TESTIMONIALS

We are grateful to those of you who have agreed to share your treatment experiences at East Mountain Acupuncture. It is our hope that your personal stories will help open a door for many others that will lead to their better health and happiness.

I was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer on Nov. 9th, 2011. I had been going to various natural healers for years, but never tried acupuncture because I hate needles and am one of those people that must be in a prone position to have blood drawn or I pass out. When I started reading about cancer and treatments, I kept hearing over and over from other cancer survivors, books and even my oncologist that acupuncture can really help you through the chemo therapy and radiation. I thought OK, I am going to try it. Not only do I not have a fear of needles any longer, but I can't get enough of them! I ask Ron for as many as he can give me each visit! There is no pain and during a session I get transported to such a peaceful wonderful place that I don't want the needles to be removed! I cannot imagine going through the 16 sessions of chemo without acupuncture. One week I missed it and the difference was very palpable. I didn't want to miss it ever again. I never experienced nausea or vomiting during my chemo therapy and had enough energy to take a daily hike with my dog. I owe this to Ron Hershey's acupuncture and to healthy eating. I am now half-way through 6 1/2 weeks of radiation and feel so grateful to be getting acupuncture with Ron once a week. I feel like my energy is gaining each week and am certain that is due to acupuncture. I plan to continue well after all my cancer treatments have ended.

I strongly recommend this to anyone for any health issues they may have. The calm, peaceful place it takes me to lasts a very long time. Ron Hershey also heals in more ways than acupuncture. He has given me many breathing and meditation exercises to do that have been very helpful along with healing visualizations that I use at home. I actually imagine myself in his office during a session and I can get back to that place.

I never thought I would be someone who looked forward to acupuncture, but I am truly there! Ron Hershey had been recommended to me by many friends over the years, so I knew he must be one of the greats in the field. HE IS! Ron has made my journey through cancer treatment bearable and gave me something to look forward to.

Thank you Ron.

-MH

Ron Hershey has a gift that reaches far beyond medical expertise, which he also possesses. He has a profound, intuitive relationship with both the emotional and physical workings of the human body. His ability to listen, 'read' and heal are astonishing.

-TS

I am seeing Ron for sinus problems and help with Lyme disease. He is truly compassionate and genuinely cares for his patients. His wealth of knowledge in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine is amazing. His recommendations for doctors beyond Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine have been excellent. He has helped me (and still is helping) a great deal over the past few years and I feel I am very lucky to be in his care.

-BL

Ron is a very skilled, caring and attentive acupuncturist and healer. He has worked very closely with me to not only understand and treat my symptoms, but to assist me to develop an understanding of how my body works and what I can do to assist with the healing process. I've been very happy with the results we have achieved. Ron is terrific.

-BPS

What brought me to see Ron Hershey for acupuncture was my tight, recurrently locking jaw and my misaligned bite.

During the intake of information about myself I told Ron about the other things I contended with physically: A sacrum injury from eight years ago that was still causing me problems, most notably weakness in my legs, very sore hip flexors and lower back pain that was exhausting.

When Ron heard the fatigue part he decided to treat me differently than he had intended to originally. Given the care I took to eat life-giving whole foods he believed that I was not absorbing my nutrients. "You eat much too healthily to be fatigued." In addition to the acupuncture he'd do to help get the energy flowing, he prescribed herbs and supplements that would address my energy nutritionally.

The result from taking the herbs and supplements was immediate and pronounced. I'd been managing without full energy for so long I'd forgotten how much better my brain and body could be functioning. With my newly improved level of energy, the acupuncture treatments were able to hold better. The combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbs took me much further than all of the other kinds of work I'd had done over the years for both my leg/sacrum and jaw, which are both vastly improved.

I'm very grateful for the improved energy and mobility I feel since working with Ron Hershey.

-Jeanne

I was referred to Ron Hershey for chronic asthma. I didn't want to rely only on asthma medications which clearly were having negative side effects. I feel that acupuncture has helped my body to rebalance itself. For example, inhaled steroids make me feel wired and jumpy -and the acupuncture helps to relax the body in some way. I always feel like I have better energy about 24-48 hours after having acupuncture. And there have been at least two times when I have been sick with a cold or fever and after receiving acupuncture I started to feel better quickly, especially from the sinus pressure and congestion.

In addition to acupuncture, Ron gave me Chinese herbs when I have had difficulty with excess mucous and a very persistent cough that almost always develop and linger after I get sick. It was amazing!! There have been times when the Chinese herbs treated it and I never ended up needing my usual steroid! Recently I developed a bad cough and he spoke to me every day for a week to see how I was feeling, modifying my herbal formulas accordingly almost daily. After a week and a half I was no longer coughing!

My body is sensitive; I have food allergies and I am sensitive to various substances/chemicals etc. so I am not an easy patient!

I found Ron to be very professional, caring and knowledgeable about Chinese herbal medicine and the human body. He has always been respectful, patient and has a great sense of humor, which I have always appreciated and needed!

-CG

Ron Hershey's skill in both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine has helped me tremendously. He is attentive, intuitive and a true "healer". I began seeing Ron over ten years ago for lower back pain. I am very athletic and have a history of sprained ligaments, pulled tendons, muscle spasms, and radiating nerve pain. Ron has been successful in helping to relieve pain, reduce swelling, and return me to a healthy "place." When I seek more traditional methods of health care in the form of orthopedists, physical therapists, and internists, I find myself back in Ron's office, where I eventually find relief. Ron treats me as a "whole person", giving me advice and helping me to avoid re-injury. His calm, empathetic demeanor enables him to share his thorough knowledge of acupuncture and create a comfortable environment within which I can ask questions, relax and focus on getting better. I highly recommend Ron Hershey and East Mountain Acupuncture to anyone in need of both acupuncture and/or Chinese herbal medicine.

-ELK

I had no experience with acupuncture before I visited Ron Hershey for the first time 4 years ago. I have been almost every other week since then, and feel that it has directly benefited my overall health. I visited at first to relieve symptoms from menopause. Ron's treatments, related to controlling bleeding with acupuncture and Chinese herbs, controlled what the OB/GYN was not able to do with 2 D&C's. With that success, we addressed a low-level sciatica that I had had for years - resolved! He has guided me in taking supplements, which I believe have directly contributed to the fact that I have been cold-free for years. Every visit is like a tune-up to good health. His treatments were important in relieving the pain associated with physical therapy for a frozen shoulder. You will never meet a doctor who will take the extended amount of time to speak with you the way Ron does. I can recommend him unequivocally.

-CL

Ron Hershey is such a refreshing change from conventional medical practitioners …who so often are impersonal, rushed and superficial in their examinations, and project an air of infallibility. Ron made me feel respected, cared about, and a partner in my own treatment from day one. He has a calm, gentle demeanor and a delightful sense of humor, and does all he can to put me at ease and make sure I am comfortable. With Ron, you are not "just a patient", but a unique individual who receives highly individualized, holistic care. While he is a skilled professional, he does not profess to know everything, and took the time to research and consult colleagues about my condition before developing a treatment plan. He is focused on getting results, and is interested in every detail of my symptoms and progress. I trust him, and have recommended him to a number of friends.

-LM

I have been suffering from severe chronic lower back and left leg pain (level 10 on a scale of 1-10) for over 13 years. I had an accident and have tried countless things to relieve or lessen my pain, including 4 back surgeries: 2 discectomies, a spinal decompression and a spinal fusion. None of these helped. I was at my wit's end when a friend suggested seeing Ron for acupuncture. I was seeing a pain management doctor and was getting the feeling that he did not know anything more to do for me. I have now been seeing Ron for over 3 years. He is very compassionate and caring. He listens to you and you work together with him to try to get the maximum benefit.

Usually I get about a 20-30 % improvement in my pain levels for 2-3 days after each treatment. This may not sound like much, but it's more than I've gotten from any other therapy, and is enough to make life bearable. Acupuncture seems to have stabilized my condition, preventing it from deteriorating further as was predicted.

-KH

I began seeing Ron Hershey for persistent bleeding of my gums. Conventional medicine and dentistry had only been moderately successful in managing this chronic problem. With acupuncture and Chinese medicine, we brought the problem under control. Through the years, Ron has been instrumental in helping me with a variety of issues, ranging from allergies and sinus problems to post-operative knee pain and swelling. His acupuncture alleviated the knee swelling and pain dramatically.

-CT

Since I got sick with Lyme Disease in July 2009, I have had heart arrhythmias, tremors, myoclonus, spasticity, ocular migraines, fevers, fainting spells, depression, anxiety (at the thought of losing my livelihood, friendships, and my job), overwhelming weakness, and unbearable, uncontrolled pain that caused me to feel suicidal. In addition to conventional medical practitioners I've consulted for these problems, I've tried a number of alternative therapies. Throughout all of this process my acupuncturist/herbalist, Ron Hershey, has been a linchpin in my struggle to get well, and maintain my sanity. I first sought him out after my MD had told me, that in order to be truly well, I would have to understand my energy in a different way. At the time this seemed cryptic: it has proven incredibly insightful.

It was with Ron that I worked through decade-old 'symptoms': stomach and bladder irritation and infections; arrhythmias that I now consider to have been Lyme-related; and anxiety and depression related to a divorce, and estrangement from beloved children. Acupuncture offered a blessed relief from a variety of physical pain as well as anxiety, and as Ron offered insight into how energy and health were irreducible, and provided herbs and remedies that were incredibly effective, I began to sort out that connection between physical and emotional states, and felt better.

The word 'holistic' gets bandied about way too much: but it is an absolutely accurate descriptor of Ron's care: when I began to experience clinical symptoms of tick - borne illness, Ron's acupuncture treatments, teas, and tinctures dramatically reduced headaches, severe joint pain, fevers, and intestinal upset. When the symptoms escalated and I became incapacitated by pain and weakness, Ron became an indispensable partner in trying to find answers. He studied, he worked with my Lyme doctors, and we experimented with a number of approaches. Some were clearly effective, others were not, but I am quite sure that Ron's treatment of Lyme patients today is all the more effective as a result of valuable lessons learned during the last three years.

My long-term therapeutic relationship with Ron made it possible for him provide treatments - acupuncture in particular - tailored to my own physical and psychic makeup, that saved me many times from anguish and despair over my pain, as well as the pain itself. In the course of this illness, I have learned that having effective health partners is critical for healing, and I have experienced first-hand the chasm that exists between 'medical practitioners' and healers. Ron is a wonderful healer: empathetic, intelligent, learned in his areas of specialty, and dedicated to alleviating suffering and restoring genuine health. It is absolutely true that he is in large part responsible for my having gotten (essentially) well.

-PR

Ron Hershey, who established East Mountain Acupuncture, has been a haven to me for many years. I am totally relaxed and at ease, as Ron's very natural, kind and humorous manner exudes from him. I look forward to first sitting with Ron as he welcomes me to share where I'm at physically and mentally. He takes consideration of my whole being. Once Ron has determined, (along with my input-as he always, consistently listens to my feelings and thoughts) where to focus, he begins his treatment. Ron's gentle and intuitive touch as he inserts the needles, transports me to a place of rest, restoration and balance. Along with his extensive knowledge of Chinese herbs, Ron is expert in his field and passionate for complete well-being. I trust and love Ron Hershey as he guides me on a journey to wholeness.

-KK

It has been one full year of acupuncture treatment for me, with Ron Hershey. It is truly an anniversary to be celebrated.

I began seeking out treatment after suffering from very frequent (2-3 per week) migraines. I spent an unknown amount of money on pain medicine, taking several different over the counter pain relief remedies, some specific for migraines, several times per day. I spent many days in a dark quiet room. The pills, the dark & the quiet would help, but only temporarily. And usually not quickly. I adjusted my diet and my sleep habits in hopes of ridding myself of migraines. They were affecting my quality of life, in the most negative way. I was just on the verge of asking my doctor to prescribe something stronger, when I decided to give acupuncture a try.

I am so glad that I too that path. Ron Hershey began treating me in May of 2018, and I have not taken a single over the counter pill since that time. Through his practice of medicine, and his knowledge and use of Chinese herbs, my headaches are completely under control, and nearly non-existent. If I feel the threat of a headache, I can take my herbal remedy, and go on about my day.

He has also helped me immensely in the management of chronic asthma, which I have had my entire life.

I highly recommend Ron Hershey for helping to find the root of whatever may be ailing you. He is thorough, extremely knowledgeable, intuitive, and very kind. He is one of the most dedicated and empathetic practitioners I have ever met. I am so very grateful to have Ron Hershey to guide me towards wellness. He is a true healer in every sense of the word.

-Heidi Harrison