Dr. Katherine Andersen, D.O.M.
606 S. Rio Grande, Ste. B
Aztec, New Mexico 87410
(505) 334-2008
Fax (505) 334-5515

All of my adult life, I have been in search of a way to help people. Life experiences have led me to understand that I have not only a responsibility, but a personal need to assist my fellow beings. When we help someone back to good health, we are doing good not only for them, but for ourselves.

Acupuncture is an exciting and rewarding profession because people often come to me as a last resort. Maybe their doctor has told them there is nothing more they can do. Maybe the patient is tired of using drugs that have bad side effects. Acupuncture is often approached with a "What the heck" or "What do I have to lose" attitude. After a few treatments, sometimes after only one, many of my patients begin to see results. Pain or some type of chronic sickness that they had been living with for years begins to disappear right before their eyes.

I am proud that acupuncture has helped to take the "voodoo" out of talk about energy healing. I believe that through acupuncture's acceptance in the 90's, the way has been paved for homeopathy, Reiki, meditation, Qi Gong and Tai Chi to take their rightful places among healing modalities in the United States. Along with acupuncture, these disciplines take into account the energy flow of all living beings and work with that flow to help people stay healthy. The wise health practitioner and the wise patient will make use of these disciplines in conjunction with western medicine to live healthy lives.

Please visit my web site, river-of-light.net to learn about how I work with people on a transpersonal level.

Katherine Andersen, Doctor of Oriental Medicine

Acupuncture is the manipulation of Qi (chi), the vital essence that flows through our bodies like rivers of energy. Qi is responsible for our hearts beating, our lungs breathing. It promotes warmth in our bodies and protects us against disease. I visualize Qi as a current flowing through 12 channels, or meridians, both inside and outside the body. A healthy human being has a robust, unimpeded flow of Qi. With a little practice, it is easy to see if a person has good Qi.

A person suffering from pain has a blockage of Qi, like a logjam in a river. The pain is not the cause of the logjam but the manifestation (or effect) of it. The cause will often be from extreme emotional or physical trauma.

My new patients are sometimes apprehensive about needle insertion. Acupuncture needles are thinner than a human hair, and often the patient does not feel it when the needles are inserted. Sometimes, when I find stagnant Qi in one or more of the patient's points, there may be some slight discomfort as the needle goes in. But it's only for the moment. I like to let my patients relax for a period of time so that the Qi blockages can open. Then I will come in to the treatment room and stimulate the points by slightly moving the needles with my fingers, and actually with a little help from my own Qi. There will be some sensation, but likely no discomfort.

Here, I work on points on a patient's back for back pain and stiffness. During an appointment, my patients will usually experience a period of relaxation and healing in the midst of their often hectic work week.

A licensed acupuncturist has spent two years of study dedicated to acupuncture, anatomy, herbal remedies and muscular massage. A Doctor of Oriental Medicine, as I am, has dedicated three years to the discipline. As a student of the International Institute of Chinese Medicine, I served a six-week internship in hospitals in Beijing, China. Acupuncture is an exacting practice. Make sure that you go to a licensed acupuncturist to receive the best possible of this type of energetic healing modality.