Acupuncture is a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which involves sticking solid, hair fine needles into the body at specific points. The procedure is designed to release blocked energy and address imbalances in the body which may cause ill health, and it has been used in China for thousands of years. In the West, acupuncture is a relatively recent introduction to the medical library, but its popularity has quickly grown.
The traditional theory behind acupuncture is that everybody is filled with a life force, called qi, or chi. When the masculine and feminine aspects of the body, known as yin and yang, are in balance, the qi is in balance, and will flow smoothly through the body along meridians of power. When someone is unhealthy, this suggests that there is an obstruction or imbalance that must be corrected.
In contrast, many Western practitioners view the acupuncture points as places to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue. This stimulation appears to boost the activity of your body's natural painkillers and increase blood flow.
During an acupuncture session, the patient lies flat on a table adjusted to the height of the practitioner. Depending on where needles are inserted, the patient may be fully clothed or asked to undress and draped with cloths for modesty. Acupuncture needles are inserted into various points of the body at angles ranging from 15 degrees relative to the skin to 90 degrees, depending on the judgment of the practitioner. Once inserted, the needles may be manipulated by hand in twisting motions, gently vibrated, heated, cooled, or electrified with a gentle current to stimulate the nerves.
After the session, the patient may feel highly relaxed or invigorated—results vary widely depending on the session. The underlying cause of the problem may have resolved itself, or it may take several acupuncture sessions to eradicate it altogether. The session should not be painful, and if placed properly, the needles do not cause bruising or bleeding. To make sure that you have a productive acupuncture session, it is recommended that you seek out a certified acupuncturist who has attended a TCM school.
Studies conducted on acupuncture in the West suggest that it may help to relieve pain, headaches, treat nerve conditions, mitigate asthma, and address nausea and vomiting. It is also useful for conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, cramps, fibromyalgia and the pain of arthritis. The World Health Organization recommends acupuncture to help with stress, substance abuse, and allergies. In general in the West, acupuncture is used as a complementary form of medicine, and is combined with other treatments for maximum effectiveness.
Your acupuncture provider will give you an exam and ask questions about your pain and how well you are functioning. He or she will also ask about your overall health.
Then your provider will look for the places (called points) on your body to access the nerves and blood flow that is blocked or not flowing right. Each of the points relates to certain health problems or body functions.
Your provider will look for landmarks on your body—using certain muscles or bones, for example—to find the points so that he or she can place the needles.
After the provider finds the points, he or she will quickly tap very thin needles into your skin. He or she will probably place several needles. Some may be placed deeper than others, depending on what the provider believes is needed to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue, and to boost the activity of your body's natural painkillers and increase blood flow.
Every provider is different, but in most cases treatment lasts for 15 minutes to an hour. You may have several visits to complete your treatment. Some people have ongoing visits.
You may feel slight pressure when a needle goes in. Most people find that it doesn't hurt. The area may tingle, feel numb, itch, or be a little sore. Providers believe that this is a sign that the energy flow has been accessed.
After the needle is placed, your provider may roll the needle slightly back and forth. Or he or she may use heat or electrical current on the needle.
People use acupuncture to relieve pain and treat certain health conditions. You can use it by itself or as part of a treatment program. Studies have found promising results for the use of acupuncture to treat nausea and vomiting related to pregnancy, chemotherapy, and postsurgery pain. Acupuncture also may also be useful for:
Stroke rehabilitation, which involves relearning skills that a person lost because of brain damage from a stroke
Headaches and migraines. A study shows that adding acupuncture to standard treatment leads to significant, long-lasting relief from chronic headaches, especially migraines
Menstrual cramps
Tennis elbow
Dental pain
Labor pain
Fibromyalgia, or widespread pain and tenderness of muscle and soft tissue
Myofascial pain, caused by spasm in the muscles
Osteoarthritis, or the breakdown of the tissue (cartilage) that protects and cushions joints. A study found that acupuncture can reduce knee pain and increase movement of the knee in people with osteoarthritis
Low back pain. For people who have low back pain, acupuncture may help decrease pain and increase activity. Some studies show that acupuncture reduced pain and disability related to back problems more than usual treatment. Another summary of several studies showed that acupuncture reduced pain and increased the ability to be active, but not any more than other treatments
Carpal tunnel syndrome, or pressure on a nerve in the wrist that results in tingling, numbness, weakness, or pain of the fingers and hand
Asthma, or inflammation in the tubes that carry air to the lungs, resulting in periodic episodes of difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness, and coughing
Drug addiction. Acupuncture may help reduce symptoms of withdrawal after a person stops taking a drug he or she is addicted to. It may also help prevent a relapse. More studies are needed to learn about the benefits of acupuncture.
In general, acupuncture is safe when done by a certified provider. A state license ensures that the provider has a certain level of training and follows certain guidelines. But there are still a few states where acupuncture is not licensed.
In very rare cases, problems may occur after acupuncture. You could get an infection, especially if the needles aren't sterile. But licensed providers throw away their needles after one use. Make sure your provider uses a new pack of sterile needles every time.
Talk with your doctor if you have other questions about the safety of acupuncture. Always tell your doctor if you are using a treatment like acupuncture.
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. Using acupuncture
before and during surgery significantly reduces the level of pain and
the amount of potent painkillers needed by patients after the surgery
is over, a study revealed.
Acupuncture is also starting to
make inroads into veterinary medicine. One article explains how a
mare which had an infection in her ankle was treated by a vet at
Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia
Tech with a combination of acupuncture and traditional therapy.
As
more and more physicians accept acupuncture, a wider range of
illnesses and condition are being considered for acupuncture
treatment. A study found that acupuncture may help indigestion
symptoms commonly experienced by pregnant women.
Some studies
have revealed that there are conditions for which acupuncture appears
to have no beneficial effect. A study carried out by researchers at
Daejon, Busan, South Korea, and Exeter, United Kingdom, found that
acupuncture cannot be shown to have any positive effect on hot
flashes during the menopause. However, acupuncture does offer
effective relief from hot flashes in women who are being treated with
the anti-estrogen tamoxifen following surgery for breast cancer,
another study found.
As it is very difficult to devise
clinical studies that measure the effectiveness of acupuncture
against a placebo, it is hard to create a definitive list of
conditions in which acupuncture may be effective. However, some
studies have indicated that acupuncture may help in treating low back
pain (according to the SPINE trial), fibromyalgia (Mayo Clinic
trials), migraines, post-operative dental pain (the Cochrane review),
hypertension (Center for Integrative Medicine at UC Irvine study) and
osteoarthritis (according to researchers at the University Medical
Center in Berlin, Germany), as well as chemotherapy-induced nausea
and vomiting. Other studies have shown that acupuncture may help
women with painful periods. A Cochrane trial found that although
acupuncture helps people with headaches, fake acupuncture also seems
to help them.
Exercise and electro-acupuncture treatments can
reduce sympathetic nerve activity in women with polycystic ovarian
syndrome, a study found.
All therapies have benefits and risks.
When performed correctly it is safe
There are very few side effects
It is a very effective combination treatment
It is effective in controlling some types of pain
It may be considered for patients who do not respond to pain medications
It is a useful alternative for patients who do not want to take pain medications
It is dangerous if the patient has a bleeding disorder
It the dangerous if the patient is taking blood thinners
There may be bleeding, bruising and soreness at the insertion sites
The needle may break and damage an internal organ (very rare)
Unsterilized needles may infect the patient
When inserted deeply into the chest or upper back there is a risk of collapsed lung (very rare)
Check to see if your state licenses providers.
Many providers also may have a certificate from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. This is a nonprofit group that promotes standards in acupuncture and Oriental medicine.
Ask your doctor and friends for recommendations.
You also may want to pick a provider who:
Will work on a treatment plan with you, your doctor, and other health professionals.
Clearly explains what he or she is doing during treatment.
Explains how often you may need treatment and how much it will cost.