AUBURN - People can get creeped out when it comes to needles, according to Susan Sheldon.

Sheldon, an Auburn acupuncturist, told a group of local business women last week that the tools of her trade tend to cause some apprehension at first in her customers.

But as part of the demonstration, she put a needle into a carefully located point on her own forearm without giving an indication of any sort of pain. These needles are as thin as a human hair, and you can barely feel them, Sheldon said.

“These needles, they are instruments,” she said. “They are very fine instruments.”

Sheldon's demonstration was part of a two-hour talk on the art and healing benefits of acupuncture. Sponsored by the Cornell Cooperative Extension, the educational presentation took place during a meeting of the Women in Business Network.

Sheldon, a member of the network who has a master's degree in acupuncture from New York Chiropractic College, discussed the history of the practice and gave an overview of its uses.

She also examined how the discipline is becoming more accepted in modern Western medicine, and she offered an overview of the services she provides through her Auburn practice.

“This is a wonderful healing modality,” Sheldon said.

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese healing practice that aims to restore and maintain a person's health by stimulating specific points on the body.

In traditional Chinese medicine, health is achieved by bringing the body to a state of balance. When the body is not in proper balance, vital energy known as qi is blocked, resulting in pain or other negative symptoms.

Acupuncture aims to un-block the qi and allow the body to reach proper balance.

Though described as a single term, acupuncture is a collection of techniques and procedures - the most recognized of which is the penetration of the skin with thin, metal needles that are stimulated by hand or electrical impulses.

But during her discussion, Sheldon introduced a number of other techniques that make up the discipline. One, known as “cupping,” uses glass jars to stimulate points on the body. The jars are placed upside down, and candles are used to create a vacuum between the jar and the skin, Sheldon said.

Another technique uses a polished whalebone to massage specific “channels” on the body, she said.

“This medicine is huge,” Sheldon said. “You just grab a hold of every tool you can and stay interested.”

Holistic and “alternative” practitioners are not the only people who are interested anymore, she said. Many American medical institutions have shown an interest in acupuncture as a complimentary procedure, Sheldon said.

Along with pain and stress relief, acupuncture can improve symptoms associated with everything from cancer to menopause, she said.

“I can have a conversation with a medical doctor today,” Sheldon said. “There's something to learn from everyone. That's the way I look at life.”

The Women in Business Network invites different members to give presentations about their businesses through the year. Though the meetings are free for members, non-members can sit in for $3.

Network member Debbie Donovan said after the talk that she was impressed with Sheldon's ability to speak in public.

“I could listen to her forever,” Donovan said.

Sheldon said after the program that relating to people is an important aspect of practicing acupuncture. After all, it is a profession where many of your clients can be queasy about your instruments.

“You've got to get to know people, and you have to be safe inside your own skin,” Sheldon said.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net