Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine:
Promoting the Body’s Natural Ability to Heal Itself

FOCUS ON HEALING—
By Megan Long

Traditional Chinese Medicine has been practiced for thousands of years to restore, promote and maintain good health.

Acupuncture originated in China over 3000 years ago and has evolved into a well-defined therapeutic health care system capable of treating a wide variety of disorders. It is an extremely effective and safe choice for initial and ongoing health care. Acupuncture can remedy acute or chronic ailments, relieve pain, enhance recuperative powers and strengthen the immune system.

What is Acupuncture?
It is a method of balancing and building the body’s life force energy known as “qi” (pronounced “chee”). Acupuncturists recognize particular pathways called “meridians” through which this energy circulates. Traditional Chinese medicine views disease as the result of an imbalance or blockage in the body’s natural energy flow. This imbalance or blockage can result from trauma, poor diet, medications, stress, hereditary conditions, environmental factors or excessive emotional issues. Such imbalances manifest in physical pain or illness, and/or emotional and psychosomatic stress-related disorders. In acupuncture, very thin, sterile, stainless steel needles are inserted into specific points along the meridians in order to disperse the blockage and mobilize the body’s natural immune response thereby restoring balance. These points have been studied and mapped by Chinese practitioners over thousands of years. Recently, electromagnetic research has confirmed point locations.

How Does it Work?
Modern Western medicine cannot fully explain how acupuncture works. There have been studies that show a release of endorphins occurs in the body during acupuncture (endorphins are a naturally produced chemical that alters sensory perception and control pain perception, mood and alertness reaction). This could account for a reduction of pain and relaxed state experienced by the patient. With the use of fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), it has been shown that an acupuncture point on the foot used for eye disorders does in fact stimulate the visual cortex of the brain. This would suggest that there is more to acupuncture than just a release of endorphins. Exactly how or why this happens has yet to be fully understood in Western terms. One possible explanation is based on new research by Dr. Helene Langevin from the University of Vermont asserting that acupuncture points tend to lie over areas where connective tissue is the thickest (connective tissue forms a web that runs continuously through the body and has many nerves). This potentially explains why a needle in one extremity would affect a seemingly unrelated area. Despite the lack of a cohesive Western explanation of acupuncture, the system has been found to work for a wide variety of conditions.

Does Acupuncture Hurt?
The needles are extremely thin therefore the patient feels only a slight sensation at insertion, if anything at all. When the needle reaches the acupuncture point beneath the skin, a characteristic feeling of heaviness or tingling, dull ache or traveling warmth may be experienced. If any sensation is felt, it is generally very mild. People are surprised to find that treatments are quite relaxing, many even fall asleep on the table.

Are The Needles Safe?
Yes. Only sterile, single use disposable needles are used. The needles are sterilized during their manufacture, are packaged in a sealed container and are discarded in a biohazard unit after use. While the patient may notice a drop of blood or a small bruise develop at an acupuncture point site, the risk of this is much less than with using hypodermic needles.

What Is A Treatment Like?
The patient is comfortably positioned and the needles inserted. The number of needles varies according to the problem being treated. After insertion, the needles may be stimulated to produce a stronger effect. The needles are usually left in place for approximately twenty to thirty minutes, after which they are easily removed and discarded.

What Response Can Be Expected From An Acupuncture Treatment?
The immediate response to acupuncture varies depending on the general health of the patient and the condition being treated. Some patients experience an immediate total or partial relief of their pain or other symptoms. This relief may last, or some pain may return. In a few cases, there may be no immediate relief only to notice the pain diminish over the next couple of days. The treatment does not end once the needles are removed. Acupuncture has initiated a change within the body and it is important that the patient encourages these new positive patterns. It is strongly suggested that some time is taken to relax directly after treatment. Generally, the patient should expect to feel better. Occasionally, symptoms of an illness may temporarily increase after a treatment. While this is not pleasant, it can be viewed as a good sign that the body is rallying its strength to move old blocks and patterns of disease so that a balanced flow of energy may be re-established.

How Many Treatments Are Needed?
The number of treatments needed to alleviate a disorder varies upon the duration, nature and severity of the complaint and the overall health of the individual. Generally, acute diseases can be treated successfully within a few treatments. It is commonly recommended to have a series of 4 or 5 treatments set no more than a week apart and then reassess the progress from there. Chronic problems, which have taken years to develop, will not be “cured” overnight. In chronic conditions, gradual change over time will reflect the gradual restoration of the body’s strength and vitality. Acupuncture is an accumulative treatment modality, meaning the treatments build upon each other. Some degenerative conditions may require many treatments over time. As you improve, fewer visits are required.

Is Acupuncture For You?
Oriental Medicine is used not only for pain management, but also as a comprehensive system of health care and health maintenance. Athletes use Oriental Medicine to achieve optimum performance levels. Oncology patients are treated for the side effects of chemotherapy to enhance their quality of life. Acupuncture can be used pre and post operatively to speed up recovery time from surgeries. There are even indications for cosmetic acupuncture to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. To learn more about acupuncture and its practice in Michigan visit www.michiganacupuncture.org.

Megan Long, Dipl. Ac. is a board certified acupuncturist in private practice in Okemos, MI. 517-381-0299. She is currently the Treasurer of the Michigan Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (MAAOM).