Through the last couple of decades, acupuncture has become more accepted, more mainstream. Though the activity is still admittedly dismissed by many, others have the found the methods of acupuncture to be, at worst, a way to alleviate the minor symptoms of their various maladies. The most fortunate recipients have found those problems to dissipate completely with acupuncture applied over time.
Getting through the initial misconceptions about the form, though, can offer a real mental block, even for those interested in working acupuncture into their personal health routines.
Of course, the primary concern of many will simply revolve around the intrinsic use of needles. Different disciplines, or philosophical systems, of acupuncture use needles of varying sizes, or gauges. Though the needles used in almost all acupuncture forms are far thinner and more flexible than those used for, say, giving blood, the concept is one that will trip up a few, no matter how interested they really are. And, yet, with an experienced practitioner, the actual insertion of needles is mild enough to go almost unnoticed, with the needles looking, to the naked eye, as thin as a strand of hair.
For the past few months here, each Wednesday, I’ve been exploring different aspects of the St. Louis scene, usually coming up with new experiences or new interesting situations. But acupuncture’s something that I’ve been doing for the past decade, with five practitioners using their needles on me over that time. In three cases, those were longer-term medical relationships, in which the comfort level of a practitioner/patient arrangement became more pronounced over the years.
The results have been interesting. Though every person will have completely unique responses to acupuncture, I’ve found a few consistencies alongside the myriad variables. While many acupuncturists will note that improvements in health come from longer-running use of the needles, I’ve found that a single session can all-but-eliminate a common cold, as one example. Other times, the immediate reason for going in wasn’t as directly addressed, but the side effects were equally beneficial; as a rule, some serious relaxation has been my result after most sessions.
At times, that kind of calm has been almost comical. (Calmical?) Getting treated most recently in Creve Couer, at the Natural Life Therapy Clinic, I’ve found myself zipping from West County back to the City in a state that’s been so cooled-out that I’ve done things like driving right past my Grand Boulevard exit. At other times, though, I’ve felt charged with a certain immediate energy, boosted and jolted into an afternoon of productivity. Usually, though, it’s the more chilling effect that washes over me, and I’m fine with that.
Where you get your work done can also affect your mood. As you might expect, acupuncture clinics often feature relaxing music, tables that are comfortable enough to sleep upon and a general feel that can be summed up in the all-encompassing “new age vibe” description. This all adds up to another level of relaxation, which can be heightened further by basic massage, or handwork, which are components that some practitioners bring into the picture.
Though I’ve enjoyed more than a few productive, even enjoyable acupuncture sessions over the years, there’s one that serves as a certain, oddball benchmark. During that one, a half-decade ago, I went from perfectly normal to a complete, hallucinatory sense of lying on my back in a field, surrounded by pink rabbits. Noting this to my provider, he mentioned, casually, that I should just enjoy it, not overthink it, let the moment ride. That’s exactly what I did. And I’m still waiting, eagerly, for that next purely transcendent moment.
(In the interests of full disclosure, I’ve created some video entries for Natural Life Therapy Clinic’s blog. In the video below, I interview Dr. Thomas Duckworth, the founder of the practice and a Master of a traditional Japanese health system called Kototama Medicine. In the piece, I asked him to describe the feelings or worries that newcomers bring to his clinic, as well as what they should expect from himself and his associate, Jason R. Hackler. Enjoy.)
Dr. Thomas Duckworth on Acupuncture Basics from Thomas Crone on Vimeo.
A short video on acupuncture basics for the readers of SLM Daily, a blog found at stlmag.com. Text posted on 3.6.11.
