Contrary to what nurses and doctors try to convince their patients, childhood inoculations do hurt. As a result, some people develop a deep-seated fear of needles and would never think of venturing into an acupuncturist’s office. But developments in medical technology have started to change the public’s mind regarding such treatments.
Local physician Carlos Suarez offers a new service — needle-free acupuncture — in his medical repertoire. Providing both conventional family medical care and complementary and alternative medicine, Suarez is also a licensed medical acupuncturist.
Peruvian-born Suarez works at Bandon’s branch of the North Bend Medical Center. He offers traditional acupuncture treatment, using minute needles that are almost invisible to the eye, and needle-free acupuncture, which is done with a hand-held instrument that produces a 10-hertz laser beam.
Using the ear as a map for treating problems in other parts of the body, Suarez said he first focuses on “master points” in the ear. He stimulates these points with the laser or needles and small bursts of electricity to bring the body back into equilibrium.
With regular acupuncture, the patient keeps the needle or needles in the ear between 24 and 36 hours. Using the laser instrument, it can take as little as five minutes to complete the procedure, Suarez explained.
“Laser treatment is so much quicker, easier and effective,” Suarez said.
It is also cheaper than traditional acupuncture, he noted.
It might seem strange that stimulating parts of the ear could successfully treat problems in other parts of the body. But, Suarez said, “We each came from a single cell, so every part of our body affects each other part.”
Patient Marvin Hull, who suffers from chronic back pain, said that, during recent treatment as the laser touched the “back pain area” in his ear, the pain in his back immediately went away. The sensation if the laser itself feels like somebody pinching you, Hull noted.
Depending on the problem, treatment may be progress to a next step, “meridian treatment,” according to Suarez.
Meridian treatment is a technique associated with Chinese medicine, during which the areas from the forearm to the hand and from the knee to the foot are stimulated to correct any imbalances in the body’s ability to circulate energy.
Suarez finally focuses on the patient’s particular problem spot, stimulating it with electricity or a needle.
He explained that it is a doctor’s job to put the body back into equilibrium. Once that is done, then the body can take care of itself. Acupuncture is a method that encourages the body to do its own natural healing.
Providing the treatment is just one aspect of caring for patients, he noted. Suarez also relies on patients’ post-treatment thoughts to help them stay healthy.
“The problem to be fixed is within us,” he said.
According to Suarez, acute injuries respond well to acupuncture and often can be healed with a single treatment. Chronic problems require chronic treatment.
He noted that the new laser method works particularly well with children, who generally respond better to the treatment than adults.
Suarez said that, while people normally associate acupuncture with pain treatment, it also is effective in treating problems related to the mind-spirit complex. For example, acupuncture can help but not cure anxiety and depression.
Acupuncture is also useful for treating dense organ problems, such as liver disease, as well as sinusitis, gastrointestinal disorders, neurological disorders, nausea, migraines, some paralysis and temporomandibular joint disorder.
Suarez also offers craniosacral therapy of the head and specializes in nutrition and herbal medicine. Craniosacral therapy of the head involves gently moving the head and applying minimal pressure to specific points, so that the body will respond and begin to self-heal. Somewhat similar to chiropracty, but without the cracking and creaking, the pressure should feel no heavier than a nickel resting on one’s finger, he stated.
Since many of his patients already take herbal products, Suarez often adjusts dosages or eliminates some herbs in order to ensure they are receiving optimal benefit.
When necessary, Dr. Suarez not only coordinates patient care with conventional doctors but also with naturopaths and chiropractors.
Many insurance companies cover the services that Suarez offers. Some limit the number of treatments patients can receive or will only pay for the initial consult.
For Suarez, the health of his patient is a priority, and he sometimes offers free treatments for those who cannot afford them.
Suarez moved to Bandon with his family in December 2006. The option of being near the ocean made the job offer presented by NBMC very tempting, he said. NBMC was also quite open to having an acupuncturist on staff, which cinched the decision for him.
Bandonians have been quite receptive to acupuncture and alternative medicine. When compared to the rest of the country, Oregon and Washington State are very open to these practices, he said.
Suarez received his medical degree from the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, in Lima, Peru, where he was born. In 2000, he became a licensed physician. Shortly thereafter, he attended East Tennessee State University, where he completed his medical residency in 2006.
While at East Tennessee State, his program director suggested Suarez consider going into alternative medicine. After attending a conference conducted by Dr. Andrew Weil, a leading proponent of integrative medicine, Suarez enrolled at Helms Medical Institute in Berkeley, Calif., where he spent eight months intensively training to become a qualified medical acupuncturist.
In his spare time, Suarez tries to do as much as possible at home and with his wife and small son. They enjoy walking and driving to the beaches. Apparently an aspiring Michael Jordan, his toddler is “extremely happy” when playing basketball at the park.
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