2. There is a lot of clinics that one can go to in order to gain relaxation,
treatment of migraines, and get pain removed from oneself. If one is
experiencing back pain one would visit a chiropractor. If someone has
had a stressful week one would go to a massage therapist for
relaxation. An acupuncture clinic can do all of these things at the same
time. The practice of acupuncture originated in China, the first
mentions of acupuncture are found a few hundred years ago. The
practitioner accesses years of knowledge of the human body to
correctly place needles in a persons muscle tissue. This form of healing
does more to a patient’s mind that it does to that person’s body.
3. Bellingham Acupuncture
and Wellness is a small
business located near
downtown Bellingham on
Meridian Street. The
exterior colors of the
building which are a light
gray and beige give off a
calming façade.
Walking into the clinic you
can hear music playing in
the waiting room. Street
noises are drowned out
by the melodies of string
instruments. The walls
feature colors such as
light blue, purple, and tan.
4. Before entering the room in
which the acupuncture is
performed many Chinese
herbs are being featured.
Different patients have
trouble with anxiety and they
need the herbs in order to
help them relax. Acupuncture
can not be performed if the
muscles are tense.
5. As patients enter the room there is only one bed featured in this room. This bed is used for
patients who do not need needles placed in their back. The circular pad that is underneath the
patients leg helps blood flow to the lower part of your legs and feet. In other rooms there is a
couples room where two beds are side by side to experience a treatment together. The
disposable paper is changed after every patient to insure that the area is sanitary and fresh.
6. The boom-box is playing a calming
melody to help the patient fall into
a state of relaxation. The light
purple pad is filled with sand and
can be heated up and used for
warming up a muscle that is bruised
or previous injured to help the
muscle loosen up. The cotton balls
are used only when the needles are
removed. Some of the needles draw
blood from the hole and the cotton
balls are used to wipe it up.
7. The range of needles change depending on what part of the body the treatment is being used on. The
needles that would be used in ones ear are much shorter than the ones that would be used in the arms and
legs. On the right one can see the red color around where the needle is inserted, this is showing the rush in
blood to the spot that the needle is placed. When the needles are inserted the practitioner massages the
area before placing the needle.
8. All patients are different in the way
in which they are treated. Some
patients experience extreme levels
of pain during the treatment
whereas other can fall asleep.
Hunter Crim, a regular patient said,
“Since the needle is in the muscle
tissue any sudden movement is
incredibly painful. If there is a
needle in one part of the body you
can not move it at all.”
9. The photos seen on the
wall help the patients
see what the
practitioner is doing
when the needles are
inserted in there
muscles. In the human
body there are many
different areas in which
the needles can be
inserted that will give
the patient a different
type of treatment.
10. Most acupuncture treatments last
between 25 minutes to 1 hour. The
time of insertion varies on the level
of pain that the patient is
experiencing. More pain requires a
longer treatment. The process in
which the needles are removed is
much faster than they are inserted.
11. After the needles are removed the
patients the practitioner instructs
them to either ice or heat before
going to sleep. This statue shows
the patients every spot on the
human body that needles can go.
Each hole has its own Chinese
symbol next to it explaining what a
needle being placed there will do
for the person.
12. Every acupuncture experience is different based on how your bodies
nerves react to the needles. The body tells the mind that the area the
needles are placed is more painful than the original part of the body
that the patient is feeling discomfort. In some patients this process
does not work. They are recommended to do physical therapy, yoga, or
less activity. The process of acupuncture is tricking the brain into
thinking the pain is in a different part of the body than it was originally
located. Increasing the blood flow away from the painful area makes
the brain think more about that area than another.
