Meet Mark Whalen of Five Points Acupuncture & Wellness in Reading

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Whalen.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Mark. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was working in Dallas helping to run call centers for a cell phone company and my hand went numb/ice cold. I was diagnosed with Ulna Nerve Entrapment. Went the medical route- EMG tests, anti-inflammatories for a month, nothing worked. Dr.’s were recommending surgery.

Someone jokingly mentioned that I might like acupuncture. I found an acupuncturist- went for 1 month and the problem resolved. It has never come back in 15 years. I was blown away. At that point in life I wasn’t taking very good care of myself so I kept going to the acupuncturist off/on for about a year before I decided to go to school to study Acupuncture. As it turns out, my acupuncturist from Korea, who I met in Dallas, told me about an acupuncture school in Watertown, MA that I lived near for years and didn’t know it existed. I quit my job, moved back and went to school. This was back in 2002. After graduation, I worked in a couple of different clinics and then opened my own practice in Reading in 2011.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Absolutely not! It’s still a grind every day- but one that I love. Early on, just getting the message out that I was open for business and educating people on the benefits of acupuncture was the big focus. There is always something to learn with this medicine. We didn’t get great training on how to run a business while in school. It’s been a daily process to learn what works/ what doesn’t in regards to marketing and outreach. There is also the growth in the treatment aspect of what we do- learning new methods to treat people more effectively.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Five Points Acupuncture & Wellness story. Tell us more about the business.
I use acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to help people overcome chronic health problems that are preventing them from living their life to the fullest. This could be anything from pain conditions, fertility issues, headaches and migraines, anxiety/depression, insomnia.

We specialize in two main areas- the treatment of pain and also in women’s health/infertility treatment.

The thing I’m most proud of is the 50+ babies we’ve helped couples conceive over the years. I think my proudest moments are getting birth announcements in the mail.

My approach to this medicine is to find a mix of ancient theory with modern scientifically based treatment approaches to provide the best outcomes for patients.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t think much about luck playing a role. What’s that saying- those who work hard tend be lucky? You could say I was lucky to be born into a great family and had parents who taught me the value of working hard.

Contact Info:

• Address: 20 Pondmeadow Drive
  Suite 107, Reading, MA 01867
• Website: www.fivepointsacupuncture.com
• Phone: 7819443000
• Email: mark@fivepointsacupuncture.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Five-Points-Acupuncture-Wellness-120717464674493/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/five-points-acupuncture-and-wellness-reading

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