What can acupuncture treat?

Issued by the World Health Organization medical branch of the United Nations, the following is a provisional list of conditions that can be treated with acupuncture:

acne • anxiety • arthritis • asthma • back pain • Bell’s palsy • bronchitis • bursitis • cerebral palsy • colds • colitis • constipation • deafness • depression • diabetes • diarrhea • dizziness • earaches • eczema • flu • hay fever • headache • hemorrhoids • hepatitis • herpes • high blood pressure • hypoglycemia • impotence • indigestion • infertility • irregular menses • insomnia • menstrual cramps • morning sickness • neuralgia • pelvic inflammatory disease • poor eyesight • premenstrual syndrome • ringing in the ears • sciatica • sinus infection • sore throat • sprains • stiff neck • stroke • tendonitis • trigeminal neuralgia • ulcers • vaginitis

Acupuncture is also helpful for chronic fatigue syndrome, auto-immune illnesses, post-surgical recovery, fibromyalgia, issues related to aging, stress reduction, inflammation, addictions, allergies and decreased immunity.

What is Chinese Medicine?

Chinese Medicine is a complete healthcare system, which has diagnosed, treated, and prevented illness for more than 2,000 years. Chinese medicine originated and developed into a highly detailed, organized and integrated system in a time where technology was minimal and people's connection with and dependence on the natural environment was essential.  Because of this, it developed some very important attributes that benefit us tremendously in our modern era. The exploration of this development is important in understanding CM and its terminology. Firstly, because Chinese medicine did not have the luxury of sophisticated diagnostic technology, a very detailed system of observation and correspondences within the body was developed. Seemingly insignificant signs and symptoms that make little sense to the average modern Western practitioner can have profound meaning in Chinese medicine. For example, slight differences in the quality of sleep, elimination, digestion, emotional activity, temperature and sweat in different regions of the body all have significance in diagnosing underlying pathologies. Before reliance on modern imaging techniques and laboratory tests, doctors also developed ways of assessing the health of the whole body through observing the tongue and palpating the pulse and abdomen. These seemingly basic procedures can elicit very detailed information in relation to the patient and his/her imbalances in the disease process.

Acupuncture

Each person’s vital life force, or Qi (pronounced chee), circulates throughout the body in energy pathways called meridians. Disease manifests when Qi becomes weakened or out of balance. Acupuncture is the practice of correcting the flow of Qi by inserting sterile, slender, solid, stainless steel needles into designated points on the body along these meridians.

Acupuncture Use in the United States

The report from a Consensus Development Conference on Acupuncture held at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1997 stated that acupuncture is being "widely" practiced—by thousands of physicians, dentists, acupuncturists, and other practitioners—for relief or prevention of pain and for various other health conditions. According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, which included a comprehensive survey of CAM use by Americans, an estimated 3.1 million U.S. adults and 150,000 children had used acupuncture in the previous year. Between the 2002 and 2007 NHIS, acupuncture use among adults increased by three-tenths of 1 percent (approximately 1 million people).

Status of Acupuncture Research

There have been many studies on acupuncture's potential health benefits for a wide range of conditions. Summarizing earlier research, the 1997 NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture found that, overall, results were hard to interpret because of problems with the size and design of the studies. In the years since the Consensus Statement was issued, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has funded extensive research to advance scientific understanding of acupuncture. Some recent NCCAM-supported studies have looked at:

• Whether acupuncture works for specific health conditions such as chronic low-back pain, headache, and osteoarthritis of the knee
• How acupuncture might work, such as what happens in the brain during acupuncture treatment
• Ways to better identify and understand the potential neurological properties of meridians and acupuncture points
• Methods and instruments for improving the quality of acupuncture research

What To Expect from Acupuncture Visits

During your first office visit, the practitioner may ask you at length about your health condition, lifestyle, and behavior. The practitioner will want to obtain a complete picture of your treatment needs and behaviors that may contribute to your condition. Inform the acupuncturist about all treatments or medications you are taking and all medical conditions you have.

Acupuncture needles are metallic, solid, and hair-thin. People experience acupuncture differently, but most feel no or minimal pain as the needles are inserted. Some people feel energized by treatment, while others feel relaxed. Improper needle placement, movement of the patient, or a defect in the needle can cause soreness and pain during treatment. This is why it is important to seek treatment from a qualified acupuncture practitioner.

Treatment may take place over a period of several weeks or more