted rate of $300 flat. That ends up being $35.00 a session.”

Once fully joined by a massage therapist, FM Acupuncture has tentative plans to host an open house and welcome anyone interested in the services provided. For more information or to schedule an appointment, you can visit Matthews' website at www.fargoacupuncture.com.

[AWM]