profile}
Integrative Medicine for Better Health By Kristen Hamilton
Whitefish Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine owner, Aylee Thierfelder, L.Ac. is back in the Flathead Valley helping local residents live active, pain free lives. Thierfelder, a licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist was born and raised in Whitefish. She found acupuncture years ago when struggling with her own health and not getting the relief she needed through traditional methods. “Acupuncture and herbal medicine not only improved my condition, but benefited my mental health, energy level and overall sense of well-being,” said Thierfelder. “I’m not sure what my life would be like without this medicine.” Thierfelder is now a third generation native of Whitefish. Her mom, Megan McFadden, successfully co-owned and operated Swift Creek Cafe in Whitefish for 21 years. Her grandmother, Mary MacDonald was a nurse at North Valley Hospital for 30 years and her grandfather, Francis MacDonald worked for the Great Northern Railroad as a conductor.
Aylee graduated from one of the top Acupuncture schools in the country, Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, and started a small private practice in Portland, OR as well as a family with her husband, Michael. Last year, they decided it was time to move their family away from the noise and stress of the big city and get back to a simpler life in Montana that had been calling them for years. “In a place as beautiful as Whitefish it’s key that people are feeling good physically and mentally so they can enjoy all that Montana has to offer. Most of our patients cannot or prefer not to take more medication or get surgery to assuage their conditions,” said Thierfelder.
w
58 406
oman.com
“I figured I would have to just live with the pain,” said Greg Gibson, a patient. “I was skeptical at first, but acupuncture changed my life.”
Gibson began seeing Aylee for pain related to chemotherapy and lingering effects from a skiing accident 5 years prior. “I think she does a heck of a job,“ Gibson said. “I haven’t moved like this in 20 years!”
A 2018 study published in the Journal of Pain concluded that acupuncture is effective for a number of chronic pain conditions. Results indicated that the effects of acupuncture were persistent over time, and that the benefits lasted for at least 12 months.
Whitefish Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine offers more than just acupuncture.
The clinic offers custom herbal medicine, microcurrent therapy, electro-stim and “No-Tox” Facial Rejuvenation because once you feel good you want to look good. They focus on evidence-based methods that yield recovery rates as high as 95% for some cases. Their emphasis is treating patients with complex and chronic conditions who have been struggling to find answers.