Acupuncture: Getting to the point of this Eastern therapy

Acupuncture: Getting to the point of this Eastern therapy
July 10, 2008
By Daniel Limmer
Seacoastonline.com

When I pitched this story idea to my editor I had visions drawn from memories of old movies in which a wise, old Asian man, hunched, a white beard dangling from a drawn face, practices medicine in a dark, mysterious space.

I was wrong.

While ascending the stairs at 35 Western Ave. in Lower Village Kennebunk I was greeted by a waiting Andrea Stevens, the opposite of my vision in all regards. She shook my hand and welcomed me to her acupuncture practice.

The office was pleasant, a cross between a physician's exam room and a massage practice. Anatomic charts, diplomas and tasteful art pieces created a professional ambience. Needles, antiseptic and other medical equipment were neatly arranged on a table against the wall. A treatment table awaited me.

I had decided that simply interviewing Stevens and perhaps a patient or two was a cop out. I was getting acupuncture.

I sat down in a chair. Stevens reviewed my history and began an initial exam. She felt my pulse at both wrists. Then felt again. And again. My Qi (pronounced "chee") was weak.

I learned that Qi is the "force" or "vital substance" that animates and controls the observable functions of living beings. Qi flows through meridians. Stevens used an anatomic model to display these meridiansÛchannels of energy Û that run in regular patterns through the body and over its surface. She described these as akin to rivers flowing through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues.

The needles in acupuncture are used in 500 points over these meridians to improve the flow of Qi Û and ultimately treat a variety of conditions ranging from arthritis to infertility to asthma.

Although I was present as a patient, the journalist in me kept firing questions. I had to assume there were skeptics. It seems Stevens had heard this before.

"Sure, there are always going to be skeptics. I have no problem with people questioning or doubting the effects of acupuncture, it makes me want to work harder. I just invite people to keep an open mind and explore the possibilities."

It was time for me to face the needles. I had the open mind. My Qi needed some attention.

Stevens brought over a sealed container of sterile needles. She prepared and applied an antiseptic solution. The first needle was to be placed in a spot on my forehead between my eyebrows. She used a steady, reassuring tone explaining that this location helped relaxation.

I suddenly wasn't feeling relaxed.

She first placed a small plastic tube against my skin. She inserted a needle into the tube. I felt the pressure increase slightly as the tube pressed more firmly against my skin. Her finger tapped the needle with what might be best described as precision rather than force. I braced for a pain I never felt.

"That's it?" I ask.

"That's it." She replies.

Stevens explained the needles were in fact very small. Much smaller than the ones used to give vaccinations or to deliver Novocain at the dentist. The small tube applying pressure against the skin also helps trick the body not to feel pain.

I was then able to close my eyes, absorb the gentle music playing in the background and let the weight of my body comfortably meld with the treatment table. We casually chatted about the different points and what the needles applied to each would do.

We talked about how and why she became a licensed acupuncturist. It was her own chronic pain that brought her to acupuncture.

"My interest in acupuncture began through my own back injury. After two years of chronic pain and no consistent help from Western therapies I was recommended to try acupuncture by a neurologist."

I was surprised to find that the path to becoming an acupuncturist involves a master's degree including 1,000 hours spent with a licensed acupuncturist. The list of prerequisites to the program is surprisingly similar to medical school and include physics, organic chemistry and microbiology.

Stevens also went to school for massage therapy and integrates this into her practice.

During the treatment I received dozens of needles. I felt only one and then only for a second. Stevens employed moxibustion around my shoulder, an area in which I experience chronic pain.Using a lighted stick made of the herb artemesia vulgaris, she applied heat around the needles. A penetrating warmth enveloped my shoulder.

The next step in my treatment was cupping. Glass orbs were placed against my skin. A small pump withdrew air and drew my skin into the sphere. It was a peculiar sensation. Not pain, but a combination of pressure and tingling. I was face down, happily unable to observe the treatment. Cupping is performed to promote the flow of Qi, fluids and blood through the body.

Gua Sha completed my treatment. Using a spoon that could do dual duty with the soup course at a Chinese restaurant, Stevens applied pressure Û scraped Û the contours of my shoulder and upper back. Gua Sha, like cupping, stimulates the flow of Qi and blood to an area.

Stevens told me to relax for a moment before getting up from the table. I did. I was certainly relaxed in spite of a treatment needle-phobes would not consider particularly relaxing.

I could feel where I received cupping and Gua Sha. I had the marks to prove it. They lasted for a few days.

The results? My shoulder has been a problem for years. Stevens noted that it would take several treatments before any results would be felt.

And in fact I didn't note a significant change with my initial visit.

Interestingly, the next morning I awoke and instantly noticed that I was breathing more deeply than the day before. The weather hadn't changed, my activity level was the same. I can think of no other explanation for this other than my acupuncture treatment.

It isn't scientific proof and I don't offer it as such. It just is. I'm going back.

Perhaps my Qi is flowing better.

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