What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is the gentle insertion of hairfine thin needles into specific points on the body to stimulate the flow of one’s Qi (pronounced chee), or natural healing energy. Sometimes rather than just inserting acupuncture needles, your doctor may choose to use fine acupuncture tacks, heat, or mild electrical stimulation. The technique of heat is called moxibustion and the application of local electricity is called electrostimulation. Acupuncture needles used in the United States are all sterile and generally disposable.
How safe is acupuncture?
Acupuncture and herbal treatments are drug free and they avoid many of the side effects and dependencies associated with medication. You should always inform your doctor of the medications you are currently taking and whether or not you are or could be pregnant, or if you have a cardiac pacemaker or cosmetic implants.
Acupuncture is often used along with other medical care to increase its benefits. It is used for pain control after other medical and dental procedures are performed. It is used for improving general health as well as promoting healing and lessening the side effects of many drugs including chemotherapy.
Are there any contraindications for acupuncture?
Yes; generally, it is not recommended to provide electro-acupuncture treatment to patients who experience seizures or who have cardiac pacemakers.
Does acupuncture hurt?
No; acupuncture treatment is generally painless. The acupuncture needles used are very thin.
Can acupuncture be effective when other things have failed?
Yes; each system of medicine has its own areas of efficiency and excellence. Acupuncture excels in areas in which conventional medicine usually comes up short, such as chronic diseases, pain control, and stress reduction.
What conditions can be successfully treated?
- MUSCULO-SKELETALNEUROLOGICAL: Headache, Bursitis, Neuralgia, Stroke, Muscle cramping, Sports injuries, Arthritis, Sciatica
- GASTROINTESTINAL: Abdominal pain, Diarrhea, Colitis, Indigestion, Constipation, Irritable bowel syndrome, Reflux diseases
- RESPIRATORY: Asthma, Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Allergies, Common cold
- GYNECOLOGICAL: Irregular period, PMS or cramps, Menopausal symptoms, Infertility
- CIRCULATORY: Cold hands and feet, Anemia, Hypertension, Palpitations
- EYES-EARS-NOSE-THROAT: Poor vision, Sore throat, Sinusitis, Ear infections, Tinnitus
- DERMATOLOGICAL: Dry skin, Eczema, Acne, Psoriasis
- EMOTIONAL: Anxiety, Insomnia, Stress
- ADDICTION: Smoking, Alcohol, Drugs
- OTHER BENEFITS: Increase vitality and energy, Boost immune system, Weight control, Stop smoking, Deep relaxation
- There are many more benefits to acupuncture than can easily be listed.
The above list is based on the World Health Organiztion, United Nations (1979).
How can acupuncture help?
An acupuncturist may be consulted by people with specific symptoms or conditions, such as pain, anxiety, arthritis, eczema, sports injuries hayfever, asthma, migraines, high blood pressure, menstral disorders, intestinal problems or pregnancy management and delivery.
While extensive practice and research has shown that acupuncture is effective in helping people with such conditions as well as with many others, it does more than simply relieve symptoms. The aim of acupuncture is to treat the whole patient and to restore the balance between the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the individual.
In traditional acupuncture, since all illness is considered the result of an imbalance of energy, treatment can benefit almost any ill person as long as the degenerative process in the tissues of the body is not too extensive.
Many people also have acupuncture as a preventative treatment or because they feel unwell in themselves but are not ‘ill’ in the Western sense.
