Pins and Needles May Be the Cure

WINSTED — Feeling tired? Stressed? Muscle pain, fatigue, digestive problems? A new business, located just off Main Street, may have the answer. Nationally certified acupuncturist and practitioner of Chinese holistic medicine Joyce Schneider opened up an office at 88 Elm St. this week.

Sure, there are others in the area who offer acupuncture, but Schneider stressed that there is more to the art of Chinese medicine than simply knowing where to stick the needles.

"I respect that some people have studied, have put a lot of effort into learning about the whole of Chinese medicine, but that is not required to be certified in acupuncture," she said.

But Schneider, a graduate of the New York-based Swedish Institute with a master’s in acupuncture and Oriental studies, has a thorough training in all the many aspects of her art.

"The whole paradigm of how you look at health is addressed," she said of Chinese medicine, a comprehensive approach to well-being. But while some may write it off as hokey mumbo-jumbo, there are just as many who swear by it.

Schneider, who has another office in Great Barrington and has been licensed for four years, first became interested in the field many years ago, when she visitied an acupuncturist in Cape Cod, seeking relief from back pain. She was shocked — and delighted — by the results.

"It turned out, many other problems I had were resolved along with the back pain," she said, including a sleeping disorder, menstrual problems and some other minor afflictions.

Since then she has been sold on the concept, and has devoted a good part of her life to the study and perfection of her craft.

"[Chinese medicine] looks at the patterns of dis-ease, treats not only the pain or the manifestation of the pain, but treats the root of the problem," she said. Indeed, acupuncture should be taken for what it is: It is not a cure for disease, necessarily, but "dis-ease" — it is an art of correcting balances to improve well-being.

Patients visiting Schneider’s office can expect to answer a battery of questions about their overall health and well-being before a decision is made about how to proceed. Then they will have their pulse taken, and Schneider will examine the patient’s tongue.

Schneider said she can learn a lot about a patient’s condition from a simple tongue examination. For example, one whose tongue is slightly swollen in the front half may have issues relating to the upper torso, such as the lungs and digestive tract.

"It affects your ability to assimilate nutrients and make energy," she said.

Once the interview and examination phase is over, it’s time to get down to business. Schneider takes what she has learned and decides on a proper course of action. But whereas in Western medicine, a diagnosis like the one above might lead a physician to perform a series of chest x-rays or take a stool sample, the practitioner of Chinese medicine comes to an altogether different conclusion.

Schneider explained that the body is made up of several distinct elements: The qi (pronounced "chee") is the body’s essential energy, and falls under the yang half of the body’s dichotomy. Problems with the qi or yang "relate to function, warming, moving, transforming; the processes of the body," Schneider said.

The blood, then, comes under the yin, and regulates nourishment and structure in the body; it moistens and cools, Schneider said.

Acupuncture, put simply, is the art of regulating the currents of the body, focusing its energies by tapping into focal points and channels in precise locations with tiny needles.

The process isn’t for everybody, and it’s not necessarily a replacement for traditional Western medicine. But for those seeking a cure for dis-ease, acupuncture may be just the ticket.