Profile: Mak Keltner, acupuncturist
February 16, 2008 at 12:00 pm by Brooke Williams in Profile
(Photo by Joeff Davis)
Mak Keltner has been poking strangers with needles for four years. An acupuncturist at Tiger Heart Acupuncture in Inman Park, Keltner treats patients using a variety of traditional Chinese treatments.
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is an ancient, comprehensive system of medicine that has helped millions of people and treats a wide range of heath problems. It is safe and addresses a lot of concerns that sometimes can’t be explained by conventional medicine.
Explain how it works.
The body is made up of energy channels that carry out all the functions of the body. When energy channels become deficient or blocked due to injury, diet or stress, pain or illness can result. Acupuncture points are used to move the energy, or qi, back to a normal state, restoring health. Each acupuncture point has a specific function in the body. I might use one point for stopping a cough or another for knee pain that gets worse when it rains.
Have you ever done acupuncture on yourself?
Yes, often. I treated my knee pretty regularly after I had surgery.
What does it feel like?
When the needle is inserted, I feel a tap and a pressure on my skin. I usually feel a dull ache combined with a sensation of slight movement, almost like a tiny muscle twitch. Sometimes there is a temporary pricking sensation, but it is much milder than the feeling of an injection or having blood drawn.
How deep into the skin do you put the needles?
Typically I insert the needle no more than a quarter of an inch, but sometimes more for thicker areas such as the hip.
Where did you go to school for acupuncture?
I got my masters from Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Austin [Texas].
How much blood do you see as an acupuncturist?
I see very little blood in my profession. Every once in a while there is a drop, but that is normal.
What is the most tender part of the body that you stick needles into?
Different patients have different reactions to the points. I often use needles in the face for relief of sinus or allergy discomfort. It is a very shallow needle insertion, but the face can be sensitive.
What is the strangest part of the body that you have stuck needles into?
Most people are surprised to hear there are acupuncture points in the ear. They are used for a variety of reasons, including stopping smoking.
What is the most common ailment that people seek treatment for?
Various types of pain.
What is the strangest reason someone wanted treatment?
The oddest reason for treatment was to restore sense of smell.
Acupuncture.com says acupuncture can be used to treat erectile dysfunction in men. Does that involve sticking needles in the penis?
No, you don’t stick needles in the penis to treat erectile dysfunction. Thank goodness.
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