Today we’d like to introduce you to Nancy Davison.
Hi Nancy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
At the age of 14, when polio was raging, (tells you how old I am) met a neighbor who was a physical Therapist. As she described her work I knew I no longer wanted to be a nurse. I volunteered as a teenager in a PT Clinic at Rex hospital in Raleigh, NC. I connected with the program at UNC-CH that was just getting stated. My family moved to Connecticut but I continued to connect with UNC. Graduated from UNC with a BS in physical therapy – more in love with it every day.
I worked in a variety of settings, often creating positions that had not previously existed, as I followed my Air Force husband from one place to another. Home health, nursing homes, sheltered workshops, rehab facilities, hospitals.
I left my husband in SD and returned to Chapel Hill, NC with my two children. My daughter was 5 and my son was 3 and had been diagnosed with Down Syndrome. I acquired a Masters Degree in Public Health and ultimately became the Network Director for End Stage Renal Facilities (ESRD) for NC. After 15 yrs in that field and half way thru a PHD in Medical Ethics, realized that the ESRD program had become so politicized I no longer wanted to be a part of it. Remarried and spent the next 3-4 years Sailing in the summer and Skiing in the winter. I did some consulting and grant writing during that time.
When the time came to sail away with my husband in his retirement (my age 50), I realized retirement and being disconnected from the states wasn’t going to work for me. I dusted off my PT license and connected with my original mentor, Pete Peterson, from Rex Hospital and he helped me regain my confidence as a PT in the home health setting -which had been my favorite from the get go,
As I became more in touch with my spiritual nature and the connection between mind and body, I knew I needed more – more that counting to 10 as patients did their exercise programs. I went to a PT conference with my sister, who is also a PT, I met a PT who had become an Acupuncturist and the rest was history. 6 months later in August of 1997, I had been accepted at acupuncture school, then called TAI -Traditional Acupuncture Institute in Columbia Maryland. Rented my Townehouse, found a place to live. I was in love.
Two primary styles of acupuncture exist in this Country. The primary for is called TCM – Traditional Chinese Medicine. Less known is Traditional Acupuncture or 5 Element Acupuncture. I had chosen the latter, not knowing of the difference. So glad I did – it included a great deal of mind body work. I already owned many of the books in their library. I was home.
Graduated in 1999 and acquired my license in NC in December of that year. As part of my acupuncture training, I was introduced to an energetic type of body work known as Zero Balancing created a taught by an amazing man, Dr Fritz Smith, who inspired all of us. As acupuncture students, were also encouraged to participate in a morning Qigong session by the lake adjacent to our school. The teacher who, ultimately unknown to her, led me to a Qigong form that completely relieved my back and sciatic pain. I found it so effective that I created a DVD that has been shared with patients and friends. I continued to practice PT to pay the bills and ultimately established private practice and developed my spiritual life and studied more of the power of the mind in helping all of us with our own healing. Most of my clients are coming to me for acupuncture.
My treatments incorporate acupuncture, zero balancing (manual therapy) and exercise – often based on Qigong. I spend a minimum of 60 min with each client 1:1. Our initial conversation usually addresses stressors/activities that precede increase in symptoms. If clients they had thought they could lie on the table and ‘ be instantly cured —– I receive my greatest joy when clients make the connection between an event, their reaction to that event and the consequences ( intensification of symptoms).
Clients are encouraged to understand that they have the power to chose their reaction to events in their lives. My treatments provide clients support in feeling safe in their bodies, knowing movements, thoughts and behaviors that can minimize their discomfort giving them long term relief of their symptoms.
My evolution over the past many years has been a process of adding and fully embracing new information and incorporating it into my life and my practice.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Struggles – Personally, I have had numerous surgeries – bilat hip replacements, shoulder surgeries, neck fusion – that have slowed me physically. As a single parent with a handicapped child (a permanent child in a way) can be distracted by his needs – he is currently under home hospice care in his group home and my home.
I appreciate the opportunity to devote a majority of my practice for treatment of Veterans. The VA authorizes 8-12 visits which gives us time to work together and achieve success. However, as with any institution, including insurance companies, the logistics associated with reimbursement can be very frustrating. Having two specialties, acupuncture and physical therapy, has added to confusion. Initially I chose to work with insurances and the VA so I could treat folks w/o undo financial stress. Currently, I plan to continue contracting with the VA for acupuncture.
Attempts to get Medicare on board with acupuncture have been challenging, Original Medicare only covers back pain and the acupuncturist must work under supervision of a physician. Some Advantage plans will cover acupuncture with slightly broader list of acceptable diagnoses w/o medical supervision and limitations on services acupuncturists can offer – no exercise or manual therapy. As a result most acupuncturists, and I, except for the VA, no long accept insurances.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Live with joy – that is a Japanese phrase. In Japanese tradition, retirement really wan’t a thing. Why would I stop doing something that brings me joy?
When leaving acupuncture school we were asked to state our purpose. MIne was – “to be authentic in everything I do and if I become aware of a personal characteristic that I don t like – strive to change it.” So many people strive to retire so they don’t have to do what they were doing for the past 30-40 years. When I ask what are you retiring to —– blank. stare Many end up going back to work…. or become couch potatoes.
I will continue to work as long as I can. I’m 85, Only strive to 5-7 pts a week. I’m known for clarifying the underlying cause of symptoms and showing patients how to be in control of managing those symptoms. I only see one patient at a time and I am in the treatment room with them the entire time of their appointment.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I have lived in Raleigh since 1951 – except for my Sr Year in HS, 8 yrs while married to a man in the air force, and a few years in Chapel.HIll and 2+ years in Columbia Maryland. So I have seen Raleigh grow and change. Raleigh is a city of communities. If our daily community doesn’t meet a need we don’t have to go very far find the solution.
Raleigh has matured from limited restaurant choices and brown bagging to an amazing variety of culinary experiences. It offers wide range of entertainment, sports and educational programs for all ages, Despite the constant building, we are still a green city – many trees. The colors of spring continue to take my breath away. We have an amazing network of trails all over the city as well as a very active parks and recreation department.
I love our diversity of nationalities, spiritual practices and sports opportunities. Even a balance of political preferences. Citizens of Raleigh are engaged in our city – they care about it.
I think our greatest weakness is our transportation system. Our roads can’t handle all of the new development in and around our city. Greatest disappointment is the lack of a rail system that connects Raleigh, Durham and Chapel AND the airport.
Pricing:
- Initial treatment 90 minutes, $130
- subsequent treatments $80
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.qilady.com
- Facebook: Elite Integrated Medicine
- Other: nancyd@qilady.com
