By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
Wai H. Low performs acupuncture on his apprentice,
Haaheo Scanlan.
Sharing care
Health care providers work
By Heather Tang
hand in hand with alternative
care by introducing discounts
for acupuncture, massage and
chiropractic therapies
Star-BulletinNORMA Saiki has never forgotten the panic she felt one day, 25 years ago, when she was suddenly struck blind while talking to a neighbor outside her home.
"Everything started spinning and all that was in front of me went black," she said.
Vomiting and overcome by head pain, Saiki rushed to the ophthalmologist who diagnosed her with incurable migraines.
Refusing to follow orders to "just wait it out," she went to an acupuncturist, who discovered the cause of her pain was a brain hemmorage.
After the first needle was inserted by the acupuncturist, she said, "The room stopped spinning. My vision returned immediately."
Saiki, now 63, believes acupuncture is a miracle cure. Her husband Harold agrees. Suffering from chronic heart weakness, acupuncture treatments allow him to do several push-ups a day and he believes it has also prevented him from baldness.
The Saikis allegiance to acupuncture mirrors the growing demand nationwide for alternative, or complementary, health care.
By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
Massage therapists work pressure points on
hands and feet to relieve aches and pains.
After years of ignoring alternative care, health care providers on July 1 began offering discount programs on acupuncture, chiropractic care, massage therapy, nutritional supplements and fitness memberships. Increased consumer demand was the primary factor in the introduction of some new offerings from the Hawaii Medical Service Association and Kaiser Permanente Hawaii."It takes time to feel comfortable with something new and different, and while we certainly aren't advocating replacing Western medicine, we recognize that people are already trying alternative medicine," said Kaiser spokesperson Jan Kagehiro. "We want to make sure there's an understanding on both sides."
She said members had long been asking for help in choosing safe, credentialed practitioners.
By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
Wai H. Low performs acupuncture on his apprentice,
Haaheo Scanlan.
Both HMSA and Kaiser contract with PractiCare Hawaii and its partner American Specialty Network. The organizations specialize in credentialing and supporting complementary care providers, including doctors of chiropractic, acupuncturists and massage therapists statewide. This assures patients that providers meet National Committee for Quality Assurance standards for quality, the highest standard in the nation.HMSA also contracts with Landmark Health Care for similar services.
"It really is revolutionary in that we never had this collaboration between conventional and complementary medicine in Hawaii before," said Dr. Lawrence Redmond, president of PractiCare Hawaii. "It's the people of Hawaii who will benefit, truly making this the wellness state."
Last year, 83 million American adults used some form of complementary medical treatment. Expenditures in that industry have grown from $13.7 billion in 1990 to $21.2 billion in 1997, according to an American Medical Association study.
"The desired outcome of Western and alternative care practitioners is the same -- to provide options, choices and care for patients that will make them feel better," said Dr. Donna McCleary, pediatrician and vice president of Hawaii Permanente Medical Group. "There may have been some warped opinions between the two sides in the past but ... there's greater acceptance today and willingness to communicate.
By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
Wai H. Low practices acupuncture, an ancient Chinese
treatment that is finding some acceptance by mainstream
health-care providers, as a service that complements
traditional Western medical care.
"Over time, we'll be able to work in concert rather than in isolation."Alternative medicine is believed to help people feel and function better, said McCleary. "Western medicine has gone a long way toward healing, treating ... helping people be around longer. But alternative medicine can help people feel better."
Here is a guide as to what some of these services entail:
Chiropractic care
Bonnie Nam first experimented with chiropractic therapy 26 years ago to avoid wearing an orthopedic brace for scoliosis. She received relief without drugs or X-rays, she says.The largest non-medical healing art in the world, chiropractic care -- Greek for "done by hand" -- is based on the theory that disease is caused by spinal nerve stress.
Discovered in 1895 by an American doctor, it employs manipulation of body joints, especially the spine, to help restore nerve function without drugs or surgery.
Most patients turn to alternative treatments as a last resort. "After four years with Western medicine, they still couldn't diagnose me. They didn't know what to do with me," said six-year chiropractic and acupuncture patient, Leslie Adams.
A nurse by training, Adams was initially hesitant. However, after being relieved of back pain caused by falling from a window, she has become an advocate. Since then, she has been on a constant program of chiropractic, acupuncture and Chinese herbs to stay "balanced." Even bouts with poisonings, chronic fatigue syndrome and pancreatitis have been alleviated through these alternative therapies.
"I simply would not have a life without (complementary medicine)," said Adams. "It's a miracle. Wherever Western medicine has failed, (these treatments) have been a wonder."
Cost: About $50 to 80.
Acupuncture
American acceptance of the 500-year-old discipline of acupuncture is growing. Two years ago, a federal advisory panel endorsed the ancient Chinese medical practice for treating certain conditions, including nausea and post-operative dental pain. The panel also noted its effectiveness in relieving pain from menstrual cramps, headaches, aching muscles, carpal tunnel syndrome and stroke side effects."The Western response to these problems is often orthopedic braces, cortisone shots or surgery, all of which result in work loss. Acupuncture is often very successful in curing these problems in six to 10 sessions over a month, said Joni Croll, acupuncturist and owner of the Kailua Acupuncture Clinic.
According to the National Institute of Health, millions of Americans already use acupuncture, a component of traditional Chinese medicine that involves the use of hair-thin metallic needles inserted under the skin to stimulate specific points in the body.
Acupuncturist believe that the body is made up of channels of energy flow, known as qi, and that blockage of this flow result in pain and disease. Stimulating specific acupuncture points unblock channels, restoring the body's balance while relieving pain and other symptoms.
Cost: About $50; $20 to 30 for a student-acupuncturist at The Institute of Clinical Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. For a list of licensed acupuncturists, contact the state Acupuncture Board at 586-2698. The list is available for $8 and offers the individual's name and license number without phone numbers or addresses.
Massage therapy
Complementary care treatments also include therapeutic massages such as Hawaii's traditional form of massage, lomilomi. Using deep tissue manipulation, this technique stirs circulation of body fluids through muscle tissue and organs, bringing relief and relaxation to tense and stressed muscles.The techniques have helped 83-
year-old Esther Kimura move her arms and legs again. After suffering from a stroke 15 years ago, Kimura lost her balance and could barely feed herself.
"The doctors could prescribe medicine that would numb the pain but would make her dopey. She wouldn't be able to manipulate her hands and legs anymore to walk ... I threw away the medicine; it was too strong," said Kimura's daughter Edna Kijinami.
Following visits with acupuncturists and chiropractors, Kimura finally decided to try lomilomi.
"We thought, 'Oh maybe it might help her. It wasn't immediate relief. It took about three or four sessions over a month or two until we could see her do things herself. Now there's no pain in her arms," said Kijinami.
The therapists recognize that suffering individuals need more than just physical relief. One's emotions, mind, and spirit are also soothed and stimulated for relaxation, peace and healing, said David Lewis, lomilomi massage therapist at the Hale Lomi Ola clinic.
"It's an opportunity to integrate mind, body, and spirit. It's prayer-
centered. In the old days, if you had a sore shoulder, the Hawaiians would find out what was happening spiritually," said Lewis.
Responses to treatment vary, says Lewis. "Patients can face the world differently than when they come in. Blood's flowing better, muscles are relaxed. They feel more grounded and more in touch with who they are."
More conventional massage therapy techniques include European massage, the basis of common Swedish and Russian styles. Using long strokes, kneading, vibration, friction and percussion techniques, it can be applied for general relaxation, sports massage, injury recovery and rehabilitation.
Massage and bodywork forms of Asian origin include amma, acupressure and shiatsu. These generally focus on energy flow, qi, through finger pressure on individual points.
Cost: About $45 to 70 per session.
Naturopathy
Also growing in popularity is naturopathy, a relatively new combination of allopathic, or Western, and homeopathic medicine philosophies. Allopathy is usually opposed to homeopathy, a theory that proposes certain diseases are curable through small doses of drugs that ordinarily produce diseaselike symptoms."We take all of the same sciences that conventional doctors take. We see ourselves as a blend of Eastern and Western medical philosophies. The main difference is therapy," said Laurie Steelsmith, naturopathic doctor and owner of the Kahala Natural Health Center.
Steelsmith specializes in treating women's health problems such as menopausal and pre-menstrual syndrome. She also treats problems including irritable bowel syndrome, arthritic pain, colds and flu, weight loss, smoking programs and general pain relief. "Our primary aim is to treat the underlying cause of disease and to prevent the progression of disease," she said.
Looking at each patient on an individual basis has helped Steelsmith treat disease where others have failed. Within two weeks of treatment by Steelsmith, Susan Tomita said she was relieved of colitis, or an inflammation of the colon. An examination of Tomita's diet revealed a glut of processed foods and chemicals from products, such as coffee. Instead of the Western prescription of cortizone and other immunosuppresant medicines, Steelsmith's prescription of herbal medicine and a new diet made her "a lifesaver" for Tomita, who says the change of her diet has also eliminated her migraines.
Cost: First visits about $125; return visits, $75. Excluded from health plan discount programs. However, payment concessions may be made by individual practitioners for low-income patients.
Consult your physician
By Heather Tang
before taking the
alternative route
Star-BulletinIT'S wise to take as much care in seeking an alternative care practitioner for the first time, as in choosing a physician. Here are some tips for making the decision:
Consult your physician. Although referrals are not necessary to qualify for the complementary care discount programs available from HMSA and Kaiser, it's advised that individuals check with their physician first to rule out the possibility of serious illness.
"Physicians often worry about worst-case scenarios. We don't want to miss something that we can treat and fix. Medical and alternative care providers should be used as complements, not substitutes, to overall health care," said Dr. Donna McCleary, pediatrician and vice-president at Hawaii Permanente Medical Group.
"It's important to have open communication between patient and physician; patients should feel free to comfortably discuss their alternative treatment with their physician. The physician can then prescribe the appropriate and corresponding Western medical treatment," she said.
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