Nine years ago, Deborah Bilak left her career in corporate America to pursue her dream of opening an acupuncture and wellness practice.

Known by her clients as Dr. Deb, Bilak holds a Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Degree from the Maryland University of Integrative Health.

Her practice, Return To Wellness, uses acupuncture and Chinese medicine to treat chronic pain, arthritis, mental health and digestive issues, as well as other disorders.

“I joke and say that we’re the last resort with the best results, which is true because [clients] literally try everything else and nothing works,” Bilak said.

How it works

First, clients interested in treatment come in for a free consultation. At the consultation, Bilak explains what acupuncture is and how she would use it to treat their pain points. Usually, this is done by sticking fine, sterile needles at specific points on the body to eliminate pain.

Bilak described the body as a self-regenerating machine, but sometimes trauma and injury disrupt the process of healing naturally. Bilak said her job is to figure out how to remove that stressor so the body can heal as intended.

“There are points on the body, and each point has a command,” Bilak said. “The way I think of it is each of the points is an electric box at home, and if the power goes out in a certain area, well, you flip the switch back on, and it sends energy to the living room.”

A closer look

Bilak said she takes a holistic approach to treatment, not only treating symptoms but mind, body and spirit. She believes a client’s mental and emotional states are an important part of treatment, which is why she makes sure to ask about what is weighing heavily on them.

Bilak sells supplements and handmade creams at her practice. (Roo Moody/Community Impact)
Bilak sells supplements and handmade creams at her practice. (Roo Moody/Community Impact)

“When you [come] in the office, you [don’t] leave your spirit in the car ... your whole body comes with you, so we might as well treat the whole thing,” Bilak said.

At the practice, Bilak said she treats a lot of neuropathy, a type of nerve damage that can cause pain, numbness or weakness in the body. She also said she treats many clients with neurological disorders, such as strokes or Parkinson’s disease.

To measure the effectiveness of the acupuncture sessions, Bilak documents the percentage of sensory loss before and after multiple treatment sessions.

“I have one gentleman who started off with 90% sensory loss, and by five or six months, he had 90% improvement ... that's a night and day difference,” Bilak said.

The takeaway

While acupuncture is her main service, Bilak said she is always looking to add things to support the programs she offers, and that the demand for her services continues to grow.

She said her goal for clients is that they no longer need her services, but she still loves it when they come back because they enjoy how the treatment affects them.