Meet Thom Heil of Heil Health & Wellness in Uptown & Old Irving Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Thom Heil.

Thom, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My experience with acupuncture and Chinese medicine began with my own illness. I saw specialists and took medications, but nothing really helped me feel better. When a friend suggested I try acupuncture, I thought “why not?” because I felt like I had no other options. Imagine my surprise when I started feeling better right away. After six months of regular treatment with acupuncture and Chinese herbs, my energy had improved and my pain had significantly decreased. I started to enjoy my life again.

Amazed and intrigued, I had to learn more, so I started taking classes at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM) in Chicago. PCOM opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking about health which resonated with how I wanted to live my life. Four years later, I graduated with a master’s degree in Chinese medicine and became a licensed acupuncturist in the state of Illinois. I opened my own business so that other people could benefit from acupuncture the same way I had. It’s been my pleasure ever since to introduce people to the wonders of Chinese medicine.

I’ve been in business for more than five years in the Uptown/Andersonville area, and I just expanded my practice to a second location in Old Irving Park so that I’m more conveniently located for people who live and work on the west side of the city and in the suburbs. In the past year, I’ve also become a teacher at PCOM, which has been a real joy.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being a “solopreneur” definitely has its share of ups and downs. Fortunately, I can always take credit when things go well. And when business isn’t strong, I consider it a challenge to learn new skills so I can get it back on track.

One of the biggest rewards of my job is also one of the biggest challenges: I love seeing my patients improve and feel better, but that means they don’t need as much treatment so I see them less frequently. I’m constantly looking for ways to get new people into my clinic to start the cycle of healing all over again. Word of mouth definitely helps with that process, but a couple of years ago I realized that I needed to be more proactive if I wanted to see more patients come through my door.

Which led to another big challenge for me: public speaking. I have to admit I was terrified by the thought of speaking in front of people, especially about myself. But after forcing myself to attend some networking events, I realized I had nothing to fear. You can now hear me speak in front of a roomful of people almost every week. I enjoy the opportunity to educate people about the benefits of acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Even in a big city like Chicago, you’d be surprised by how many people haven’t tried them yet.

That’s also why I offer complimentary 30-minute consultations to individuals. People naturally have a lot of questions about Chinese medicine, and I’m happy to meet with anyone for half an hour to answer them, no pressure, no expectations.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Heil Health & Wellness – what should we know?
As a licensed acupuncturist and the owner of Heil Health & Wellness, I offer acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and nutritional advice to my patients in order to address their ailments and improve their wellbeing.

Most people have heard that acupuncture is an effective treatment for pain, which is entirely true. There’s nothing I like more than helping people who are in acute or chronic pain. For example, a woman recently came to me in tears because she had been in pain for months and couldn’t work. She had been diagnosed with sciatica, which in her case meant lower back pain that shot down the side of her leg. With just a few needles, and in just a few minutes, we were able to reduce her pain from a 9/10 intensity to almost 0/10. She left my office with a smile on her face.

One of the things that sets me apart as an acupuncturist is that I’m not necessarily going to put needles in the place that hurts. In fact, I avoid doing that as much as possible, and my patients still get great results. So if your back hurts and you don’t want needles in your back, then I’m the acupuncturist for you.

Having said all of that, acupuncture and Chinese medicine are good for much more than just pain. I’ve helped patients with digestive disorders (including IBS and metabolic disorder/diabetes), seasonal allergies, anxiety and depression, insomnia, side-effects from cancer treatment. You name it, and Chinese medicine can probably help.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Absolutely — first and foremost, I have to give credit to my husband for being so supportive when I decided to completely upend my life and pursue my dream career. He’s been an amazing cheerleader even when I had my own doubts that this was the right path to take.

Otherwise, I couldn’t do my job without the dedication and support of my incredible teachers. I won’t name them all here for fear of missing someone. Chinese medicine is a clinical medicine, which means that you have to learn from teachers who have actually treated patients. And I’ve had the privilege of learning from some of the best clinicians in the United States. I would be nowhere without the advice and experience that they’ve shared with me.

And I literally wouldn’t have a job without my patients, which is why I’m grateful for every one of the people who has come to me for treatment. I’m especially grateful for those people who have made acupuncture a regular part of their lives, and who see me for periodic “tune-up” treatments. My business thrives because of them.

Pricing:

• Complimentary 30-minute consultation: FREE
• First treatment: $100
• Follow-up treatments: $80

Contact Info:

• Address: 4737 N. Clark St. (Uptown/Andersonville)
  3817 N. Pulaski Rd. (Old Irving Park)
• Website: http://thomheillac.com
• Phone: 872.216.9612
• Email: thomheillac@gmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomheillac
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thomheillac

Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.