Many years ago, I found myself lying on a massage table at the local acupuncture school, with several tiny needles poking out of various points on my body. I went to the clinic on the advice of a friend because I needed some relief from overwhelming stress in my personal life and recurring sciatic pain caused by an old injury that I just couldn’t shake. I remember being immediately fascinated by the entire treatment process: the language my practitioners used, the questions they asked me, and that curious twinge of the needles as they hit their mark. I would learn much later that this sensation is called “de qi” or the “arrival of qi” – and arrive it did!
As I sat on my couch that evening after the treatment, I could still feel the points that had been needled. They ached, but in a good way – in a way that told me “something is happening here.” It was as if the points were singing to me, telling me a story about my body and my life. People who are spiritual will understand that at that moment I realized it was my calling, perhaps even my existential imperative to learn this medicine and share it with others.
It was a dream that took many years to fully realize. Out of that first experience with acupuncture and Chinese medicine, Hyde Park Wellness was eventually born. Like so many practitioners, physicians and healers before me, my own journey into this medicine began with a process of self-discovery that continues to this day.
Community service: by volunteering our time, expertise and a portion of our profits to those who may benefit from such offerings.
As such, it is the mission of Hyde Park Wellness Clinic to challenge traditionally held beliefs about health and nutrition in order to effect change in the health and lives of each individual patient, using all means at our disposal, not only for our patients, but for their families and the community as well.
Tama Henderson is licensed by the Texas Medical Board to practice acupuncture and herbal medicine in the State of Texas. She received her Masters degree in acupuncture and Oriental medicine from AOMA The Graduate School of Integrative Medicine in 2009. Since graduating, Ms. Henderson has completed numerous hours of additional coursework to receive the designation of Applied Clinical Nutritionist. She uses her knowledge of human physiology and nutritional deficiencies as a valuable adjunct to her acupuncture practice. Her sub-specialties and areas of interest include internal herbal medicine, digestive disorders and cosmetic acupuncture. Ms. Henderson grew up in Hyde Park and fondly remembers places like Sundae Palace and Dismukes Pharmacy. She currently sees patients at her private practice on the corner of 45th and Duval.