About Acupuncture

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is the insertion of tiny filamentous needles at strategic points on the body’s surface to effect internal changes. It has been used for over 2,500 years in the treatment of disease in China. Archaeological evidence also indicates an even older tradition of use in Stone Age Europe.

Does it hurt?

Various styles of acupuncture exist. Japanese methods, such as those used at the Natural Path Clinic, are virtually painless. Sensation associated with the insertion of the needles is slight, fleeting, and negligible. Other techniques, such as those commonly used by Chinese medical practitioners, physiotherapists, and medical doctors can occasionally be somewhat uncomfortable, but do not even approach the level of discomfort produced during the taking of a blood sample, or the injection of medications.

Is acupuncture safe?

Acupuncture can be used in tandem with any drugs or medications, even in patients on anticoagulant therapy. The needles are filiform, rather than cutting. This means that, rather than slicing through tissues like a hypodermic, they merely push cells, blood vessels and nerves out of the way, similar to the parting of curtains with your hands. Virtually no tissue trauma or bleeding is created. This, together with the fact that the needles are completely sterile and used only once, basically eliminates any chance of infection. Licensed acupuncturists, like those at the Natural Path Clinic, are trained extensively in anatomy, to avoid risk of injury.

What can it treat?

Acupuncture is used effectively to treat a wide variety of conditions including

Menstrual pain
Arthritis
Irritable and inflammatory bowel disorders
Chronic pain of the back, neck, knees and feet
Infertility
Headaches
Mood disorders
Chronic stress
Sinusitis
Whiplash
Menopause
Recovery from stroke
Endometriosis
Asthma

Does it work?

Acupuncture currently enjoys wide acceptance as a bonafide form of medical treatment. Research into acupuncture is ongoing, but its abilities to interact with the nervous system, relieve pain, and change blood flow are beyond dispute. Currently, there are over 14,000 studies on acupuncture in the National Library of Medicine’s database, with almost 2000 of these consisting of controlled clinical trials and reviews of its efficacy in a wide variety of conditions.

How does it work?

Extensively researched since attention was drawn to it in the 1970’s during Nixon’s landmark visit to Communist China. A New York Times reporter, James Reston, was accompanying Nixon and suffered appendicitis. Reston’s appendix was removed by Chinese doctors during a televised operation, with acupuncture used as the sole form of anesthesia – Reston was conscious throughout the surgery.
Reston’s surgery occurred at a time when research in neurology was in its heyday. Western scientists were fascinated by the operation and wondered how it was possible. What followed was an explosion of research into the causes and treatment of pain that led not only to the acceptance of acupuncture in the west, but greater understanding of how narcotics worked; and how TENS units could be used to create a similar form of pain relief.
By the mid-90’s, however, it was clear that something else was going on in acupuncture. Its pain relieving effects, as TENS unit users can attest, wear off after a short while, yet acupuncture was proving curative in the relief of pain. In addition, acupuncture was finding use in the treatment of a host of other problems besides chronic pain, including gastric ulcers, gall bladder attacks, asthma, allergies, arthritis, and infertility. How was it helping these disorders?
In the last couple of decades, research in acupuncture has centered increasingly on its ability to manipulate blood flow. There is no disease that does not depend upon perturbations in blood flow to sustain it. In trauma and acute inflammation, there is too much blood. This is the rationale for RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) in the treatment of acute injuries. In chronic inflammation there is too little blood flow, allowing free radicals and chemicals that cause inflammation to linger in tissues and serve as a persistent source of pain. Meanwhile, oxygen, cells, and nutrients that could rebuild the tissue are not able to enter, and the damage persists.
Blood flow also affects the progress of cancer and degenerative conditions. In degeneration, tissues don’t get enough blood, leading to breakdown of joints, atrophy of tissues, and stiffening of ligaments. In cancer, tumors either hide from the blood supply or, in some cases, monopolize it. There is no disease process in which blood flow does not play a pivotal role, and no organ in which acupuncture has not been shown to manipulate its blood supply.

What can I expect?

An acupuncture appointment begins with by giving you the opportunity to tell us everything you want us to know about your symptoms and complaints. Since many disorders are perpetuated by abnormal blood flow, patient assessment in acupuncture includes analyzing your pulse, and looking at how blood flow has affected your tongue. We also look for so-called ‘active points’, places where your own body has reflexively engorged acupuncture points with blood, as though to draw attention to them by making them slightly more warm relative to the surrounding area. Research has shown these active points to be the most effective in addressing a patient’s complaints. We confirm the acupuncture treatment has worked by measuring the change in your pulse, and then leave you to relax, rest, and even snooze a little in a private warm room. Often, based on your presentation, we’ll recommend a herbal formula or perhaps a change in diet that reinforces the effects of the acupuncture treatment.

How often will I need acupuncture?

Repeat treatments, if needed, are done anywhere from one to three weeks later, as the case demands. Most patients report a significant improvement after just one or two treatments. The first treatment is the longest and takes about an hour. Once we’ve got to know you, subsequent treatments often take only half an hour.

Does insurance cover acupuncture?

Many medical insurance plans now provide ample coverage for acupuncture. Generally, the results are swift enough that acupuncture is very cost-effective, even when paid for out-of-pocket.