Western-Star.com

Patients who visit Guanhu Yang in his Mason office deliberately have at least a dozen small needles inserted into their bodies to help alleviate pain.

This may sound counterproductive, but Yang — a licensed acupuncturist — provides traditional Chinese medical treatment at the Acupuncture Wellness Center of Mason, 8583 Mason-Montgomery Road. Acupuncture is often used in conjunction with Western medicine to help people with chronic pain or illness, Yang said.

Acupuncture is a healing act of inserting a needle into an acupuncture point in a meridian — or energy channels — to correct an imbalance of the energetic pathways relating to the organs, muscles and nerves of the human body's surface. The meridians connect the interior of the body with the exterior. Each acupuncture point has a defined therapeutic action, Yang said.

Yang received his medical degree in 1985 and his training included both modern western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. After completion of his Ph.D., Guanhu decided to continue his research in pulmonary biology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. He has been certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and he was certified by the Ohio State Medical Board as an acupuncturist.

Yang said that he knows many people don't like needles, but with acupuncture, knowledge helps overcome the fear.

"The needles we use are thin," he said. "People, once they see that, they feel a little better. We don't go in there to cause pain."

Yang said that sometimes there is discomfort when he moves the needle to help with the blocked energy causing the health issues, but it's not the pain people anticipate from needles.

According to Yang, studies have shown traditional Chinese acupuncture help people with chronic back and joint pain, as well as other illnesses including allergies, asthma, diabetes, circulation problems. Yang has also treated patients for obesity, smoking cessation and depression/anxiety disorders.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4542 or mrossiter@coxohio.com.