Jul. 30--On a recent Wednesday morning, Tess Richardson placed tiny black seeds on and in Tracy Froyland's ear.
It may sound unusual, but it's all in a day's work for licensed acupuncturist Richardson, who owns a new clinic in Oro Valley.
Come Alive Health LLC., is located on North Oracle Road in a business complex about a quarter-mile north of West Magee Road. Richardson, 59, opened the clinic in March 2008.
She checked out several locations in Oro Valley. Several were too expensive and many are owned by someone out of town or out of state. Richardson wanted to meet the owner in person. She found a suite at one end of the Kevin B. Howard Architects Inc. building.
"I looked on the Internet and saw his (Howard's) design and it (his building) was so beautiful. I got to shake his hand and we worked the lease out together," Richardson said.
Richardson's journey into the realm of alternative medicine began several decades ago when her daughter, who was a toddler at the time, developed several health problems that were successfully treated by naturopathy. She received a masters degree in acupuncture at the Arizona School of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Tucson in 2007.
Richardson also treats clients with auricular therapy, which is an adjunctive therapy to acupuncture under her Arizona license. Auricular therapy uses the ear to diagnose and treat the body.
Froyland travels from Tucson's far East Side to receive auricular therapy for foot pain. Ear pellets (or seeds) are secured with a tiny square of adhesive tape to a red, swollen point on Froyland's ear that corresponds to her feet.
Richardson says the reason this method is so believable is because the points in the ear show changes when there is an ailment in the corresponding part of the body.
"That's also what makes it work," Richardson said.
Froyland said she came to Richardson because she was desperate. Before she was treated with the ear pellets, Froyland said walking, balancing and wearing anything but flip-flops were difficult.
"When she puts the pellets in my ear, the pain is gone," Froyland said. "My feet are softer. No more signs of numbness and tingling."
Stacy Scheckel, 23, is Richardson's part-time receptionist. She is also a client. Scheckel's initial skepticism disappeared along with her pain from impacted wisdom teeth.
"Tess used the auricular therapy," Scheckel said. "My pain was gone in three days."
Richardson lives three minutes from her clinic. "I want to serve my local area," Richardson said. "I don't sell therapies. I treat people."
If you go
What: Come Alive Health LLC.
Where: 8339 N. Oracle Road.
Phone: 877-7910.
Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday; evenings by appointment.
Treatment costs: Free 30-minute introductory consultation.
Web site: www.comealivehealth.com
--Contact news assistant Joyce Bertschy at 434-4076 or bertschy@azstarnet.com.
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