Acupuncture may not be the cure-all of back pain, but this ancient remedy has one patient coming back for more .

Healing Needles

by Richard Seven; Photographed by Gary Settle
Pacific Northwest Magazine/The Seattle Times

There I was in nothing but my briefs, lying on this table with 10 thin needles sticking in my lower back and one in the back of each knee. This is an experience that prompts a series of thoughts, not the least of which is: What am I doing here?

I decided to give acupuncture a try because . . . 

Many conditions may be alleviated very rapidly by acupuncture and herbs. However, some conditions which have arisen over a course of years, will be relieved only with slow, steady progress. As in any form of healing, a patient's attitude, diet, determination and life-style will affect the outcome of a course of treatment.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is also an educational process in which the patient becomes more aware of his or her body, thus increasing its ability to maintain well-being.

Although there are techniques in Traditional Chinese Medicine for healing most conditions, there are medical circumstances which can be treated more effectively by Western medicine. In such cases, we will recommend that you contact a physician.

As is the case in China, acupuncture should be seen as complementary to Western medicine.

In the hands of a Certified Acupuncturist, your safety is assured. The needles are available in sterilized, disposable form, or each patient is assigned his or her own needles, which are sterilized between each visit, just as surgical instruments are sterilized.