Today we’d like to introduce you to Keith.
keith, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Due to an unfortunate accident, I was paralyzed from the waist down in 1991. Thru the talents of a very gifted team I was able to regain use of my legs. This inspired me to help others and I became a Massage Therapist in 1996. I have gone on to get my Masters in Acupuncture. I work, primarily, with the injuries and pain management. As such, I have gotten to work with a lot of talented artists and athletes in my career in green rooms and sporting events. My passion is to work with elite youth athletes who have very unique challenges in the world of sport. Its rewarding to see them thrive in their sport and move into college and beyond healthy and injury free. I also really enjoy working with victims of Automobile collusions. The dynamics of a collusion can wreak havoc on the human body and I love working with patients to untangle the effects of those unfortunate events. Lastly, I work with a lot or artists, especially dancers, graphic designers, digital animators and musicians. Each of these occupations has distinct bio-mechanical challenges and I enjoy helping them form more sustainable movement patterns. You can learn more about me at my website: https://www.flyingneedlepdx.com/about-keith-mcdonald/
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not smooth. I’m self employeed now, but have worked in many different aspects of the healing arts, including Spas, chiropractic offices and acupuncture offices. At the beginning of my career and a few times since I had a lot of doubts about my ability to do this work, physically, long term. Massage in particular is very demanding not only on the hands and forearms, but also on the back and feet. That is one of the contributing factors in my decision to pursue acupuncture as an additional modality. Maintaining a grounded and nurturing presence in the treatment room can be challenging when our lives go haywire and believe me… in 30 years my life has had its share of chaos, LOL. But the beauty of that is really being able to step out of whatever the current life challenge is and to be genuinely available for the patient on the table. I believe this to be a high level interpersonal skill for any human regardless of their occupation. It’s great to get a lot of practice to do it well! Covid was quite the challenge since my whole world takes place within 6 feet of others. It was a scary time for all of us, but we made it thru.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Massage and Acupuncture typically fall under the umbrella of “Complimentary Alternative Medicine.” Yet both of those systems predate any other medical system on the planet, with the exception of Ayurveda making them neither “Complimentary” nor “Alternative.” I think a better heading for these systems is “the Healing Arts.” While this moniker can put these systems into a more woo woo demographic, it also respects and values the unique individual. Each person has a unique internal constitution and comes from a unique background with its own set of challenges. This way of naming these systems also acknowledges the sacred healing space that takes place between a patient and a doctor. I think this is something that has been lost in more modern medical systems that tend to put people into diagnostic boxes and focus on the bottom line of money.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Yes! Most importantly, take care of your hands and arms (your tools). Don’t try to rush into overworking and damage those tools before they’ve had a chance to accommodate to the new load and stress you’re putting on them. Always ground and center yourself, before working on patients. Your presence and energy is perceptible in the room. Even if that perception is unconscious it will still affect your patient’s experience, which will affect your long-term success. Seek out mentorship. Whether it’s a technique you’re interested in or wanting to know more about the business side, there are a lot of wonderful people with a lifetime of experience to share. Be your best by surrounding yourself with the best. You are the sum total of the top 5 people you spend time around. Spend time around confident, loving and genuine people. Study! School basically teaches you where to look for information. Your practice is where that information becomes real and becomes integrated with other information to form a cohesive paradigm. Be willing to spend time after school is over reviewing and studying to deepen your practice.
Pricing:
- 1 hour: $110
- 1.5 hour: $150
- 2 hour: $200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.flyingneedlepdx.com/
