Natural healing

Moses Lake acupuncturist and herbalist treats patients with 2,000-year-old form of Oriental medicine

MOSES LAKE — With each needle that is inserted into one of Chung Song's patients, he attempts to balance out energy pathways in the human body to promote healing.

"We have to return to our natural balance so acupuncture is trying to give balance," Song said.

Song describes acupuncture, a form of Oriental medicine that dates back 2,000 years, as a natural healing approach which uses sterilized needles to promote a balance of energy within the human body.

There can be excessive or deficient energy levels in the organs of the human body and the needles are placed according to where energy pathways exist to balance the flow of energy, Song said.

After observing, listening, asking questions and checking a patient's pulse, Song chooses a treatment plan for his patients.

Whether a patient feels the needle being inserted depends on the level of sensitivity a person has at a specific location along an energy pathway.

Song studied to be an acupuncturist in South Korea, beginning his practice in 1980.

In that time he has practiced in several cities and countries around the world including Morocco, Malaysia, Egypt, Israel, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates and the U.S.

In the mid-1990s, Song came to the U.S. where he had a practice in Vancouver, Wash. The abundance of rain there prompted him to relocate his practice and move to Moses Lake.

After talking with a realtor in Yakima, who advised Song to come to Moses Lake, Song called an acupuncturist in town who happened to be leaving his practice.

"It was very accidental," Song said of opening a practice in Moses Lake.

It has been five years since Song came to Moses Lake and nearly a decade since he began practicing in the U.S.

It has not been difficult to get started in the U.S. and the people here are open to the idea of acupuncture as a form of treatment, Song said.

In his native South Korea, the practice of acupuncture is deeply rooted.

Acupuncture is widely accepted there, and many of the terms used in Oriental medicine are used in the daily language of the people, Song said.

More and more, Song is seeing wider acceptance of acupuncture. It is a trend he believes is due to people being willing to try alternatives to antibiotics.

"People try to avoid medications," Song said. "We can say our medicine is a historically proven medicine because it is over 2,000 years old."

Song has even had doctors refer patients to him. Some patients come seeking help to quit smoking or stop other addictions.

Song says his job is his calling and has no intention of retiring any time soon.

"My profession is my destiny, my gift from the Lord," he said. "My job is my hobby."