By Lee Spiro

Modern society’s increased awareness to all things green has led to a plethora of supplements, regimens and natural health treatments. Yoga studios and acupuncture clinics are as commonplace as an organic section at the grocery store. But not all of these alternative methods are created equal, as inexperienced hacks and placebo snake oils saturate the market.

I have sought out an experienced practitioner of acupuncture and Chinese medicine and located one in Kirkland, WA who has treated dozens of professional athletes including members of the Milwaukee Bucks and Seattle Seahawks. He works mostly by referral, but you don’t need a doctor’s recommendation to see him.

My acupuncturist takes insurance payments, which cover a portion of his services depending on your individual coverage. In my case, insurance pays 90% of the acupuncture treatment after a deductible, but doesn’t cover the additional Chinese medicine the doctor offers. I end up paying between $65 and $100 per treatment after insurance. It’s not cheap, but it is an extremely effective treatment for many conditions ranging from mild to severe (NOTE: Acupuncture can treat a wide variety of ills, but it cannot completely replace Western medicine when major surgery or prescription treatment is needed).

I have received treatment at the clinic for the past year. I initially sought him out due to a repetitive stress injury in my wrists caused by working at a computer and/or playing guitar for 8-10 hours a day. My condition was so debilitating that I took time off work and saw three different physical therapists ($15 insurance co-pay per visit), who showed me some useful stretches, massaged my arms and fitted me with custom wrist braces. However, they failed to relieve my pain in any lasting or measurable fashion.

Anti-inflammatory medicines help some people, but harsh drugs often do more harm than good. Naproxen sodium (Aleve, $9 for 150 tabs) and ibuprofen (Advil, $24 for 100 tabs) hurt my stomach in continued doses. My doctor prescribed corticosteroid Prednisone ($15 with insurance for a two-week cycle), which caused insomnia, night sweats, dizziness, weight gain, anxiety and intestinal discomfort. None of the drugs made any significant improvement on my pain, and their side effects led to an overall negative result.

My first acupuncture treatment yielded instant positive results. The acupuncturist’s manner is extremely friendly as he describes what he calls “energy healing,” which is basically the management of physical and biological forces inside the body. He explains everything scientifically while diagnosing energy-deficient areas of the body.

This is not some new age, hippie fad. Acupuncture has been effectively used for thousands of years, and we are only now beginning to understand the science of why it works. In addition to acupuncture, the doctor uses several other techniques including aromatherapy, light therapy, pressure points and a host of machines that shoot electric current through the body. It seems strange at first, but the results speak for themselves.

As our weekly sessions continued, I felt better after each visit. The acupuncture needles don’t hurt at all going in, even for a guy with a fear of hospital needles like myself. I usually lay still with them in for about 20 minutes and escape into a strange meditative state that is hard to describe. After the needles are removed, I awake feeling refreshed, positive and clear headed. The inflammation in my wrists is instantly relieved, noticeably more than any of the drugs or physical therapists could achieve, and this feeling lasts for several days after a session.

One year into our treatments, I would rate my hand pain as being 90% better on a daily basis. I have reduced my appointments with the acupuncturist to once a month, but I continue to get increasingly positive results, both physically and mentally, with each subsequent visit. Think of it this way: your body is like a car. Sometimes you need to replace parts and do massive surgery to fix the problem, but sometimes you just need a tune-up to change the lube, oil and filter. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine, when administered by a competent professional, can cure conditions due to what I call “21st Century-itis.” Our bodies were simply not designed to sit at desks in front of screens while performing repetitive motion and snacking on processed foods all day. We must adjust how we absorb these activities to prevent injury and function at our best.

If you have conditions such as body pain, migraines, stress, depression, anxiety, insomnia, addiction or injury rehabilitation, I highly recommend trying acupuncture and Chinese medicine. The financial cost may be a drawback, but the price is well worth it considering the amazing results I have experienced.