I’ve been asked some basic questions recently about the use of acupuncture as a treatment approach for our health care needs. These have been: “What is acupuncture?”, “Can acupuncture help my back pain?”, “Does it hurt?”, “How does acupuncture work?”. I figured I’d respond shortly here in case others are interested. For perspective, Traditional Chinese Medicine is understood to have five branches of therapies to help regulate the functioning of the body. These are acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, nutrition, and exercise.
Introduction to Acupuncture and What Does It Treat?
Acupuncture is known to have been practiced originally in China over 3,000 years ago. Because it has been used for that amount of time and for a large portion of the world’s population, most health conditions have been treated with acupuncture. We have many texts sharing extensive experience treating many various conditions observed over this long time. In modern times, the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization have recognized acupuncture as effective for a long list of medical problems. The most common reasons that people seek acupuncture are pain for any reason, headaches, circulatory problems, gastrointestinal problems, immune system support, fertility, pregnancy, menopausal support, insomnia, anxiety and depression, and addiction. However, any dysfunction in the mind/body can be viewed and treated through the lens of Chinese Medicine.
The needles that are used are very thin and made of stainless steel, about the diameter of a few strands of hair. An insertion guide tube is commonly used to assist in quick and painless insertion. The sensations that may be felt have been described as pressure, dull sensation, warmth, or a dispersing feeling. The number and placement of needles vary depending upon the condition and the person. There may be from 6 to 20 needles placed throughout the body. Needles generally remain in place for a period of 20-40 minutes, again depending on the person and condition. A sense of relaxation is typically experienced during and after an acupuncture treatment. The practitioner will ask many questions about both the main complaint and the rest of the body’s functioning. Along with this questioning, the acupuncturist observes the pulse and tongue to help in making an accurate diagnosis in order to effectively choose the appropriate points to stimulate.
Acupuncture Treats the Underlying Imbalance
Rather than taking a symptomatic approach to illness, Traditional Chinese Medicine treats underlying imbalances by stimulating the body’s own innate healing ability. Given the proper environment, our bodies have evolved to correct most dysfunction that occurs. Modern research has helped us understand the effects that acupuncture has on the brain and nervous system, internal organ functioning, and local areas of needling. There is still much research happening to further understand why acupuncture is consistently helpful in assisting the body’s return to normal functioning.
Though our bodies show similar structures, we are each individual. How our bodies have gotten to their current state is unique to each person and this should surely be a part of diagnosing and treating illness. With acupuncture, the points chosen to treat one person who experiences migraine headaches, for example, may be quite different from the next person. We look to understand the root imbalance through the Chinese medical lens.
” The data in support of acupuncture are as strong as those for many accepted Western medical therapies. One of the advantages of acupuncture is that the incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs and other accepted medical procedures used for the same conditions.”
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Conference on Acupuncture, 1997