Roger J. Wendell
Defending 3.8 Billion Years of Organic EvolutionSM
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Acupuncture
on community radio station KGNU! 88.5 FM Boulder 1390 AM Denver www.kgnu.org
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Click on any of these thumbnail images for a larger view!
(All B&W photos by Allison Looney)
 Drew, Valerie & me |
 Drew & Valerie |
 In goes the needle... |
Okay, first my usual Disclaimer - I don't know a thing about Acupuncture, medicine, or anything related to health. I always recommend you seek the guidance of healthcare professionals anytime you've got questions or concerns!I'm an interviewer for community radio station KGNU Boulder/Denver. For Friday morning Connections, January 21, 2005, I had the great pleasure (and fun!) to interview Drew Henderson and Valerie Hobbs on the subject of Acupuncture. Drew is President and Chair of the Acupuncture Association of Colorado and can be reached at 303-440-7004. Valerie Hobbs is Director of the Boulder campus of the Southwest Acupuncture College.
In addition to our Acupuncture discussion, and lots of calls from listeners, Drew performed a brief session on me, live in the studio! Although we talked about a variety of my personal health issues, we decided to "zero-in" on a problem I was having with numbness in a couple of the fingers of my left hand. The numbness was due to a shoulder fracture I sustained during a car accident in China a few years ago - hence taking us full-circle with a Chinese remedy!
Shoulder porcupine |
More in the shoulder... |
Gentle hands |
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Click Here to hear the 50 second promo I used to announce the program... (it's a 987 kb mp3 file) |
A needle in my elbow! |
Naked and cold... |
Back in my clothes! |
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Click Here to hear Kathy Partridge mentioning our acupuncture in an 84 kb clip three months later! |
Acupuncture Defined:
Acupuncture involves inserting small needles into various points, "acupoints," in the body to stimulate nerve impulses. Acupuncture originated in China around 100 BCE. Traditional Chinese acupuncture is based on the idea of "Qi" (pronounced "chee" and translated as vital energy) which is said to travel around the body along 'meridians' which the acupuncture points affect. It's similar to the idea of prana in the yoga tradition, kind of like breath or life force. Herbs, electricity, magnets and lasers have all been used in acupuncture.
Prior to our radio appearance, Drew explained that acupuncture is only a part of Chinese Medicine, now referred to as Oriental Medicine, since Japan and other Asian countries have their own styles. Drew said, "Traditional Chinese Medicine is a combination of Chinese traditional styles organized into one system that became a major aspect of Communist China's national health care system. It is really very diverse." "Oriental medicine includes herbal medicine, oriental bodywork such as Tuina or Shiatsu, diet therapy, exercise such as Qigong, and even Chinese astrology and feng shui."When asked how are acupuncturists regulated, Drew said, "There is a National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, which administers exams and certifies acupuncturists." "Each state has its own regulatory system. In Colorado we are licensed (L.Ac.) and required to have the NCCAOM certification."
Drew explained that many schools exist around the US, stating, "...most are three or four year programs that grant Masters degrees in Oriental Medicine. These schools are now accredited, since the NCCAOM requires current applicants to have graduated from an accredited school. There are 3 accredited schools in the Denver-Boulder area..." While on the air, Drew and Valerie explained how acupuncture works and what it can treat. Some of their examples were seasonal allergies, cold and flu, asthma, women's health issues from menstruation to fertility to childbirth, drug addiction, drug addiction and eating/diet issues, digestive problems such as gas and bloating, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, nausea as a side effect of other drug or chemotherapy treatments, and of course pain.
This on-air demonstration was my first personal experience with acupuncture. The only nervousness I had was that I was the only one in the studio without a shirt on! Other than that it was obvious that both Valerie and Drew were caring, knowledgeable professionals who easily set me at ease. I couldn't see over my shoulder so I can only guess how many needles, total, Drew had inserted - it was that painless! As I described it on the air the most I could usually feel, with the insertion of any needle, was a slight "thumping" sensation as each needle penetrated my skin - almost like somebody had lightly flicked my skin with their finger.
One needle did cause a muscle in my upper arm to twitch a bit, and, there was a slight "pinching" sensation when it passed through my skin. Later, after all of the needles had been placed along my hand, arm and shoulder I could feel a slight "electrical" sensation running the length of my forearm from my pinky finger to my elbow. Drew assured me that this electrical feeling, along with the minor twitching I experienced, where somewhat common reactions to certain needle placements.
Overall my first experience with acupuncture, in a radio studio before a live audience, was pretty darn good! I hope to visit Drew's practice where I can properly recline so as to accept a treatment in a normal medical environment. Oh, and as the photos reveal, I'll need to start working on a little weight control before then as well...
- Roge J. Wendell
January 2005
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