About Michelle Steffens

About Michelle Steffens and Early Health Challenges

Health issues shaped my life from a young age. As Michelle Steffens, I was born with an eye condition, suffered frequent illnesses, and survived several car accidents before turning thirty.

As a child, I often had stomach pain and visited the eye doctor. A birth defect caused my eyes to turn outward. I was diagnosed with a lazy eye, and the doctor patched my right eye to force my left eye to work. This led to nausea, dizziness, and irritability. Reading and sports were hard. I felt frustrated and self-conscious early on.

At 16, doctors found a precancerous melanoma on my knee, where an old scar had not healed. Surgery was successful. I have had no further skin cancer issues.

At 18, I had surgery to fix my left eye muscles. My brain had ignored my left eye since birth, so after surgery, I still used only my right eye. I spent four years in physical therapy, working to train my brain to use both eyes. The therapy caused nausea and dizziness. At 21, I had a second surgery, this time on my right eye. For the first time, I could see with both eyes and had depth perception.

Michelle’s First Car Accident and Discovering Natural Medicine

At 19, a car accident caused serious injuries. I was rear-ended at 45 miles per hour, and my chin hit the steering wheel, injuring my jaw. At impact, my right foot was on the brake, which transferred the force to my right hip. Immediately, I suffered from migraines and neck and back pain. MRIs showed degenerative disc disease, and I needed six hours of jaw surgery. The surgeon said my jaw joint looked like that of a 70-year-old woman.

My older brother had two back surgeries and continued to struggle. Instead, I chose a holistic path, including supplements, chiropractic care, and massage. In 1989, before the internet, I spent hours at a health food store reading books about supplements.

Eventually, I removed sugar, dairy, and most bread from my diet. I believed these foods caused inflammation in my body. Next, I learned that years of antacids and proton pump inhibitors for heartburn likely led to poor mineral absorption and worsened my bone and disc health. After switching to low-inflammatory foods, my stomach pain and acid reflux disappeared. I no longer needed digestive medications.

Michelle’s Second Car Accident

At 25, I was in a head-on collision on a Florida highway. Two cars crossed the median and hit my SUV at 65 mph. Time seemed to slow, and I realized the cars were coming straight for us. Next, I turned to my son Michael, age two and a half, and said, “I think this is the last time I will see you.” I braced for impact and bent the steering wheel. Later, a police officer said that if the SUV had hit me six inches higher, I might not have survived.

The combined impact was over 100 miles per hour. I had a closed head injury, which doctors missed at the hospital. My body went into shock, causing elevated blood pressure and irregular heartbeat. I could only sleep three or four hours a night. Despite being 25, I had hot flashes, night sweats, and panic attacks every night. Immediately, I developed a mild stutter, and my body shook constantly.

Going back to work was hard. After two weeks, I could barely function. The neurologist put me on short-term disability and prescribed blood pressure medicine, beta-blockers, and sleeping pills. These only treated symptoms, not the cause. The doctor missed that my pituitary gland had been damaged in the accident.

Michelle Steffens Discovers Acupuncture

Four months later, I met an acupuncturist who said, “I think I can help you.” I was willing to try anything. After three treatments, my blood pressure and heart rate stabilized. Within a month, I was sleeping 4 to 5 hours a night. My hot flashes and night sweats decreased, I felt better overall, and I was able to return to work.

After a few months, my recovery plateaued. I found another acupuncturist, trained in China, with experience treating head injuries and who had treated Tampa Bay Buccaneers football players. He provided significant relief. My symptoms were still there, but much more manageable. Eventually, I continued acupuncture every two weeks for a few years.

Acupuncture School and Changing Careers

I enjoyed my accounting career, but I didn’t feel fulfilled. At 29, I left my management job and moved to the Midwest to study acupuncture. I wanted to help people improve their lives. My family thought I was crazy, and my friends were sad to see me go.

In 1999, I started at the Midwest College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. I joined the last class taught by Japanese-style practitioners, so I learned both Japanese and Chinese acupuncture. In my final year, I realized I needed deeper knowledge to give effective treatments, even though I could pass the board exams.

I studied further with Kiiko Matsumoto and Bob Flaws. At the same time, I developed the Body-Feedback style—a method where I checked for positive responses before inserting needles. I used the attention to detail from my accounting background to guide treatments and ensure lasting results.

Michelle Steffens life in Madison, Wisconsin

After graduating in 2002, I moved to Madison, Wisconsin. The community was open to acupuncture and great for families. My practice grew quickly, and within two years, my schedule was full. Six weeks after moving, I went on a blind date with my now-husband, Page Buchanan. For more about this time, see About Michelle Buchanan.