Dr. Heidary

at 11:55AM, 1:55PM, and 3:55PM

Who is Dr. Heidary?

Dr. Heidary smoothly glides a silver, pin-like needle into anxious flesh. Then another and another. By the time he has finish, his patient has morphed into a human-porcupine. And a non-smoking, human-porcupine at that! No, he’s not a mad scientist or a crazy quack. Instead, Dr. Ghodrat Heidary is a board-certified Lankenau Hospital anesthesiologist and acupuncturist who has patients lining up at his door to help people quit smoking, lose weight, manage pain, and deal with stress.

Needles Don’t Have to be Scary

Dr. Heidary first became interested in acupuncture in 1973 when he was searching for alternative approaches to manage and treat pain. Acupuncture, Dr. Heidary explains, is an ancient Chinese technique involving the insertion of needles under the skin along the body’s meridian lines. Through the insertion of thin needles into these points along the body, acupuncture is said to restore energy flow within the meridians to re-establish harmony and eliminate disease. Acupuncture can be used as a treatment and can be beneficial for many medical conditions ranging from neurological to gastrointestinal. Dr. Heidary notes that it can also help fight pain and addiction. When his own father, a life-long chain smoker, died of emphysema, Dr. Heidary felt personally compelled to specialize in developing acupuncture treatments for smoking cessation.

The Proof is in the Pins

Dr. Heidary treats smoking addiction with a special blend of acupuncture, moxabustion (a form of heat therapy using the plant Mugwort), and other herbal treatments. He claims, as do many of his patients, that the acupuncture sessions really help them beat the smoking habit. Some patients need up to four sessions, while others walk out feeling cured after one.