Points of Health

I wanna take a moment to give a huge plug.

For those in need of a Naturopath or Acupuncturist in the Santa Barbara area, I wholeheartedly recommend Erik Smith who practices through his business Points of Health. I’ve worked with, and been a patient of, numerous health practitioners in the Santa Barbara area, and I’ve had some great experiences, but no one, absolutely no one, holds a candle to Erik.

His even tempo, no nonsense yet highly intuitive approach to all things health is a refreshing reminder that one can marriage authentic with innovative. He’s well informed about other modalities, and unlike other doctors, healers, and therapists I’ve encountered, he’s very aware of when and how his techniques and knowledge base are best utilized. This, in and of itself is a rare quality in a health practitioner, and one that is often under appreciated. Above and beyond this, he is highly trained and immensely experienced. What more do you want?

I showed up in his office about a month ago and explained where I was at in the healing process. After a short exchange we came up with a plan of action that best fit with my goals, my approach to achieving them, and the work that others were already doing. My sessions with him would focus on speeding recovery from the beating that I’m putting my body through on a daily basis. So off we went.

And here’s the best part, the part that really sets him apart from all the other specialists I’ve seen - he keeps me in the loop. More specifically, every appointment he actively gears his treatment to my current mood, set of complaints, anatomy, and physiological response. He WANTS me to write him emails and tell him exactly how I respond to each treatment, and utilizing his seemingly endless bag of tricks, adjusts his approach thus effectively tracking the ever shifting “sweet spot” that is quality treatment.

It’s clear that Erik loves his work and this shines through very brightly. When I improve he smiles like a kid on Christmas morning. When things aren’t working as well, or I throw him a curve ball, I can almost see the gears start spinning in his head as he enthusiastically problem solves. I know the guy is a busier than ever. He’s often tripled booked and oh yeah, he’s a new father, but when Erik’s in the room he’s focused, very focused.

And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Both my parents, my youngest brother, and close friends have all been patients of his, and they all rave about his approach. “He’s so nice!” “I can’t believe how good I feel!” “I thought he was gonna make me change my diet, but I am picky as all hell about food so instead he did something else that I could handle!” Erik is attentive and flexible enough to hone in on just what it is patients are looking for and then crafts his treatments and recommendations to best suit their constitution, attitude and motivation. You really can’t ask for more than that.

Check out Points of Health on the web at www.pointsofhealth.org