Acupuncture.

It’s a bit odd to look at, a bit difficult to roll off the tongue, but still highly intriguing. Vivanista went straight to one of the best acupuncturists in the area for the skinny on this bizarre practice: Joanna Shell of The Needle Master.

Forgot any creepy, voodoo-ish images that come to your head. Shell is proof that acupuncture can work. After a car accident that left her in pain for years (forget about the meds, physical therapy and chiropractors…they didn’t work), Shell turned to acupuncture. After two months of treatment, she was pain-free, but how exactly does acupuncture work? Shell’s on pins and needles waiting to fill you in.

Vivanista: How does acupuncture work?

Joanna Shell: Chinese medicine believes that there are hundreds of points on your body on meridians, like pathways, for your blood. Each point has certain functions and capabilities. If you put a needle on a certain point, it will activate it. The basic idea is that if there is a blockage in your qi (your energy) and blood, then there are related problems. No blockage, no problems. You can use the needle to active a point, direct energy, build it up, move it and help it to free flow again. But it’s not just a simple recipe; you have to make a diagnosis and pick the multiple points that go together to treat the symptoms.

V: How does Chinese medicine differ from Western medicine?

JS: The biggest difference is the time the Chinese medicine practitioners can give their patients. Due to a lot of insurance policies, most Western medical practices won’t allow for hour-long sessions. However, with Chinese medicine, practitioners really allow their patients to be heard. We allow for the patient to thoroughly explain their symptoms and we take in their entire medical history. By finding the root of the problem, you can then treat the branches.

V: What do you say to those who are skeptical about acupuncture?

JS: I used to be skeptical myself; I didn’t think it would work at all. What I tell everyone is to just get on the table and let me show them what it can do. It can take only a treatment or two to see results.

V: What is unique about The Needle Master?

JS: I tend to focus a lot on fertility treatments and gynecological issues, from women in their 20s-40s. I treated one woman for years, and when she was 40, she decided she wanted to get pregnant. After unsuccessfully doing so, and the fertility doctor telling her that she would have less than a one percent chance with the procedure, she almost gave up. She would come in weekly, but when she started to miss her period she was afraid it was menopause. She now has a six-moth-old who I call the one percent chance baby!

Acupuncture can be used to treat everything from stress, PMS, migraines, weight loss, depression, wrinkles and more. On a side note, there’s even pet acupuncture! For more information on The Needle Master visit www.needlemaster.com or call 415-905-4291.

[Photo from incurable_hippie via Flickr]