Acupuncture in Kennewick, WA

I’ve suffered from sinus infections for most of my adult life. I’ve tried every over the counter medicine you can name when I feel one coming on, but I always end up in the doctor’s office waiting to be examined so that I can get a prescription for antibiotics filled at my local pharmacy. And this always brings with it, the fun side effects that women get from antibiotics, which requires a second antibiotic to battle that problem. I was getting up to three sinus infections a year when I was in college and living in Seattle. But when I moved back to Eastern Washington six years ago, my allergies blew up, and I was getting a sinus infection more frequently. I was miserable. And then I found Dr. Shannon Dramis.

Dr. Dramis treated me twice for sinus infections with antibiotics, and on the third visit to her in six months, she asked me, “Have you ever tried accupuncture? I think it could really help your sinus infection problem, and I don’t think you’d need more than two sessions. In fact, one would probably do it.” I hadn’t tried it before, but I was desperate for relief, and was willing to try anything. So, for that appointment, I didn’t only leave with a prescription to deal with my current sinus infection, I also left with an appointment for acupuncture for the following week.

I arrived promptly at 3pm, ready to try this. I’d done a little research online to find out how painful acupuncture was for people, and found most people stated it wasn’t that bad. And I have tattoos, so clearly not afraid of needles or pain, but as this was a new experience, I admit, I was a little scared. I work a tank top, and shorts as directed by the woman who confirmed my appointment, and felt my blood pressure jolt up when they called my name to go back.

Dr. Dramis is wonderful. She’s very calming, and very informative, and she was so relaxed as she walked me through what we would be doing, that she quickly put my fears at ease. I laid on the table, on my back, and took a couple of deep breaths as instructed by Dr. Dramis. She then proceeded to put needles in different places in my feet, my shins, and around my knees. She then moved up and put two needles near my collar bone, one on each cheek, and one on each hand in that spot between thumb and index finger. She then put on soothing music, told me to relax and she’d be back in about 20 minutes.

I focused on my breathing and did my best to relax. For about 10 minutes or so, I didn’t feel anything. Then, suddenly, I felt this strange itching around the needle on my left hand, as if I had a sudden mosquito bite. Of course I couldn’t move, but the itching intensified, and I opened my eyes. And the two needles on my cheeks were vibrating like crazy! It was intense to see that! You hear about energy, and to see it actually moving the needles was eye opening, and more than that, it was mind opening. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes again, and tried to focus on my breathing to ignore the itching sensation in my left hand.

It felt like a really long time between that moment and the moment Dr. Dramis came back into the room. She turned on the light, and slowly removed the needles and helped me sit up. She asked me how I felt during the 20 minutes, and I explained how my left hand had that itching sensation and she smiled. “That doesn’t surprise me, that left pressure point is linked to your right sinus which is much more blocked than your left sinus.” She handed me tissues, and I blew my nose, and for the first time in a long time I breathed so clear, and Dr. Dramis smiled. She said, “I don’t think you’ll need a second session, but let me know how you feel, and if the sinus pressure comes back.”

I thanked her, paid my $65 to the front desk, as acupuncture is not covered by my insurance company, and went home. And I didn’t have another sinus infection for almost 4 years. Best $65 I have ever spent. And now, here we are four years later, and a minor sinus infection has plagued me, and trust me when I tell you that I already made my next acupuncture appointment. Eastern medicine is effective, and I will use it for any other chronic illness that comes my way.

Living in a small eastern Washington town, acupuncture is not something most people would think of to help deal with chronic medical issues. I wish they would, because we have a phenomenal acupuncturist right in our own backyard. Dr. Dramis at Badger Canyon Family Health & Wellness is a wonderful physician who can help with both western and eastern medicine, and I recommend her and her powerful needles as much as I can. I’m not only a patient, I’m a fan.