Community Highlights: Meet Abigail Walters of Sunflower Acupuncture and Wellness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Abigail Walters

Hi Abigail , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
All throughout undergrad, I didn’t know what to pick as my major. I knew I wanted to do something to help people, but didn’t have the stomach for a nursing career. I eventually ended with an accounting degree as I have always loved numbers. A couple of years into my career, I was so unhappy and didn’t feel like I was making a difference in anyone’s life. At this time, I also started to get horrific migraines almost every single day lasting 4-10 hours a day. After trying all the pharmaceutical drugs and Botox, it all failed. I was left completely defeated. My yoga teacher suggested I try acupuncture and Chinese medicine. I went twice a week for about 4-6 weeks. I remember when my acupuncturist asked how my migraines were and I started crying; I couldn’t remember the last time I had one. That was the moment I knew I wanted to go back to school. I wanted to show individuals that there are other ways to feel better other than just western medicine.

I decided to quit my job, sell my condo and my cat and I moved down to Austin, Texas to start the masters program for acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. The program was 3.5 years long, and at the end of the program, COVID hit. I was extremely lucky and got all my clinical hours finished just in time. I finished the program and moved back to Kansas City and started my doctorate degree. About a 1.5 years more, I finished my doctorate degree and passed all 4 national board exams.

I now run my own practice in North Kansas City. I have the honor to help people feel better mentally, emotionally, and physically. I have seen people for GI upset, stress, anxiety, chronic pain, substance abuse, cycle regulation, insomnia, autoimmune diseases, and many more things.

I never went into work when I was an accountant and thought “wow, I love my job” but now I can say that and I am excited to go to work everyday!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Running a business is tough! You have to be the admin, scheduler, practitioner, advertiser and more! I won’t lie, it is hard wearing all the hats and can be emotionally, mentally and physically exhausting.

One thing with acupuncture, is that each treatment builds on the next. It’s kind of like a workout-you can’t workout once and expect to get a 6-pack of abs. Something like chronic pain for example-that doesn’t happen over night, so it most likely wont go away over night. So getting patients to understand it may take multiple treatments is sometimes hard. I think in today’s world, a lot of people just want a quick fix. And since everyone’s body is different, everyone responds differently to treatments.

I think another difficult part of continuing to grow my practice is that I do not accept insurance. Many insurance companies cover a portion of acupuncture but they usually are all different and all plans have very specific coverages. Billing insurance is a whole world I know nothing about, so I do not currently accept insurance. But acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be used for taxes as a medical expense!

We’ve been impressed with Sunflower Acupuncture and Wellness, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I offer acupuncture, Chinese herbs and cupping therapy.

First treatments are always the longest. I will go over the patient’s full health history and talk thru their specific health concerns they are coming in for. I always incorporate some type of bodywork into the appointment. It helps calm the nervous system and allows people to relax, and followed up with acupuncture.

I also offer Chinese herbs as a supplement to their treatment plan. Herbs can be taken for all different ailments.

I also offer cupping therapy. Think of cupping as a reverse massage, instead of pushing down to break apart tightness and stiffness, the cups lift up allowing for better circulation. It’s great to relax the body, reset the nervous system and release tension.

I think what sets me apart from other practices in Kansas City is my dedication to my patients. One thing I hated about seeing my primary care provider was that I was given about 5 minutes with them and then they left, without really allowing me to tell them about what was going on. So I make sure that I give my patients the time they need and deserve to share what is going on. My biggest thing I really do is meet people where they are in their healthy journey. I don’t want their treatment plans to be unrealistic-I want for us to create goals to reach that are realistic and attainable.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Always lead with curiosity. Trust my intuition. Always be honest. Lead with kindness and compassion.

Pricing:

• Initial appointment is $125
• Follow up appointments are $95
• Cupping therapy is $85

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunflower.acu
• Other: https://sunfloweracu.janeapp.com/