Are you interested in acupuncture for pain relief?
Acupuncture is the insertion of thin needles under the skin to stimulate points on the body and relieve pressure. After evolving from Traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is widely used and characterized as valuable and contemporary medicine.
History of Acupuncture
The theory behind acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine is that it stimulates specific acupuncture points, which then corrects imbalances in the flow of qi (chi, or energy) through meridians (physical channels). Contemporary practitioners may follow the traditional approach, or use their own modern approaches. And though modern scientific methods have not been able to establish the efficacy of acupuncture, existing evidence does not rule out the possibility of its usefulness – even as placebo.
It is uncertain how the use of acupuncture developed in ancient China, though there are multiple theories. Some say soldiers wounded by arrows in battle were observed to be cured of certain chronic afflictions. Some suggest its origins are from bloodletting traditions. The earliest record dates back to 200 BCE. From China the use of acupuncture expanded out to Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Taiwan. Today practices similar to acupuncture exists all over the world.
Acupuncture’s Use
The National Institutes of Health, the National Health Service of the United Kingdom, the World Health Organization, and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine have all recognized the use of acupuncture for certain conditions. Acupuncture treatment is generally considered safe when administered using Clean Needle Technique (CNT) and has a low risk of serious negative or serious effects.
Acupuncture Needles & Performing Acupuncture
The needles acupuncture uses are usually made of disposable stainless steel wire. They can vary in length from .5 to 5 inches, with longer ones being inserted into areas with more flesh or fat. Before insertion the skin is sterilized (typically with alcohol). A skilled practitioner should be able to insert the needles without causing any pain.
Acupuncture Effectiveness
Recent research has shown that acupuncture is useful for many forms of pain. A 2012 meta-analysis found that acupuncture has a greater effect than placebo in treating chronic pain. The American Cancer Society (www.americancancersociety.com) has noted that acupuncture is not useful in the treatment of cancer, though some cancer patients claim it works to help chemotherapy side effects such as nausea.
A 2009 Cochrane review of the use of acupuncture for migraine treatment concluded that “true” acupuncture wasn’t more efficient than sham acupuncture, however, both “true” and sham acupuncture appear to be more effective than routine care in the treatment of migraines, with fewer adverse effects than prophylactic drug treatment.
Conditions that Acupuncture May Treat
Acupuncture treatment has been used for the following conditions, though the poor quality and lack of enough research studies precludes determining acupuncture’s efficacy in treating them:
- Autism
- Chronic asthma
- Bell’s palsy
- Cocaine dependence
- Depression
- Drug detoxification
- Primary dysmenorrhoea (incorporating TENS)
- Enuresis
- Epilepsy
- Erectile dysfunction
- Fibromyalgia
- Glaucoma
- Gynaecological conditions (except possibly fertility and nausea/vomiting)
- Hot flashes
- Insomnia
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Induction of childbirth
- Myopia
- Polycystic ovary syndrome
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Shoulder pain
- Schizophrenia
- Smoking cessation
- Acute stroke and stroke rehabilitation
- Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ)
- Tennis elbow
- Uremic pruritus
- Vascular dementia
Please take a moment to schedule an appointment with Dr. Ferez today!