Often, I’m asked how I became interested in acupuncture and bodywork. Back in the early 1980s, acupuncture wasn’t something you easily found in the suburbs of Seattle. Chiropractic and massage were accessible, but bodywork, structural integration, or other “exotic” methods of manual medicine were rare. I got lucky!

Sometime before my junior year of high school, I sustained a significant injury to my right hamstring during a partner-assisted stretch at a martial arts practice. Over the next few days, the pain, dysfunction, and weakness forced me to walk with crutches. I visited two different general practice M.D.s who suggested a couple of different treatments. Unfortunately, these activities did not make things better. In fact, they possibly made them worse. Needless to say, I didn't turn out for wrestling that year.

A friend’s father saw me limping and wanted to know what happened. It turned out that he had been trained in acupuncture in Korea and offered to treat me. For the next 30 days, I underwent daily acupuncture treatments. After that, I went to work figuring out my own stretching and rehab routines. Within less than a year, I was stronger, faster, and more flexible than I was before the injury. From that point on, I knew I wanted to be an acupuncturist.

My First Encounter With Manual Medicine

My first encounter with manual medicine and hands-on techniques was during my first year of college in the weight room. One morning, the head of the physical education department introduced me to a student from Japan. We would talk on occasion when we ran into each other at the gym. One morning during my workout, she saw me rubbing my neck and shoulder and asked if I was in pain. When I said "yes," she told me to lay down on the floor and she proceeded to work on me.

The Healing Touch of Acupressure

She started working on my neck and shoulders using acupressure and range of motion exercises and then reset my neck. After that, she turned me over and worked on my entire back and spine. What a relief! I asked her where she learned how to do this, and she said she was taught at home by her family. After that quarter, I never saw her again, but I have never forgotten my first taste of therapeutic bodywork.

So there you have it, there’s my story. Perhaps not terribly exciting, but the experiences were deep and meaningful to me, enough to pursue a career in caring for others.

Want to have your own acupuncture or bodywork experience? Reach out to me by calling 206-938-0683 or emailing me at david@davidengstrom.net and schedule a consultation.