New healing center offers a better way of life

Gig Harbor business combines acupuncture, massage

Susan Schell

of the Gateway

The Acupuncture & Body Alignment Center on Soundview Drive is the newest venue in Gig Harbor to open its doors to the health-conscious Maritime City.

Owners Michael Balmer and Brenda Duzan combine a blend of experience in acupuncture, deep tissue massage and nutrition education.

Balmer said that, in the practice, he “talks to the body’s intelligence.”

“We live in a world of toxins, and there is a general lack of nutrition,” he said. “We help people along the path to better health.”

Balmer received massage training at the Soma Institute in Buckley. His specialty is helping to correct body alignment with gentle massage and to improve posture and imbalances by “waking up muscles that are asleep.”

“When you do repetitive work, like computer typing or construction work, unless you’re ambidextrous, you’re going to have problems,” he said.

Duzan graduated from the Northwest Institute of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine in Seattle. After years of working as a registered nurse, she began to study acupressure because “the other thing isn’t working,” she said.

“I’ve always been interested in the gift of healing,” she said. “Through a series of personal healing and learning modalities, I began participating in the intrigue of acupuncture.”

Duzan said a big part of her practice is nutrition response testing, which helps uncover stressors a patient may have that aren’t getting better through other means.

“People get stuck in a particular set of symptoms, like chronic fatigue or sleep disorders,” she said. “I try to uncover the underlying causes of these conditions.”

Duzan and Balmer believe the Western world is becoming more accepting of ancient healing methods. Their business accepts most major insurance coverage. They opened in June and said business has been steadily increasing.

Balmer teaches classes in body alignment and self-care techniques using balls, stretching and strengthening exercises.

“Most people don’t know how to stretch and they hurt themselves,” he said. “Flexibility is key, and strength training is something they can use for the rest of their lives. My goal is to help people take responsibility for themselves.

“My focus is to take a person from being stiff, maybe from muscle imbalances or an injury, and to correct those imbalances and give people back their power.”

Acupuncture Body & Alignment Center

Located at the Gig Harbor Business Park, 5800 Soundview Drive, Ste. 101, in Gig Harbor. For more information, call 253-576-8278.

Acupuncture Body & Alignment Center will feature the following classes:

Body-Alignment Self Care Techniques, taught by Michael Balmer, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 11 and 18. Cost is $69.

Brenda Duzan will teach “Super Foods: The Food and Medicine of the Future,” from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 25. The cost is $4 to cover food samples.

Reach reporter Susan Schell at 253-853-9240 or by e-mail at susan.schell@gateline.com.