tested… time

is acupuncture right for you?

story by | dr. scott van dam

Acupuncture originates from China and has been practiced there for thousands of years. Although there are records of acupuncture being used hundreds of years ago in Europe, it was during the second half of the 20th century that it began to spread rapidly in Western Europe, the United States, and Canada. Even though acupuncture is commonly used on its own for some conditions, it is becoming very popular as a combination treatment by doctors in Western Europe and North America. The use of acupuncture to alleviate pain and nausea after surgery is becoming more widespread. Even the US Air Force began teaching “Battlefield Acupuncture” to physicians deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan in early 2009. With this increased acceptance and usage, most people have a basic knowledge of acupuncture, but do you really know what it is?

So what’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word acupuncture? Needles? Yes, acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through the skin at specific points on the body, but why?

Traditional Chinese medicine explains that health is the result of a harmonious balance of the complementary extremes of yin and yang of the life force known as Qi [pronounced chee]. Qi is said to flow through meridians or pathways in the human body. Illness occurs when there is an imbalance or blockage of Qi in the meridians. Through 350 acupuncture points in the body meridians and energy flows may be accessed. If needles are inserted into these points with appropriate combinations, energy flow can be brought back into proper balance.

In Western societies and several other parts of the world, acupuncture is explained including concepts of neuroscience. Acupuncture points are seen by Western practitioners as places where nerves, muscles, and connective tissue can be stimulated. Acupuncture practitioners say that the stimulation increases blood flow while at the same time triggering the activity of our own body’s natural painkillers.

does it work?

Some studies have concluded that acupuncture offers similar benefits to a patient as a placebo; others have indicated that there are some real benefits. It is very difficult to devise clinical studies that measure the effectiveness of acupuncture against a placebo, as well as create a definitive list of conditions in which acupuncture may be effective. However, the World Health Organization [WHO], which is a United Nations’ agency responsible for coordinating international health activities and helping governments improve health services, states that acupuncture is effective for treating 28 conditions, while evidence indicates it may have an effective therapeutic value for many more [view the WHO review at http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/ Js4926e/5.html]. Studies have indicated that acupuncture may help in treating conditions such as:

• low-back pain [the SPINE trial]

• fibromyalgia [Mayo Clinic trials]

• migraines, post-operative dental pain [the Cochrane review]

• hypertension [Center for Integrative Medicine at UC Irvine study]

• tension headaches and/or migraines [Technical University of Munich, Germany, study]

• osteoarthritis [researchers at the University Medical Center in Berlin, Germany]

• xerostomia [severe dry mouth] among patients treated with radiation for head and neck cancer [University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center]

Other studies have shown that acupuncture relieves chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and may help women with painful periods, as well as help indigestion and nausea symptoms commonly experienced by pregnant women.

Acupuncture has also been shown to increase fertility rates by 28% in women with menstrual-cycle irregularities. Another study showed acupuncture treatments performed twice a week for four weeks significantly increase blood flow to the uterus, which may explain the increase in pregnancy rates. In the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine a study examined the effects of acupuncture on stimulating ovulation and regulating ovulatory problems. The researchers concluded that acupuncture seems to increase progesterone levels and regulate female hormone [Follicle Stimulating Hormone, Luteinizing Hormone, and Estradiol] levels.

This study involved 30 acupuncture treatments and had an 82.35% effective rate.

how’s it done?

Acupuncture generally involves several weekly or every 2-week treatments. Most courses consist of up to 12 sessions. A visit to an acupuncturist will involve an exam and assessment of the patient’s condition, the insertion of needles, and advice on self-care.

For the actual treatment, the patient will be asked to lie either face up, face-down, or on his/her side, depending on where the needles are inserted. The acupuncturist should use single-use disposable sterile needles. As each needle is inserted the patient should feel them, but initially without pain. However, when the needle reaches the right depth there should be a pressure sensation. Sometimes the needles are heated or stimulated electrically after insertion. Once inserted, the needles will remain there for about 20 minutes.

First-time patients are usually apprehensive about the thought that acupuncture is painful. They are often surprised that they feel nothing or less than a mosquito bite when the treatment is done. Many are also surprised to know that electrical acupuncture can be performed instead of needles, if they choose.

who’s it for?

In general, acupuncture is safe and well tolerated by patients. To ensure proper treatment, first choose an acupuncturist who is certified or licensed, which means that he/she has higher education in acupuncture healthcare and has taken an exam to show proficiency in diagnosis and treatment. The patient’s condition then needs to be evaluated to determine if it is an acupuncture-treatable condition. Acupuncture is contraindicated over points where there is focal infection, skin lesions, or tumors.

Acupuncture has stood the test of time and continues to grow in popularity. Will you give it a try?

sources:

Christian Nordqvist. (2009, July 6). “What is Acupuncture? What Are The Benefits Of Acupuncture?” Medical News Today.