Travel health: Acupuncture

If you’re on the road in Asia it is definitely worth checking out a few of the treatments that Oriental Medicine has to offer that are perhaps too expensive to try out at home. Here in Korea I recently tried acupuncture for the first time. Acupuncture aims to release energy that is perhaps not flowing properly and thereby causing pain or illness to the body or mind. Those more familiar with Western Medicine can liken this to the idea of stress manifesting in bodily illness.

The procedure seems to be the same in each clinic. No appointment is necessary. Simply show up at least an hour before closing. You will first have a consultation with the acupuncturist to tell her the areas of the body you would like to focus on, or the nature of your illness. Acupuncture not only treats tension in the body, but ultimately any health complaint one might have, from simple nausea or headaches to infertility or cancer.

The acupuncturist will listen a while to your pulse. This is perhaps the most essential part of the consultation. Those who have been practicing a long time in the field are said to be able to catch the subtlest nuances of your health from the nature of your pulse. Some professionals will also palpate the muscles for vulnerable or tender points along the body.
Before proceeding with the needles, sometimes you will be asked to lie on one of the clinic beds to calm the mind. It is also common to then lie with a localized heat treatment on the troubled area. This is little more than an intensely hot heating pad.

Next the needles are inserted. Most clinics use needles that are outfitted with tiny spring handles, so that once they are placed against the skin they spring into place with precision. The acupuncturist will then gently press them down to secure their place. The insertion of the needles is usually reported as no more painful than a playful pinch. Many people differ, however, with regard to pain threshold, so it is wise to be prepared for a little pain.
The experience of the needles is more like a hard massage to a localized area of muscles. It is very similar to the sensation of having a massage therapist work exclusively on an area of deep knots in the body. And like massage therapy, with the removal of the needles, one usually feels a significant relaxation and deeper range of movement within the treated area. In my experience, I felt a far quicker release of muscle tension than with many other physical therapies.

Even without health insurance, in Korea the full price of the consultation and procedure comes to the equivalent of US$10. Unlike some places in Asia, these offices are rarely marked with signs in English, so it might help to ask a local to recommend a clinic or ask at your accommodation. At such a cheap price, this is a great way to experience an ancient art and a piece of a culture that you would perhaps otherwise never know.

(Image credit: anaturalday.net)