Acupuncture is the insertion of small needles into precise points throughout the body to achieve a rebalance of harmony. For the patient, this relieves pain, alleviates symptoms and adjusts the body for better health. The needles are about the thickness of a hair and vary in length. They are sterile, prepackaged and disposable, used only one time. The acupuncturist chooses points according to their differentiation of syndromes. Acupuncture point combinations are tailored to fit the specific individual who seeks treatment.

It does not hurt to have acupuncture. You may feel nothing or a sensation most likened to a mosquito bite at worst. Once in, the needles remain in place for 20 to 45 minutes, depending on many factors. It is actually very relaxing to have an acupuncture treatment. Often, you are not asleep, yet not quite awake either – a meditative type feeling happens and the mind quiets. This allows the body to help itself find a better balance – as it is not so affected by the stressors of an overactive mind.

There are some main differences in theory between Eastern and Western medicine. Chinese medicine is based on the idea that no single part can be understood except in relationship to the whole. It looks at the relationships of the body and emotions of a particular person; what’s out of balance, and how to reestablish harmony that will result in a more healthy person. Western medicine is concerned with specific causes of diseases and looks with a microscope into the human body. It is concerned with isolating the causes of disease, which it then tries to change, control or destroy. The difference is comparable to observing the forest rather than the leaves on the tree. They are just different. Each has its place and its best uses.

In western scientific research of acupuncture, there have been measured changes in neurotransmitters (such as norepinephrine, epinephrine, serotonin, dopamine), hormones (insulin, testosterone, estrogen), and pain relieving substances (endorphins and enkephalins) during and after treatment. Studies have also shown that the body, being the extremely adaptable entity that it is, reacts more significantly to the second treatment than to the first – as though it has learned to respond more efficiently. There are many western thoughts on how to describe how acupuncture works, but I like the ancient Chinese understanding that encompasses the whole, rather than dissect it as we do in the west, thus keeping it in the context of Chinese medical theory. The bottom line, the most important thing the patient wants to know, is "Does it work?" "Will it help me?"

Success of treatment can mean any number of things:

1. Alleviating the problem.

2. Making the condition more manageable and easier to live with.

3. Sometimes, slowing the progress of a disease is deemed success, as with many serious neurological problems.

4. Better quality of life.

5. Prevention of further problems.

This is not, nor was it ever, a magic bullet. There are conditions that respond and disappear within a treatment or two, typically acute ones. Chronic, long standing problems will usually not clear up that quickly. If it didn’t get that way overnight, it probably can’t be fixed overnight. A course of acupuncture consists of a series of treatments, usually 6-10. The patient is then re-evaluated to determine the effectiveness and need for additional treatments. In most conditions, you should see improvement within three treatments. If not, you may have a condition for which acupuncture is not the appropriate answer or may be a person for whom it just isn’t effective. For answers on specific questions or conditions, please call the office.

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