Meet Valerie Ducos of Valerie Ducos L.Ac. in Sherman Oaks

Today we’d like to introduce you to Valerie Ducos.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was raised in a small town with a big name, Woodstock, NY. My Mother was an artist who was into health food and natural living. We didn’t go to see a doctor unless were in dire straits. Perhaps this is what allowed me to be open to the ideas of other forms of healing.

I was a massage therapist for 20 plus years. When you work on a person’s muscles for extended periods of time, you find health issues that massage is unable to treat. I would often refer my clients to chiropractors, yoga classes, acupuncturists and any other health care provider I thought might be of benefit.

My introduction to Acupuncture treatments was after a bad car accident. Acupuncture, chiropractic and massage treatments were prescribed and facilitated the healing of my severe back injury. My injury flared up when I was living in Africa. I was able to find an acupuncturist and again get treatment. On my return from Africa my digestion was a mess. I felt like I had enough gas to power an engine. Again, I went to an acupuncturist who this time not only did acupuncture on me but gave me Chinese herbs to take. She was able to completely relieve my symptoms.

As a massage therapist, I had reached a point where I wanted to be able to do more for my clients. After all the acupuncture treatments, I decided to go back to school and become a licensed acupuncturist. I had no idea how much education was involved. Four years of studies which covered acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, eastern and western nutrition, cupping, moxa, qi gong, some western medical training, and enough psychology to recognize when someone needed help. After which we had to take and pass a 5-hour state board exam in order to earn our license to practice. It was way more than I had anticipated and I loved it.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Starting my own business was a bit daunting. In order to treat people with my acupuncture abilities, I needed a place to build a practice. I also needed money which after four years in school I was a bit short on. In the beginning, I rented a room in the massage center I had worked at for so many years. In a short period of time, I was offered a job in an orthopedic office. Because of my many years as a massage therapist it was an area of treatment I was very familiar with. Working with them turned out to be mostly workmen’s comp.

When I was offered a job with a new company on cruise ships in their acupuncture clinics I jumped at the chance. Spending time traveling at sea treating people from all over the world was a lot of fun and very educational. After a year and a half I was ready to come home. I went back to the massage center for several years and then opened my own space in Sherman Oaks. With some help from a mentor I figured out how to run a business while being able to treat my patients.

Valerie Ducos L.Ac. – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
In California, acupuncturists are educated to be doctors of Traditional Chinese Medicine. We can use a combination of many different modalities. The most often used are acupuncture needles and herbs. Many Health insurance policies will pay for the acupuncture needling part of treatment. People often ask me what acupuncture treats. It has existed for over five thousand years. Before western medicine, it was used in China for most medical problems. Today in China, you can have western medicine, eastern medicine or a combination of both. Each has its benefits; each can treat some things better than others. If you break a bone go to the emergency room and have it set. You would then go to an acupuncturist for treatment to reduce pain and help the bones to heal faster. You have been on the pill for twenty years. It did its job and you didn’t get pregnant. Now you want to have a baby but your body has forgotten how to get pregnant. See an acupuncturist to balance your hormones and help you reach that goal

I treat a lot of infertility patients. It is an area of our medicine that I really enjoy. When a woman who has been struggling to get pregnant brings her baby in to meet me it makes me so happy.

I also treat other women’s issues. Menopause is something that responds well to acupuncture and herbs as well as menstrual cramps, PMS, etc.

Pain is the area that is most recognized as being treated well by acupuncture. I see a lot of patients with all forms of pain. Back, neck, foot pain, TMJ, migraines, just to name a few.

Bell’s Palsy is treated very effectively with acupuncture and herbs. If treated within the first 24 to 48 hours, often it will resolve within a few weeks.

My office is a very relaxing environment. It helps the healing process and calm the nerves that some people have when getting their first treatment. After experiencing acupuncture most people relax on the table and often fall asleep.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is a mental state of being. Society thinks of it as being financially well off. As a business owner it is an important aspect because without money your business fails. It can longer sustain itself. Yes, I do need to make a living to support myself, but as a healer success is so much more than a financial endeavor. I feel successful when after treatments a patient has recovered. When that new born baby is held in its mother’s arms, when the debilitating pain has ceased, when free breathing is restored, when a patient’s body finds balance.

Contact Info:

• Address: 14242 Ventura Blvd Suite 200
  Sherman Oaks CA 91423
• Website: valerieducos.com
• Phone: 818 257 1114
• Email: [email protected]
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