Interview with Sara Lohmeyer - Acupuncturist in Denver, Colorado

I recently spoke with Sara Lohmeyer (or, as she is sometimes affectionately known: “the Good Witch of Park Hill”), a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine and a licensed acupuncturist here in Denver, Colorado. From the point of view of a functional medicine doctor, acupuncture and other traditional treatments can be a great adjunct to a comprehensive integrative health program. Sara has a lot of wonderful things to say about a holistic approach to health and well being. I recommend her practice: Bodies on Point.

Enjoy the interview!

Hi Sara, I know you’ve been a prominent part of Park Hill culture for some time. Thanks for allowing me to introduce your practice to my patients. I am a huge supporter of acupuncture & herbal medicine. I’ve been on the patient end of such holistic care, as well as a clinician in the field of integrative medicine, often recommending acupuncture to my own clients, friends & family.

Q1: What sparked your interest in Eastern medicine, acupuncture and herbs specifically?

It’s somewhat of a very long story . . . my then boyfriend, now husband, and I went on a school trip to China in 1994. At the time I had severe asthma and had to bring my very large nebulizer with me. One day, I had a pretty bad asthma attack and my teacher and others suggested acupuncture. As a 16 yr old girl from Nebraska, I declined. I continued to be curious but didn’t seek it out until I was pregnant with my 1st son when he turned breech, and then again with my second son when he was a week late. While getting acupuncture, I started contemplating what I wanted to do for a career shift. I had been teaching pilates for seven years and wanted to do something that would work during school hours and for the rest of my life and acupuncture just kept popping up. When I realized that the Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine was so close, I knew it was what I wanted. I have always loved foods, herbs, and plants and lived by the idea that we should always try natural remedies when possible, especially after so much trauma with asthma. When I realized that it was all under one umbrella- acupuncture and herbs- East Asian Medicine- I knew I found my calling. I love making tinctures and teas and salves for all ailments. I always try herbs and foods first, but with 2 active boys in the public school system, realize that often herbal medicine is very complementary to our needs.

Q2: I’m sure you enjoy a variety of patients but is there any population you especially love working with? Why?

I love working with all people and patients, but I see a lot of very busy working moms. We are the directors of the cruise ship of life and we are under so much more pressure to be and do everything that we often forget about ourselves. When we take care of mom, we are taking care of the whole family.

Q3: If you had to explain your approach to treating patients to someone who has never tried acupuncture or herbs, what would you tell them?

I have two very funny analogies . . . . I see our bodies as a string of Christmas tree lights. When the body is healthy, the circuit is running smoothly and all the lights are working correctly. When something is out, like a lightbulb in the string is out, the string may not work, or a section doesn’t work, or the lights are doing something funny. We have to fiddle with the bulbs and the string to get the circuit to work. We use acupuncture and herbs to get the circuit running again. Our body inherently knows how to heal itself, but sometimes it needs reminders such as acupuncture needles to move the energy in the right direction or herbs to help repair an area. Another way to think of this is my analogy of pain and Colorado boulevard. At 7:30am and around 4:30/5pm, Colorado blvd is a mess and everyone is angry and stuck and we can’t get where we need to be. Between about 9am-4pm, and after 7pm, Colorado is great and so easy to jump on and get everywhere. Pain in our body is like that. When there is pain, everything/energy is stuck. Once we use acupuncture and herbs to get the pain/energy moving, our body feels better.

Q4: If you don’t mind sharing, what are some of your own healthy habits and self-care routines that you’ve implemented for yourself or for your family?

My favorite and most well knows habit is our morning warm lemon water! It’s hydrating and boosts immunity and gets the body going! When we travel or we have guests, everyone knows that everyone gets a glass of warm lemon water first thing in the morning. It is also very important to me and my family that we move outside everyday- whether that’s just taking the dog for a quick walk, or the boys shooting hoops in the back yard or running with my girlfriend, everyone must get outside for movement!