Last month Dr. Steven Dubey of Natural Health and Pain Relief Clinic in Lihu‘e expanded his staff to include an acupuncturist who specializes in women’s health and Chinese herbology. Karu (rhymes with Peru) Hodder earned her master’s degree in acupuncture
Last month Dr. Steven Dubey of Natural Health and Pain Relief Clinic in Lihu‘e expanded his staff to include an acupuncturist who specializes in women’s health and Chinese herbology. Karu (rhymes with Peru) Hodder earned her master’s degree in acupuncture and oriental medicine from Seattle Institute of Oriental Medicine and a bachelor’s of science in herbal science from Bastyr University.
During the final year of this three year degree, Hodder worked exclusively with Dr. Xie, a fifth generation gynecologist from China.
“Most of her practice was in fertility,” Hodder said. “I followed her for my final year and made all of her herbal formulas.”
After a detailed consultation, Hodder treats her clients with acupuncture and herbal remedies. For the uninitiated, acupuncture is the treatment of pain or disease by inserting the tips of needles at specific points on the skin — needles as thin and flexible as a cat’s hair.
“I’m putting the needles into meridians to regulate the flow of energy through the body,” she said.
Hodder treats clients for premenstrual, menopause, emotional and stress related issues.
“On the Mainland I worked with midwives,” she said. “If contractions stop there’s things I can do with acupuncture to help start them again.”
Hodder’s other area of expertise is in Chinese herbology. The Natural Health and Pain Relief Clinic carries Chinese herbs in a pill or tincture format. Since Hodder joined the staff they’ve added a line of herbal granules that dissolve in water.
“Chinese herbs are used for acute or chronic disorders, and like acupuncture, for maintenance. A person’s health weakness can be treated daily with these teas,” Dubey said.
Dubey said he offered bulk herbs in his pharmacy when they first opened in 1984 but due to the humidity they’d mold.
“Chinese granules have revolutionized herbs,” he said. “This type of Chinese herbal pharmacy is ancient and modernized. It’s a trend on the Mainland and (until now) didn’t exist on Kauai.”
In the past if a patient received a prescription for a Chinese herbal tea they were also given a recipe on how to prepare it in their kitchen. One common complaint was the strong odor of the boiling herbs. For this modern method of preparation a blend of herbs has been boiled, then dehydrated and packaged as a granule. All the patient has to do now is reconstitute the tea by adding water. The flavor is mild and reminiscent of licorice. Formulas range in price between $15 and $20 for a one-week treatment.
After familiarizing herself with a client’s symptoms, Hodder makes a constitutional diagnosis.
“It’s a snapshot of where they are in that moment,” she said. “My goal is to bring mind, body and spirit back into harmony.”
If herbs are prescribed Hodder begins with a base formula. One added benefit to a base formula is the ability of a practitioner to expand upon that by adding other ala carte herbs. The base formula treats an imbalance and to that base, Hodder can add other herbs to treat the symptoms.
“Western medicine looks at symptoms more then the root of the cause,” she said. “If someone has insomnia, they receive a prescription to help them sleep.”
Hodder said there are seven or eight imbalances that can cause insomnia.
“If you just treat the symptoms the root cause doesn’t go away and it’ll manifest in other ways, like as anxiety, fatigue or restlessness during the day,” she said. “The beauty of the Chinese formula is that it’s treating where you are today and where you will be in the future.”
Which insurance companies cover acupuncture?
American Specialty Insurance through HMSA
HMAA
UHA
Summerlin
• Pam Woolway, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681, ext. 257 or pwoolway@kauaipubco.com
