Couple offers acupuncture treatments and more

Aylee Thierfelder was in her 20s when she turned to acupuncture to assist with health issues she was facing, and the results were so beneficial she modified her career path.

“I was not finding the relief I needed with Western medicine,” she said. “I found acupuncture not only addressed what was going on with my body, but it improved my mental health, I had more energy and was sleeping better.”

Thierfelder was on a pre-med track in undergrad, worked in project management for years, and changed her plans, eventually graduating from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. She is now a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist.

“Acupuncture was a much better fit for me and the way I wanted to impact people’s lives,” she said. “Acupuncture can address a lot of chronic health issues that traditional medicine has a hard time doing without prescribing medication.”

Thierfelder operated a private practice in Portland, but after she and her husband Michael started a family, they decided it was time to move back to Whitefish.

Aylee is a third generation native of Whitefish. Her mom, Megan McFadden, co-owned and operated Swift Creek Cafe in Whitefish for 21 years. Her grandmother, Mary MacDonald was a nurse at North Valley Hospital for 30 years and her grandfather, Francis MacDonald worked for the Great Northern Railroad as a conductor.

Last fall, the Thierfelders opened Whitefish Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine in Riverside Plaza on Second Street next to the Whitefish River. The couple work together with Aylee handling the medical side and Michael the business portion of the clinic.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through the skin at strategic points on the body and is a key component of traditional Chinese medicine.

Thierfelder says her practice makes sense in Whitefish to give the community another solution for issues they might be facing.

“People here take so much pride in being active and they want to feel good. We can help those with chronic pain that might be keeping them from the things they love,” she said. “We also see big changes in patients experiencing feelings of anxiety and depression.”

Greg Gibson, one of Thierfelder’s patients, shared his story, noting that he is able to move in a way that he hasn’t in 20 years after undergoing acupuncture treatments. Gibson began going to Whitefish Acupuncture for pain related to chemotherapy and the lingering effects from a skiing accident five years prior.

“Everyone told me to just live with the pain,” Gibson said. “I was skeptical at first, but acupuncture changed my life.”

The clinic also offers herbal medicine, which uses herbal supplements for a myriad of conditions. Acupuncture has greater results when used along with herbal medicine, Thierfelder notes.

“Herbal formulas are a way of continuing treatment when you’re not in the clinic every day,” she said. “In Chinese medicine there’s a huge history of treating injuries and medical conditions with herbs.”

Thierfelder meets with new patients to recommend a customized plan given their specific history, symptoms and medical diagnosis. She says acupuncture works best through more frequent treatments — 12 treatments over six weeks usually gets much better results than 12 in a year.”

Thierfelder wants patients to come see her sooner rather than later.

“Acupuncture can be viewed as a last resort for many, but often has great results. Patients only wish they came to see us sooner,” she said.

Whitefish Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine is located at 110 Second St. E. or contact them at (406) 863-6001 or visit www.whitefishaim.com.