By Arlene Rodman

"Does it hurt?" friends asked me with round, quizzical eyes when I told them about being treated with acupuncture for severe back and hip pain. They had heard of Oriental medicine but knew little about this ancient healing art. For many people, the word acupuncture elicits a certain mystery and exoticism. I explaned that the metallic needles inserted beneath the superficial layer of the skin at precise points are hair thin and round-tipped to glide between muscle fibers. Performed by a well trained, certified practitioner, there is minimal pain. "Just a little pinch", I said. But Before starting my treatment, I too was skeptical and hesitant to seek this therapy, fearful of becoming a human pin cushion. My venture into the world of various treatments to alleviate my pain was long and without desired results. It all started after major surgery last year at the Cleveland Clinic Florida and subsequent treatment at Georgetown University Medical Center. Suddenly I experienced severe, debilitating pain in the lumbar area that drove me -after MRIs and Cat Scans - to a course in physical therapy, messages, Epidural spinal steroid injections and biofeedback. But nothing gave me sustanined relief. Each therapy just helped me briefly while I spent an inordiante amount of time visiting some of the many clinics in South Florida. In fact, all this agitation made me feel worse. By then I was at my wits end with pain and despair. When I hobbled bac to see my Boca Raton orthopedics he surprised me. " Why not try acupuncture?" Dr. Jeffrey Frenythough suggested after noting that surgery is not indicated at this time for what he diagnosed as spinal stenosis. His receptionist then gave me a calling card from Turtle Island Medical Associates in Boca Raton. After procrastinating for several weeks and researching the Internet about acupunctuure, I finally made an appointment with Dr. Myung Suk Tai, Doctor of Oriental Medicine.

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