Pioneer Times photo/Gloria Austin
ENERGY — Marge Seiler, left, is having her energy measured and graphed by a computer program, as Dr. Ronald Ouellette, chiropractor and chiropractic acupuncturist, makes sure the electrodes are affixed on the 12 meridians to measure electrical flow in the body.
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
HOULTON — With such an extended winter season, many people are feeling anxious.
But, for others, this is a feeling they struggle with all year long. Others combat illnesses and pain. So, is relief only found in prescriptions? No. There are many natural or holistic venues that can be explored. That being said, Dr. Ronald Ouellette offers two of those building blocks.
Dr. Ouellette is a local chiropractor.
“Balancing our lives has to do with more than just standing up straight or being able to walk without stumbling,” he said. “It has to do with diet, exercise, alignment of joints in the body so they are not interfering with nerves and causing the nerves to tell your body to act in an aberrant way.”
But put acupuncture on that list. This fall, Dr. Ouellette obtained his license to add this module to his existing practice on Court Street in Houlton.
“After Casey White passed away, there was a big hole left in this community with no acupuncturist in the area,” explained Dr. Ouellette, who contacted an associate in chiropractic services, Dr. Zev Myerowitz, of Holden, who was the president of the board of acupuncturists for the state.
Last August, Dr. Ouellette completed an extensive course and became a licensed chiropractic acupuncturist.
“Acupuncture has been perfected to the point that over 400 points on the body have been discovered to treat a variety of ailments,” said Dr. Ouellette.
Acupuncture was developed 4,000 years ago in China. The legend stems from a soldier having a problem with his shoulder. He could not move his arm and all the doctors could not solve his problem. He went into battle and was wounded in the leg. His shoulder pain and shoulder problem went away. Doctors were curious about how that happened and started investigating. Over 4,000 years later, they came up with certain points on the body that reestablish normal function — normal balance in the system of the body — so that people can be well, explained Dr. Ouellette.
Pioneer Times photo/Gloria Austin
SELF DEMONSTRATION — Dr. Ronald Ouellette demonstrates cupping on himself during a recent presentation on acupuncture.
Chiropractic care and acupuncture complement one another.
“You realize everything is moving in a very delicate manner,” said Dr. Ouellette. “It is like a dance in life. If one partner is trying to do one step and the other another step, they step on each other’s toes and dance no longer in balance. If they follow each other’s movements well and their steps are the same, the dance is smooth and in harmony.”
Acupuncture scares many people. Some people are just afraid of needles in general.
“There are a few places where needles are placed that it hurts,” said Dr. Ouellette.
The only side effects of the needles may include a little redness or a tiny red spot depending on where the needle is placed.
“I might hit a blood vessel, vein or artery and get a drop of blood that comes out,” Dr. Ouellette noted.
Acupuncture needles are encased in a glass tube with a blue handle stuck to the side of the tube. The needle is tapped in and wiggled into the skin, which Dr. Ouellette says patients cannot feel.
“The needle is as thin as a hair,” he said. “It is very flexible.”
It usually takes 15 minutes to perform the procedure, but with some ailments it may take up to a half hour.
However, there are some places on the body a needle cannot be inserted so a moxa is used. A moxa is a little cone that sticks onto the area. The cone has a tiny hole in the side and top of the cone, which allow air to move through.
“As air is being drawn down through, heat comes out through the bottom,” explained Dr. Ouellette. “It will actually warm the acupuncture point and create the same reaction as you would have from a needle being put in the spot.”
“But, there are some points because of the way they are, they cannot be needled and moxa is not a good idea,” he added.
At that point, cupping is used. Cupping requires massage oil to be rubbed onto the skin, a glass ball uses fire to burn out the oxygen and then it is placed on the skin.
“The skin is being pulled up inside,” said Dr. Ouellette. “The flame takes oxygen out of the glass ball, placing it quickly on oiled skin, it creates a suction and draws the skin up into the ball. The ball is positioned over an acupuncture point and can be rubbed back and forth. A person has treatment without penetrating the skin. Sometimes cupping creates a black and blue mark.”
Still many people remain skeptical of its treatment.
“Some people may think it is all voodoo stuff,” he added. “But, what we are doing is using your body’s nervous system and natural ability to read its environment to give us information on what to do to help you get better.”
But, hand-in-hand with the Asian medicine is the use of herbs.
“There are thousands of different herbs,” said Dr. Ouellette. “In my office, I have about 30 different ones, the most commonly used. But, every now and then, a patient comes in who needs one of the herbs I don’t have in stock. When I order it, I order two of each, one to sell and one stays in stock. That way I build up my stock slowly.”
For an example, many suffer from insomnia. Dr. Ouellette has a possibility of 16 herbs to treat insomnia. He stocks only four of the most common. He uses a testing unit to measure a person’s response to a particular herb.
The third component for any healthy balance comes from food choices.
“If you are not eating right it is going to cause problems,” said Dr. Ouellette.
On a patient assessment, Dr. Ouellette will use the person’s tongue to determine what may be going on in various parts of the body to prescribe an herb.
“Herbs are vital to reestablish normal functions,” he added.
Another technique associated with acupuncture is energy in the body. A Taiwan-based company developed a computer program to measure and chart the electrical flow in all 12 meridians — six on the hand and six on the feet.
There is no pain. There are no needles. The patient sits in a chair, with bare feet resting on a cushion. Electrodes are placed that are hooked to a computer monitor, which shows what meridian is being tested on the screen.
As the patient rests, electrical pulses are measured and analyzed to record a person’s core balance.
“The body is so remarkable,” said Dr. Ouellette. “Nerves are sensing and constantly monitoring what is going in your environment.”
Dr. Ouellette does not pretend to know all of the answers to all medical questions. He has, however, followed his college professor’s adage.
“Doctor does not mean you know everything. If you think so, you might as well walk out the door now because you are not going to be a good doctor,” recalled Dr. Ouellette. “Doctor means you know where to find the answer.”
Dr. Ouellette believes balance in a person’s life comes in the form of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
“This human frame we live in was created to live in a very nice balanced way,” he said.
For more information, call Dr. Ouellette at 521-0286.
