The economics of excellent acupuncture

Acupuncture is no longer an enigma to me. Before I had my first acupuncture session, I never felt any compelling need to read or ask about it. But when I developed a pinched nerve in my lumbar spine and felt the acute pain it caused, aside from asking God to help me and seeking Brother Eddie Villanueva’s help, I became curious about acupuncture.

It was my brilliant young nephew, Dr. Juan Javier Lichauco, my prime physician, of the St. Luke’s Hospital, who helped me select the right doctor for acupuncture, and I am deeply grateful for his advice.

Dr. Francisco Villaseñor Navarro is an alumnus of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, class of 1998. He went through his training in medical acupuncture at St. Luke’s Hospital in San Francisco, USA and in Xiamen University Hospital in Fujian, China.

Although there are many acupuncturists around, I decided to follow my nephew’s advice and to seek Dr. Navarro’s expertise in the field.

The relief I got from acupuncture is as firmly established in me as I am convinced that there is indeed wisdom in the young. There is indeed so much we can be proud of as regards our youthful people. Whoever said "Youth is a blunder; manhood a struggle; old age a regret," did not know what the youth are all about. There is so much we can be proud of as regards our youthful medical practitioners.

One of the first things I found out had to do with the "economics" of this ancient Chinese medical therapy, which definitely is one of its attractive features.

Acupuncture is indeed cheaper than first-world medicine; cheaper than the surgical dimension; cheaper than the medicines which can be very painful to one’s pockets nowadays; in fact, you get more than you bargained for in the hands of an excellent acupuncture doctor that Dr. Navarro is.

Acupuncture is not just for specific pains in the body but covers quite a number of illnesses that it can treat/alleviate the consequences of, such as the following: sore throat and sinus infections; colds and influenza; asthma and EENT disorders, as well as bronchitis; arthritis, neuralgia, tennis elbow, back pain, stiff necks, plain headache; hepatitis; musculoskeletal and neurological problems; stroke, cerebral palsy, hypertension; indigestion and ulcers; hemorrhoids and diabetes; dizziness, as well as genito-urinary and reproductive disorders; even dermatological problems as eczema, acne and herpes; deafness and poor eyesight. And there are other medical disorders and special cases.

The focus of acupuncture is on the maintenance of the healthy well-being of the patient and the prevention of diseases. It is well-known that acupuncture provides great relief from stress. It certainly provides timely treatment of disease situations before they really cause pain and harm to the patient. Quite known to many likewise is the fact that it provides relief from insomnia, anxiety, and depression.

The most important factor that has to be considered is the technical ability and proficiency of the doctor. His hands have to be "miracle hands." Since we have quite a number of good practitioners for every medical condition in our country, in acupuncture, beyond anything else, the trained, steady hand of the acupuncturist who knows exactly where to prick the needles is of the utmost importance. Otherwise, the 45 minutes spent with the pricked needles is simply wasted.

You’d think that Dr. Francisco Navarro at age 32 would not be an expert hand, but after my eighth acupuncture session, I was fully convinced that his hands are not only expert, but excellent. He has the Lord Almighty to thank for that, being gifted with the rare ability to prick and prick right.

In my conversations with him, I found out that he had given up one of only two residencies awarded, in order to specialize in the field of acupuncture. And I am certainly one of the lucky beneficiaries of his specialization of choice.

Actually, once all the needles are in place and the initial prick pain (if there is no such pain, it may not be effective at the particular point he has targeted), and when all the needles are in place, and the soothing Chinese music seeps in, the most relaxing sensation holds you captive for a good 45 minutes. The needles are then removed painlessly.

According to "Dr. Kit" (the name I’ve given him), "The physical part of pricking is the easy part. It is actualizing the feeling of security and peace in the patient that could be difficult." Here, indeed, is an extremely gifted doctor.

I had been told that the acupuncture procedure is painless. But up front now, let me tell you that the pricks of the acupuncture needle do produce a pain, mild though it is, since it is supposed to reach particular points of the body that regulate the flow of what is called "qi" (or "chi"). Qi is that vital force of the entire body and "with the steady balanced flow of the qi, health and all vital functions of the body are in harmony, hence, the procedure stimulates the necessary regulatory neural responses."

As Dr. Kit explained in parlance I could understand when I first went to seek his treatment, "Some acupuncture points have been proven to release hormones and other biochemical substances that in turn trigger an immune response or other physiological responses, which lead to cell growth, tissue repair, and other natural healing responses."

When Dr. Kit told me that the physical act of pricking the needles in the critical points to reach the qi is the easy part, I realized that the difficult part was ensuring the appropriate and right state of mind of the patient.

As far as the risks involved are concerned, he explained that, "One reason why acupuncture has easily crossed over to mainstream medicine is the fact that the risks related to acupuncture are minimal. The risk of infection is almost nil, more so with modern sterilization procedures and the disposable needles already in use, just like the disposable syringes used for injections."

Dr. Navarro is good at gentle pontification, as he is extremely articulate which fits his work as a professor at the Ateneo de Manila University under the Chinese Studies Program where he teaches an elective course on traditional Chinese medicine. The way he explains everything is indeed like being a student all over again, listening to new dimensions I’ve never heard before. When he explained to me that medical acupuncture, as now practiced, is the offshoot of centuries of knowledge from Chinese traditions and modern research, he definitely sounded like a former brilliant history professor of mine.

I am firmly convinced that not only are the youthful practitioners good, I have an excellent acupuncture practitioner who has provided me with the relief I needed, with God’s help.

I am also firmly convinced that I am on the positive side of the ledger, on the plus side of the "economics" of acupuncture. It certainly does not hurt my pocket the way modern medical prescriptions do.

There is, for me, no substitute for an excellent acupuncture.

* * *

Thanks for your e-mails sent to jtl@pldtdsl.net.