Steve Amsden, a trainer at Push Fitness, had suffered from a back problem, and acupuncturist Dr. Hiroya Nakamura helped him. So when Push Fitness co-owner mark Trapp was searching for an acupunturist, Amsden reffered Nakamura to him, who helped Trapp recharge his personal energy. That went so well that Trapp decided that Nakamura could help Push Fitness clients who were looking for answers to some health and diet questions that bothered them so. Push Fitness is a personal training facility in Schaumburg, co-owned by Trapp and Josh Steckler. Push Fitness sponsored a three-month contest between five Daily Herald readers to see who could lose the most weight, dubbed as the Fittest Loser competition. Push Fitness introduced each participant to a new diet, and also allowed them to consult Nakamura for acupuncture therapy and to assist with their weight loss as part of the program. Trapp said that Dr. Nakamura helped him. "I'd seen an acupuncturist for the energy side of it. I went for the 'chi' side of it. I've been seeing him for the last six months." "Anytime I am able to do something for myself that makes me feel better, if I can pass that on to my clients and give them an opportunity to do that, I want to do it," he said. Trapp also added that Nakamura works on healing the body by reading your energy and he is also able to work on back pain, neck pain or working on getting your energy back in balance. The contestants came away impressed with the process and the effect of acupuncture, as they are all new to that idea. Frank Valenti, a 54-year-old former baker from Bartlett said that it was a great experience. "You really relax. It boosted my energy. It was a big surprise. I didn't know what I was getting in to but it worked out great." Nakamura explains how acupuncture, which is the practice of applying electrode needles to key body parts to stimulate the body's functions, works on weight loss. Acupuncture makes body connections function normally, Nakamura stated. He also added that he stimulate body points to normalze the conections. "If you have enough amount of food, your stomach sends the signal to the brain: 'Stop eating, I am full.' But if that connection is not good, you are going to keep eating." This process can also work in reverse. It can make an anorexic person eat. It is because the body is asking for food but the stomach-to-brain connection is poor. Nakamura is also a chiropractor, and he has aided all of the contestants with the aches and pains that came from beginning a new and rigorous workout program. Nakamura uses a combination of acupuncture and chiropratic measures. Nakamura stated that each of them had a different issue. "Many of them had knee pain, and I helped with that." Contestant Jan Vitullo was lifting some heavy weights. "I never had lower back pain in my life, but I had a little bit after lifting, and once I started going to him, I never had that pain again." Also his elbow pain went away too. "I quit counting at 62", said Deb Mirabelli, another contestant, as Nakamura applied to her the acupuncture needles. But Mirabelli said it was his chiropratic measures that helped her the most. "He explained to me I had a curvature in my spine and it was pushing me to the side so I was losing my balance," Mirabelli said. Nakamura started adjusting that and she felt the difference. Several contestants didn't fully appreciate the experience, but Nakamura said it does take some time getting used to acupuncture. He also stated that accepting the idea of acupuncture can allow it to help more. Nakamura added that "There is a mind and body connection."
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