Furfaro first became interested in her field when she developed severe chronic pain as a teenager, which led her to pursue a career in acupuncture and herbalism.
She’s since opened her own practice, Family Acupuncture Maryland, and served as a professor and clinical supervisor of acupuncture at several schools, including Notre Dame of Maryland University.
Furfaro lives in Columbia with her husband and their daughter, Amaya (12).
How has chronic pain affected your life?
When I was 14, I started to have back pain, and it lasted for 17 years. At first, I just thought it was a sports injury, and it just kept getting worse and worse. I saw every kind of doctor and specialist, and nobody could really help me, but I feel like it totally changed the course of my life. I was on a sort of sports track; I really thought I would play college volleyball or be in the world of athletics. This pain led me down the path of medicine and searching for how to feel OK. It’s definitely taken my life in a direction that I could never have anticipated.
What was it like to become an acupuncturist?
Acupuncture school was amazing, and I learned so much about healing others and healing myself. It was probably the best four years of my life. Starting my own practice was sort of a natural evolution. When I became an acupuncturist, I really just thought I’d be treating people in pain, like me. And it turns out, it’s so different. I call myself “holistic primary care,” because I end up treating a lot of kids for coughs and colds and asthma and eczema … It’s not what I expected at all, but I couldn’t love it more.
Since acupuncture involves needles, it may seem scary to kids. How do you make it more approachable?
Our needles are thinner than a hair. If I held one up and you were a foot away from me, you’d see the handle, but you wouldn’t see the needle. They’re super tiny and gentle. We try to make it fun, and I’ll needle myself so kids can see. But we still have kids who are afraid of needles, which is fine, because we have other methods to stimulate pressure points. There’s a multitude of ways to receive [acupuncture], so it’s never traumatic.
More often than not, kids are upset to leave the office, because we have really good toys and we have a good time. That’s usually an indicator that they’re having a good time.
How do you balance your work life and your family life?
In this new year, I’ve been trying to be very clear about when I’m working and when I’m not. When I’m not working, my work phone goes away, and when I walk into the clinic, I leave everything not clinic-related at the door. Work could take up every moment I give it, so I always create time to be with my family and have fun with my kid. I work hard to create time that’s sacred, where work isn’t invited to the party.
Family Favorites
Meal: Taco Tuesday
Local Spot: Main Street in Sykesville
Vacation Spot: Sandbridge, Virginia
Game: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Family Activity: Exploring new places
