Today we’d like to introduce you to Vincent Lu.
Hi Vincent, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was born to a Vietnamese father and a Swedish-American mother in Minneapolis. I grew up in Brooklyn Park and moved to South Minneapolis when I was a teenager. Traditional Asian medicine has always been a part of my life. Asian medicine helped me overcome various conditions, from eczema to allergies and low immunity. In my twenties, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I would like to contribute to the world.
I went to community college for visual art, worked in restaurants, lived in New York City to study dance, and also picked up music production. These passions gave me life, but they didn’t quite make sense to me as a career path. It wasn’t until I received Acupuncture for anxiety and insomnia, that I pushed myself to apply for a Master’s in Acupuncture program. The Master’s in Acupuncture program at Northwestern Health Sciences University was incredible. My professors and cohort mates were very motivating and supportive. I spent the majority of my internships working in community clinics and hospitals. I provided acupuncture to patients in post-operation, antepartum, postpartum, and pediatric departments.
Throughout my education, I worked as a teaching artist and facilities manager. I have stayed connected to the dance and music communities in Minnesota. After graduating from Northwestern Health Sciences University with a Master’s in Acupuncture, I decided to open my acupuncture practice: Pine Acupuncture. I felt drawn to treat the visual art, dance, culinary and music communities. I spend five days a week treating patients, with a focus on treating chronic or acute pain, mental health, and sleep disorders.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I am incredibly thankful for my support system: my family, my partner, my friends, my professors, and my cohort mates have all been very helpful throughout the entire time. I not only feel like I had a high-quality education, I feel like I was able to heal in the process.
On the other hand, the pandemic was a huge challenge. Many of the classes could not be done online. I am very impressed with many of the professors and school faculty in how they navigated the difficult time.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I have a focus on treating artists, performers, actors, and food industry workers. This focus meets a specific need for the area that I live in and the community I am a part of. Pain management is of course a huge component of what I treat, but I also treat sleep disorders and a wide variety of mental health conditions from bipolar disorder to addiction.
I don’t want to just help relieve my patient’s ailments. I want to improve their lifestyle, to allow them to flourish in their craft. I do this by taking time to inform them on how acupuncture works, and how to take care of themselves according to Traditional Chinese Medicine theories. These theories are based on 1000s of years of clinical practice to 5000+ year-old Taoist philosophy.
Lastly, I want to create experiences for people. One way I want to do this is to collaborate with artists and chefs on events. I have one in the works with Chef Kenji Yee of the Shui Project. We have created a menu suitable for the fall months. We will be serving it and I will be informing people on the medicinal properties of the foods.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Move with intention and love.
Pricing:
- New Patient Appointment: $125
- Follow Up Acupuncture + TCM Modalities Appointment: $95
- Cupping Appointment: $45
Contact Info:
- Website: PineAcupuncture.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pine_acupuncture/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PineAcupuncture/
Image Credits
Caroline Yang
