Acupuncture Gets its Overdue Respect

Acupuncture Gets its Overdue Respect

RACINE COUNTY — When Arthur Shattuck first came to Racine some 27 years ago as Racine’s first acupuncturist, some people he encountered were not even sure what acupuncture was.

That’s not the case anymore as even physicians and oncologists at local hospitals increasingly refer patients to him at Roots and Legends Chinese Medicine at 3209 Washington Ave. in West Racine. And that’s a common experience among other acupuncturists in the Racine area as knowledge and acceptance of the ancient Eastern form of healing spreads among the public in general.

Acupuncture incorporates the use of needles to stimulate pressure in points of the body and that has been found to provide relief for — and in some cases remedies — a whole host of ailments, from psychological disorders, to stress, to joint and muscle pain to gastrointestinal disorders even to cancer and erectile dysfunction, local practitioners say.

The needles

Many people are aware of the needle aspect of acupuncture and wonder whether it’s painful, how long a treatment takes and whether it is affordable.

“Just because you’re sticking needles in people, it’s interesting to people, it catches your eye,” says Keith Garofalo, who operates Red Dragon Acupuncture at 4401 Taylor Ave. near the Georgetown area.

But Shattuck and Garofalo say the needles don’t cause any more pain than a pinch or a mosquito bite. They are small, sterile and disposed of after use. A small discharge of capillary blood is not uncommon.

“We’re accustomed to the huge hypodermic and something that’s big and hollow and either shoving something into our body or taking something out,” said Christie Kern at Racine Community Acupuncture, 10502 Northwestern Ave. in Franksville. The needles acupuncturists use are “tiny and not hollow, so generally you don’t feel it. I always say that If you’re uncomfortable let me know and I’ll fix it.”

The typical treatment with the needles inserted lasts about 45 minutes, the local practitioners said. And once complete, the patients may not only be feeling relief for their ailments but also enjoying a side effect of the release of endorphins to the brain.

“There is such a relaxing side effect from it, people just sort of float out of here,” Shattuck said. “And sometimes people do it (acupuncture) just to relax.”

At Racine Community Acupuncture, Kern encourages people to doze a bit after their treatments.

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