By Sean Patrick Murphy
Two Voorhees doctors are turning away from conventional medicine in favor of something called biopuncture.
Biopuncture is a unique injection treatment for various painful conditions like sports injuries or arthritis.
Polina Karmazin, M.D. is a true believer
“The wonderful thing about biopuncture is we don’t use any steroids,” Karmazin said, noting she uses homeopathic medications, highly diluted natural substances which produce little to no side effects.
She said the success rate for the procedure is “very good.
“Most patients that we treat have some degree of improvement,” Karmazin said of patients with knee problems. “Some of them who haven’t been dancing actually have a wonderful result where they go dancing.”
She said she believes biopuncture is better than steroids because of the long-term effectiveness.
Karmazin, a family physician board certified in acupuncture, said she has always been interested in alternative medicine.
“I incorporate that into my daily practice,” she said.
Karmazin said she started learning about and practicing biopuncture seven years ago and studied with biopuncture founder Dr. Jan Kersschot from Belgium.
She said she doesn’t think biopuncture is well known in the medical community.
Karmazin believes biopuncture is better than some conventional treatments because in mainstream medicine symptoms are suppressed using anti inflammatories and steroids.
“Our bodies heal through inflammation,” she said, noting mainstream medicine gives short term solutions to the symptoms but in the long run actually slows the resolution of the problem.
Biopuncture actually helps body to go through healing process, Karmazin said, adding that anti inflammatories can cause liver or kidney problems, stomach ulcers and other gastrointestinal disorders.
She has been in practice for 27 years, all of that time in Voorhees. Karmazin was born, raised, and graduated medical school in Moldova.
She studied acupuncture with a Chinese doctor and did her internship at Hahnemann Hospital.
Robert Davis, D.O. is the other member of the practice.
A doctor for 21 years, Davis has practiced in the area since 1992.
He said traditional treatment of musculoskeletal problems carry a risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
Davis, who also trained with Kersschot, said biopuncture helps the body’s natural regulatory processes.
He said he and Karmazin use microdoses of natural material that is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated and approved.
Davis said there are no known drug interactions and minimal side effects from biopuncture.
He said that, as physicians, they know where to inject safely and use very thin needles.
Davis also said doctors and patients are aware of the problems with conventional medical treatment.
“More and more you’re seeing that people are recognizing these side effects and the need for other options for treatment,” he said. “This really makes sense.”
Davis said biopuncture has been allowed by the FDA for five years.
“They improve in both pain and in function and so it gets people back to doing things in their lives that they weren’t able to do before or missed for a long period of time,” he said of his patients who have undergone biopuncture.
Joan Busby, one of Davis’ patients, said she had bad knees and couldn’t garden, exercise, or play on the floor with her toddler granddaughter.
The Haddonfield resident said she didn’t want cortisone shots because it just masks the pain.
Busby said she saw a brochure in Davis’ office about biopuncture and decided to undergo that treatment.
“It’s made a remarkable difference,” she said. “I would certainly try it before you go to cortisone or knee surgery.”
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