Acupuncture

Acupuncture is one of the oldest and most commonly used integrative procedures in the world.  Acupuncture originated in China over 2,000 years ago.  The needles used for acupuncture are sterilized metallic, solid, and hair-thin. Each person who has tried acupuncture may have a different experience from one another.  Most acupuncture patients have said they feel no or minimal pain as the needles are inserted and others have said they feel a sensation of a small pinch, followed by a comfortable warmness.  Some people are energized by treatment, while others feel relaxed. Needles are usually left in for 20-30 minutes.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners in 1996. The FDA requires that sterile, nontoxic needles be used and that they be labeled for single use by qualified practitioners only.  Some people go to medical doctors for acupuncture treatments. However, you should not go to a medical doctor for treatments unless he or she is a license acupuncturist.  Same goes for self-education acupuncturist, only a license acupuncturists is train appropriately to do acupuncture on patients.  A licensed acupuncturist knows the human anatomy and how to insert needles in a safe way.  Even a medical doctor must be trained in acupuncture in order to work with acupuncture patients. 

In a 2009 incident in Russia, a Russian woman died of pain-induced shock after a self-educated acupuncturist stuck a needle in the wrong spot on her back. Less severe complications have resulted from inadequate sterilization of needles and from improper delivery of treatments.  When treatment is not delivered properly, acupuncture can cause serious adverse effects, including infections and punctured organs. It is very important to check a practitioner's credentials before starting treatment.

In the Traditional Chinese medicine system of medicine (TCM), the body is seen as a delicate balance of two, known as ying and yang. Ying is inward, passive and female principle, and yang is outward, active and masculine principle. Examples of yin are:  earth, cold, wet.  Examples of yang are: Heaven, hot, dry.

One of the major assumptions in TCM is that disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang, health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state". The imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of Qi (vital or electromagnetic energy) along pathways known as meridians. The Qi travels through channels of energy in the body. These channels of energy are called meridians. There are 14 such channels: twelve from the hands and feet, one in the center on the front of the body and one in the center on the back of the body.

Acupuncture has been use to treat many issues such as stress, addiction, infertility, stroke rehabilitation, migraine headaches, menstrual cramps, skin problems, tennis elbow, knee pain, fibromyalgia, asthma, myofascial pain, arthritis, osteoarthritis, side effects of chemotherapy, low back pain, and lupus are just a few of the issues that acupuncture may help. Be sure to check with your medical practitioner before starting acupuncture treatments to see if acupuncture may help your condition.  Most acupuncture treatments are covered by medical insurance however, some insurance companies may require pre-authorization. Be sure to check with your insurance company and find out how many sessions they will cover for your condition.