Harbor Healing Center brings affordable

acupuncture to Kingston with an

Acupuncture for Everyone clinic.

At Harbor Healing Center in Kingston they call it going to acu-land. It’s the feeling of floating on a cloud that some clients experience while undergoing acupuncture. Though this ancient Chinese practice is often thought of as a treatment for pain or other disorders, many recipients also find the procedure extremely relaxing, according to Healing Center owner Nancy Knode.

“We have people who come in just for the feeling of well-being they get,” said Knode, a licensed acupuncturist. “It’s very soothing to the nervous system; it actually alleviates stress.”

Susana McCune, a patient of the center and beneficiary of acupuncture for nearly 20 years, agrees. “It’s very calming. It makes me feel better overall. I even get acupuncture for my dogs.”

Harbor Healing Center, located upstairs in the Old Kingston Hotel, is now making it easier for North Kitsap residents to try or continue acupuncture therapy with a new three-day-a-week program known as the Community Clinic. These low-cost clinics are held in group treatment rooms with two or three clients receiving therapy simultaneously. The $25 fee ($35 for the first visit) is attractive to those whose insurance does not cover treatment, or those seeking a series of treatments. Additional treatments within the same week cost $20. The private treatment rate is $65 ($85 first visit).

The community clinic model goes back to Knode’s experience working in a pain clinic in Huangzhou, China. During treatment, patients do not remove their clothing. Sessions last from 45 minutes to an hour. The center does not bill insurance for Community Clinic treatments as they do for private sessions.

While it may seem counterintuitive to insert needles under the skin to relieve pain or release tension, Knode said that most recipients feel not pain, but a slight prickling. Sometimes the sensations are felt in a different part of the body from where the needle is placed, which is considered a sign the channel has been accessed. Ideally patients will notice a deep, achy, but not unpleasant feeling, known as “getting the Qi.”

Qi (pronounced Chee) is the metaphysical vital energy that flows through the channels of the body targeted by acupuncture.

So how does it work? Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese practice dating back 3,000 years, seeks to treat the body as a whole and views disease as a loss of balance. It involves organ systems that include lung, large intestine, stomach, spleen, heart, small intestine, bladder, kidney, pericardium, San Jiao (also known as triple burner), gall bladder and liver.

In Western understanding, neuroimaging studies suggest that specific acupuncture points affect cerebral activity in specific areas. It is believed that “needling” stimulates nerve endings or nerve groupings. The process has almost no side effects.

“There is a measurable release of endorphins in the bloodstream,” explained Heather Spencer, associate acupuncturist at Harbor Healing. “It balances hormone levels. There’s still some mystery to it, but then Western medicine doesn’t have all the answers either.”

Acupuncture is recommended by the World Health Organization for more than 50 medical conditions. Pain is perhaps the most common ailment that leads people to the acupuncturist’s door. Most major insurance companies now cover acupuncture for the treatment of pain. Other conditions for which Harbor Healing Center patients seek care are women’s health concerns, aging issues, insomnia, allergies, help controlling the symptoms of cancer treatment and quitting smoking. Patients range in age from 90 years to babies in utero (to correct a breech presentation). According to Knode, more men than ever are seeking acupuncture.

Harbor Healing Center uses filiform needles of four different sizes, some of which are fine as a human hair. These stainless steel needles are solid, not hollow as are needles for injections. They come individually wrapped and are “single use only,” disposed of immediately after use. The needles are inserted at a 15 to 90 degree angle, and are usually placed only 1/4- to 1/3-inch deep, though in certain conditions they may be placed up to three inches under the skin. During a single treatment, needles are placed at several sites.

“We start gently with the smallest diameter needle and work up if necessary,” said Knode. “Some clients and conditions require more stimulation.”

Acupuncture should not be considered a quick fix. A series of at least six treatments is recommended in most cases.

“You can’t come in once or twice and be cured,” Knode explained. “For acute conditions, we may see a patient two to three times a week, then once a week or every other week as they get better. It’s a matter of getting enough to be effective. That’s why the clinics are important; they’re a good way to get regular treatment.”

“It takes a long time to get sick, it takes time to get well, too,” added Spencer. “Imagine a bucket of water: drop, drop, one more drop and it’s overflowing.”

In addition to acupuncture, Knode and Spencer employ other therapies of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), including acupressure, tuina (a massage-like technique), electro-stimulation, ear “seeds,” and infra-red TDP lamps that provide gentle warming. Herbal therapy is another important aspect of TCM provided by the center.

Both practitioners are National Board Certified. Knode earned a master’s degree from the Northwest Institute of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in 2000. In 2001, she opened Harbor Healing Center. Spencer studied in Oregon, where she trained under a Japanese Buddhist priestess.

Many clients consider acupuncture to be part of a holistic system of wellness. Some have regular treatments for a period of years. As acupuncture becomes more mainstream, Knode is seeing more doctors referring patients to her center.

“Acupuncture isn’t the only game in town, but it’s one of the best,” concluded Spencer.

Contact Harbor Healing Center in the Old Kingston Hotel, 25931 NE Washington Boulevard, (360) 297-0029. For more information on Harbor Healing Center, go to www.harborhealingcenter.com. For details on the clinics, go to www.acupunctureforeveryone.net.