One thing is certain about acupuncture; there seems to be no end to the puns people can make about it.
“Acupuncture will keep you on pins and needles.”
“What’s the point of acupuncture?”
“A few needling questions remain about treatment.”
“Sharp answers to pointed questions about acupuncture.”
Nevertheless, you get the point.
Perhaps people joke about acupuncture because it is so difficult to understand how it works. Acupuncture has been used to treat disease and pain for thousands of years. Most people believe it began in China, although some place its beginnings in India. It is one of several tools, including massage and herbal medicines, used in traditional Chinese medicine.
As an expert-writer from assignment service Essay Map explains, in acupuncture, very thin needles are inserted into specific points on the body called acupoints. The Chinese mapped these points based on their theory of body meridians. Practitioners believe 12 body meridians connect the major body organs in a series of networks. The acupoints are where life energy flow (chi) can get blocked up. These “traffic jams” can result in injury or disease. Acupuncture treats disease by relieving pain, breaking up the jams and restoring balance to the body.
The idea of using acupuncture became more acceptable to the Western world in the 1970s, when President Nixon began visiting China. James Reston was a New York Times reporter who accompanied Nixon on one of those visits. Reston came down with appendicitis during the trip and needed emergency surgery. He received acupuncture treatment for pain relief and wrote about the experience for his paper. His first-person account led many people to look at acupuncture in a new light.
Today, people suffering from arthritis or other chronic pain conditions consider acupuncture if drug therapy or surgery does not help. Cancer patients use it to reduce nausea from chemotherapy. It has also been used to relieve migraine headaches, pregnancy morning sickness and labor pains. More recently, people suffering from fibromyalgia symptoms, such as widespread muscle pain and fatigue, have reported relief after acupuncture treatments.
Despite these developments, it has been hard for Western medicine to come to terms with the value of the treatment.
Although the National Institute of Health issued a statement in 1997 saying acupuncture was worthy of more study, clinical studies with large population samples and control groups have been rare.
Some physicians think acupuncture produces a placebo effect, whereby a person feels better simply because he or she believes in the treatment. Others think the needles prompt the body to produce endorphins, which relieve pain. Still others suggest acupuncture works because the needles increase the blood flow around the acupoint. This brings more oxygen and other blood nutrients to the affected area.
People interested in trying acupuncture must get past is their squeamishness about using needles. Many people, remembering childhood vaccinations, fear pain. They also worry about needle contamination and infection.
In the West, acupuncture needles are made of stainless steel. They come wrapped individually. Like syringes, they are used once and then thrown away.
As for pain, the Mayo Clinic reports that a patient might feel “a brief, sharp sensation” when the needles are inserted and “a deep, aching sensation when the needle reaches the correct spot.” The acupuncturist might move the needles slightly or apply heat or electricity to them for more stimulation.
There are risks involved, although they appear minimal. Bruising might occur where a needle is inserted. A careless or unskilled practitioner could puncture a blood vessel or organ, which could lead to internal bleeding. For that reason, people taking blood thinners should never use acupuncture. Nor should people who have bleeding disorders such as hemophilia.
The best alternative is to use acupuncture to complement Western medicine rather than replace it. Choose a medical doctor trained in alternative medicine techniques, or a practitioner certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Keep your regular physician updated if you decide to pursue acupuncture.
Read up on the procedure and weigh the pros and cons of treatment carefully. If you do your homework, there is no reason to be on pins and needles about this treatment.
Angela D Johnson is an author in Essay Map, whose lifestyle is full of adventures. Having a heart of on explorer, she love to travel, experience new horizons and expand her knowledge on different topics.
