In 1971 a journalist introduced acupuncture to the United States through the Op-Ed pages of The New York Times and on Monday night, the FirstHealth Center for Health and Fitness in Rockingham, introduced acupuncture to Richmond County.

Kelsey Coy is a licensed acupuncturist who works for FirstHealth’s three fitness centers, Southern Pines, Pinehurst and Rockingham.

Coy graduated from the University of Southern California with honors in neuroscience and philosophy and attended The New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine for her acupuncture license. She now lives in Moore County.

Being that her roots are in neuroscience, Coy said she sees acupuncture as a complement to western medicine, rather than an alternative.

“A decade ago it was considered an alternative practice, but I don’t think that’s a good approach because we’re looking at a more integrated system now where the more tools that are available, the easier it is to fix a problem,” Coy said.

Coy said she’s seen acupuncture work for a lot of people.

“It’s really effective,” she said.

During a discussion Monday at the fitness center in Rockingham, Coy spoke with about 10 members and employees about the history and benefits of acupuncture.

She said the focus of acupuncture is function.

“When you look at an MRI. of a spine, a lot of people have terrible back pain but there are no visible disk problems, their form is fine, but functionally there’s a problem,” Coy said. “Others, you see terrible disks, but they function fine. Acupuncture is focussed on function. We want you to go through your daily life effectively and without problems.”

Coy said acupuncture is also individualized so that no same problem is treated the same way for different people.

As an intern Coy said she helped people with infertility problems, digestion troubles, anxiety, etc.

Some of the common things acupuncture has been known to treat include headaches and migraines, facial pain, tooth pain, neck pain, upper back pain, lower back pain including sciatica, shoulder pain, lower extremity pain, repetitive strain injury, tennis elbow/carpal tunnel, osteoarthritis, constipation/diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, reflux esophagitis, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, infertility, irregular menses, menopausal symptoms, allergies, sinusitis/rhinitis, asthma, bronchitis, common cold, anxiety/stress/depression, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, weight loss, high/low blood pressure, post stroke sequellae, substance abuse, smoking cessation, tinnitus, vertigo and urinary dysfunction.

The practice of acupuncture is more than 2,000 years old and has been used successfully all over the world. In China, and at hospitals in California and Canada, the healing practice of acupuncture is often used alongside traditional western medicine following operations, etc.

Coy said one common question she often gets is, “Do you have to believe in acupuncture for it to work?”

“The answer is no,” she said. “It isn’t magic, it actually works.”

Coy said more people today are using veterinary acupuncture and if the practice can work on dogs, cats and horses who know nothing of the practice, it can work for people, too.

A 2002 study said an estimated 8.2 million U.S. adults had used acupuncture.

Acupuncture treats patients by focussing on their Qi (pronounced Chi) which means the bodies natural balance. People’s bodies change all the time, and when we are sick, stressed or injured it means something within the body is out of alignment and off balance.

Acupuncture tries to restore that balance.

Qi, if there were an accurate English translation, would describe the flow of nourishment and energy to every cell, tissue and organ system of the body in a river-like meridian system.

In Chinese Medicine, a person’s illness is evaluated by examining the relationship between external factors like stress and a person’s internal constitution, affected by genetics, age and long-term lifestyle.

A person’s Qi can become disrupted by traumatic injury, external pathogens, prolonged stress, inappropriate diet, adverse environment or genetic predisposition.

Another common question Coy gets is whether or not acupuncture hurts.

Pulling out her needles to show the small crowd, Coy demonstrated that the needles are typically no bigger in diameter than the hair on a person’s head.

“You don’t feel much,” she said. “If you don’t feel anything, it’s probably not that great because you should feel something, usually a tingling, numbness or sometimes a heaviness. For me it feels like chills. If we’re going to move energy in your body, you should feel some sensation. It’s hard to describe it until you feel it, but I promise I won’t hurt you.”

Coy said a major part of the acupuncture practice is getting people to balance their minds and bodies.

“It’s a cultural thing, but it makes me sad to see people angry at themselves when their bodies fail,” she said. “We have to baby ourselves a little bit. You need to treat yourself as you would someone you love. Don’t be angry at yourself when your body needs love and care.”

So when she treats a patient, Coy said she encourages them to fully commit to taking care of their bodies, either through meditation, stretching, or even just positive reinforcement and positive attitudes about their bodies and themselves.

Naturally, one of the questions Monday night was about acupuncture and weight loss.

“It’s not a magic bullet,” Coy said. “It won’t solve your problems over night. It won’t make the pounds fall off, but you’re already here working out, so like any real weight loss program you’re encouraged to work out and diet, but acupuncture does help regulate food and exercise metabolism and helps control those cravings and urges.”

Coy will be at the FirstHealth Center for Health and Fitness in Rockingham every Monday from 1-5 p.m. for appointments.

The initial appointment, which lasts about an hour, for FirstHealth members is $65, and follow-ups are $50. Each session typically lasts about a half hour or more depending on the patient.

Acupuncture is not covered by insurance companies in North Carolina, but Coy said it couldn’t hurt to call yours and ask, because hopefully that will change soon.

To set up an appointment with Coy, or to find out more information, contact the FirstHealth Center for Health and Fitness at (910) 410-0123.

Staff writer Eren Tataragasi can be reached at (910) 997-3111 ext. 19 or at etataragasi@yourdailyjournal.com.