It is all easy to ignore until it is not. Many of us do it; struggle through daily tasks, still trying anything possible to alleviate excruciating pain while navigating a normal, active and productive life.
Much like the estimated 50 million adults in the United States reported by the CDC who experience chronic pain – this was Lorraine Geyer’s reality. An athlete for the majority of her life, Lorraine says for the longest time, she just learned to live with the aches and pains doctors told her was normal wear and tear for a woman nearing 70.
“I couldn’t stand or walk for long periods of time. I couldn’t sit in the car without pain; I love to travel with my husband but sitting for any amount of time became excruciating pain,” explains Lorraine Geyer who says her daily discomfort, weakness, numbness and tingling she experienced from herniated and bulging discs, degenerative facet disease, bone spurs, sciatica, and an atypical slippage of vertebra, became unbearable.
“I was on a cruise in Alaska two years ago. It was like an attack and suddenly the numbness from the nerve pain in my right leg was so terrible that I could not even walk. Luckily, there was an acupuncturist on the ship, and thankfully she helped because she was my only hope. I had several treatments while I was there and felt instant relief," Lorraine recalls. Arriving home to Nocatee, Lorraine booked appointments with doctors who ordered tests and scans to discover all that was wrong in her body, but didn’t have any solutions to help her long term other than a complicated spinal surgery.
“They told me I was a candidate for surgery and that I should start physical therapy to help with some of the pain. I opted for physical therapy and injections at first because I didn’t want to have surgery. Those helped but not long term. As I continued physical therapy, I was still in an incredible amount of pain and it was impeding my life.” Knowing acupuncture was an answer, Lorraine says she ventured throughout Northeast Florida to find the same help for her chronic pain that she received aboard the cruise ship.
“I actually booked a few appointments with acupuncture places in Jacksonville that were not good experiences. They were after my money and didn’t ask me any questions about what was wrong with me. It felt as if they just threw needles at me and it wasn’t anything like I had on the cruise ship,” Lorraine recants her frustration when she thought her search for help was at a dead end. “I had nearly given up and told my husband that I thought I should have the surgery. That’s when he saw an ad for Riverplace Acupuncture Integrative Health and encouraged me to give acupuncture another shot. The first consultation with Dr. Jann Turpin was incredible; she offered solutions, explained everything she could do to treat my pain, educated me on every part of the wellness plan, and discussed how the procedures would help me.”
With her degrees in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Florida and Oriental Medicine from Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine, both in Gainesville, Dr. Jann Turpin uses her knowledge, twelve years of experience, and a variety of treatment techniques to tailor specific plans for every patient.
“When I see back pain, I always think about what made this patient likely to have that pain and where the pain is in association to what is happening internally. I address those issues to alleviate the pain and use acupuncture to maximize the patient’s potential for healing,” says Dr. Jann Turpin. “As a clinician, I need to use my training and education to determine the underlying issues that contribute to someone’s illness. That is why we go beyond just putting a needle in, ‘where it hurts.’ Each patient has a customized plan that is thoroughly discussed prior to any treatment. The right treatment frequency differs from patient to patient, and every patient reacts differently to acupuncture. When the whole picture and whole person is considered for treatment, healing can really begin.”
“Seeing Dr. Jann for the first time was such a wonderful experience. A positive doctor visit where I had a plan and answers at the end of the first visit,” recalls Lorraine. “I started my treatments in April 2024 and by the end of May, I was able to take a road trip with my husband from Florida to Virginia with no problems at all. Recently, I had an entire day with almost no tingling in my legs which was amazing, and I am not afraid of what will happen if I sit for long periods of time anymore. Acupuncture has allowed me to live nearly pain free and changed my life. I don’t have to have surgery, and now I know I have the right doctor and treatment plan to keep living my life the way I want to.”
“Watching my patients regain vitality gives me so much insight into the human condition and an awareness of how vulnerable and resilient we all are,” says Dr. Jann. “It is such a privilege to watch someone go from being at the end of their rope to saying, ‘I never dreamed I could feel this good again.’ Life is so precious, and it is a gift to be able to enjoy it in the best way you possibly can.”
Dr. Jann Turpin is the founder and acupuncture physician at Riverplace Acupuncture Integrative Health located at 11481 Old St. Augustine Road in Jacksonville, Florida. Dr. Jann’s rare combination of training in both acupuncture and biomedical engineering creates a science-backed approach to acupuncture treatments - especially when it comes to chronic and seemingly hopeless medical problems. Visit riverplaceacupuncture.com for more details about the clinic and to schedule a consultation today.
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