The energy channels involved have been known for thousands of years, and acupuncture itself has been in use for some 3,000 years in China 

When your thinking turns to a Caribbean island, most people imagine that stress would be the furthest thing from your mind. Yet Cayman is, in many ways, a little slice of concrete jungle dropped in a tropical setting, which explains why stress-related issues are probably the problem most often encountered by Annie Laux, acupuncture practitioner with Da Vinci Centre.

The consultation starts with an extensive medical questionnaire to help the practitioner pinpoint areas that may require attention. As I consider myself relatively healthy and injury free (at the moment at least) my form did look like I had forgotten to fill in most of the pages.

However, Annie does not rely solely on what I wrote on the form. She feels the pulses on my wrists to help her identify areas that need to be addressed. In my case, the lung pulses seemed somewhat weak, so she proceeded to quiz me about any illness or history that might have caused it.

However, most of what she finds points to fatigue as a major issue, with my lower back also showing as a problem area as well, so she decides on an approach that will focus quite a bit of attention on my shoulders, spine and lower back.

Annie explains that acupuncture focuses on the energy channels in the body, and by stimulating these it helps the body to effectively heal itself. As we age, blockages in these energy channels as well as the body’s resources being rather thinly stretched can cause certain areas to be ignored, but through acupuncture the body’s resources can be refocused to help heal a problem area.

The energy channels involved have been known for thousands of years, and acupuncture itself has been in use for some 3,000 years in China.

Now although thus far Annie has been very reassuring, I cannot quite suppress one niggling little concern... I hate needles. Even though Annie points out that, unlike the syringes that are generally the cause of a fear of needles, these are flexible and about as thin as a hair, I remain at least somewhat unconvinced.

However, I do as instructed and prepare for the treatment, still a little bit worried.

Yet as Annie starts placing the needles, my concerns about the whole idea evaporate, as does the stress in my shoulders. I have to battle just to stay awake so I can keep track of what Annie is doing – next time around I will just let go completely and make the most of the perfect midday nap.

Annie places needles in my hands and feet and along my spine until I imagine I must look like some sort of hedgehog. This treatment is combined with massage and aromatic oils, and Annie even uses cupping on my back and shoulders, which uses cups that apply suction to massage away tension.

In areas that might need some more stimulation, Annie gently scratches the tops of the needles, sending vibrations into the areas targeted with the acupuncture. At one point she gently strokes across the tops of all the needles in my back and shoulders, giving the strange sensation that she is touching something about an inch above my skin.

At the end of the treatment, the removal of the needles are as painless as the placement, and when Annie tells me that the treatment is over and I can start getting ready for the rest of my day, I have to fight the urge to just lie there in a state of blissful relaxation for the rest of the day.

The applications for acupuncture are virtually endless, with everything from pain relief and sinus issues to infertility treatment. As Annie explains, once the body reaches a state of health where it can start healing itself without help, many issues resolve themselves.

For this reason, Annie’s approach includes looking at other issues that may impact on the health of the person seeking treatment, as someone with chronic sinus issues may have to look at dietary changes along with the acupuncture in order to gain permanent relief from their problems.

Acupuncture has quickly moved from being seen as an alternative treatment to a complimentary treatment as it can often help treat the side effects of medication without influencing the efficacy thereof. WH

For more information or to book an appointment, contact 943-2002.