SMOKEY POINT Leslie Raznick, owner and acupuncturist at Smokey Point Acupuncture, has been managing clients pain for 26 years.
She began as a licensed massage therapist in Los Angeles before moving to the Northwest for graduate school. She earned her M.S. in 2000 from Bastyr University and practiced in Seattle before opening up her own pain management clinic in Smokey Point.
Acupuncture is the gentle insertion of needles into specific points on the human body. The process stimulates energy movement within the body and promotes healing. Raznick takes a holistic approach to medicine, believing that many factors go into the making of a healthy human being. On her Web site, www.smokeypointacupuncture.com, she promotes the World Health Organizations definition of health as the, state of complete physical, mental, and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
The techniques used in acupuncture are well over 5,000 years old, but only reached America within the past 30 years. They focus on human Qi, or energy, necessary to accomplish everyday activities. Qi is necessary for growth, movement, and maintenance of body temperature, as well as protecting against disease. Acupuncture focuses on tapping into the centers of energy in the body, allowing energy to flow more freely and nourish muscles and tissues. The stress of daily life often disrupts this process and affects the quality of energy transfer.
Raznick treats patients of all ages, ranging from five-years-old to over 90. Her goal is to treat pain at the root of the problem, not simply by treating symptoms.
We have so many people in pain in Snohomish County, said Raznick, What our patients have in common is that traditional medical treatment alone has not fully relieved their pain.
Raznick cleared up some common misconceptions about acupuncture.
Many people believe that the needles will hurt. They have a basic human fear of needles. But the needles are thinner than a strand of human hair. They are also used only once, hermetically sealed before opened and completely untouched before use.
Raznick believes in the importance of traditional medical treatment, but points out that not all patients respond to those methods of treatment with the same degree of success.
I am offering people a different solution to their pains, said Raznick, Many of my clients come recommended from M.D.s in the area.
Smokey Point Acupuncture is located in The Pacific Building at 3210 Smokey Point Drive. The clinic can be reached at 360-631-8746. More information about acupuncture can be found on Reznicks Web site, www.smokeypointacupuncture.com.