by Wiley Sloan
Kim Bonsteel's Center for Acupuncture & Healing Arts offers safe relief for a host of ailments.
Center for Acupuncture & Healing Arts is now in its sixth season serving Highlands.
Owner Kim Bonsteel is a nationally board-certified Diplomate of Acupuncture. He received four years of training at Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine, and is now a faculty member at the scnool in Boone, North Carolina.
"Chinese herbal medicine is really a complete system of health care, with a literate scientific tradition going back 21300 years," says Bonsteel. "In our country, acupuncture is best known for pain, but acupuncture and Chinese medicine are so much more. The greatest breakthroughs in the history of Chinese medicine happened during times of serious epidemic diseases that make Ebola sound tame."
The World Health Organization says acupuncture is effective for such diverse conditions as high blood pressure, migraines, nerve-related bladder dysfunction, arthritis, the common cold, bronchial asthma, gum disease, irritable bowel, stomach inflammation, fibromyalgia, menstrual problems, depression, anxiety, and insomnia, to name a few.
"We do get relief for low back pain, sciatica, neck pain, tennis elbow, shoulder injuries, plantar pain, but many other conditions respond well to the strategies of Chinese medicine, without the side effects you see with drugs," says Bonsteel. "All healing comes from within; we use methods that optimize the body's natural healing ability."
Part of his practice is orthopedic manual therapy, correcting structure and movement problems that cause discomfort and pain.
"It's still amazing to me that you can normalize muscle tension, teach a few new habits, and the spine comes into line on its own," he says.
Bonsteel has been a licensed massage and bodywork therapist for 12 years. Part of his acupuncture education was in Chinese medical massage.
Kim is excited about offering a new form of health care delivery for the first time. "Community acupuncture" will be available most Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30 P.M. Patients can walk in without an appointment, and loose clothing is recommended. "This will be affordable acupuncture treatment in a group setting," says Bonsteel. "The interview and exam will still be private, but treating three orfour people in the same room lowers the cost. We have a sliding scale, and no proof of income is needed. It's an honor system."
If there is a lot of demand, he plans to offer community acupuncture other days and times. The traditional, private session remains available. Bonsteel offers a free, 10-minute consultation if you want to learn how acupuncture can help.
One of the barriers keeping more people from trying acupuncture is fear of needles.
"This is nothing like getting a shot or having your blood drawn," he says. "The pins are sterile and disposable, as fine as cat whiskers. People say it's like a mosquito bite, or they don't feel much at all. Non-needle alternatives, herbal medicine, and nutritional therapy are available."