On the Job

>>From acupuncture to physiotherapy, chiropractor Paul Finucan’s patients have an array of treatment options available at his Alternative Health and Healing practice in Naples. The busy office features rooms decorated in safari, nautical and ocean themes to create a relaxing atmosphere that complements Finucan’s holistic approach. It turns out he’s part of a legacy: There are nine doctors in his family who are all chiropractic physicians. He never thought of doing anything else. Finucan discussed acupuncture and other aspects of his practice with Gulfshore Business.

What is a typical day like for you?

For most of my patients, I’m their primary care physician. I treat infants to the elderly, and we treat any condition that doesn’t require emergency care. They come in if they have a skin condition, a headache, the flu or severe pain. We implement chiropractic, acupuncture, physiotherapy and any other natural means that help the body heal.

What are some memorable cases that you’ve encountered?

I had one gentleman who had his organs burned through radiation treatment because it was over-utilized. He had been in pain for 18 months with no relief from pain medicine, including morphine. He came to us as a last resort. We were able to do acupuncture and get him significant relief. I had another gentleman who had the hiccups for four days straight, and in five minutes of his first acupuncture treatment they went away and haven’t returned.

What conditions are treated with acupuncture?

For almost any problem you can imagine, there are acupuncture therapies. Acupuncture stimulates the body to heal, and gives the body instructions to heal. A big part of our practice is clinical nutrition—nutrition to help particular conditions or health problems. If you don’t have the raw nutrients, vitamins, minerals and amino acids, the body may not respond as well to acupuncture. Right now, Americans have dozens of essential vitamin and mineral deficiencies.