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Acupuncture is an ancient technique that has been around for thousands of years however it is still not certain exactly how it works. One thing the experts do agree on though is that it does work. It has been proven time and time again through scientific studies all over the globe in getting very real results from helping asthma to arthritis pain to migraine headaches to frozen shoulders.

These days we have two very different theories as to how acupuncture works:

If you look at traditional Chinese philosophy you see that the belief system stems around yin and yang. These are two opposing forces contained in everything in the universe including your body. If these forces are in balance you are healthy. The yin and yang are kept in balance by chi, energy which circulates throughout the body through channels known as meridians. Along these meridians are points called acu-points that an acupuncturist will place hair like needles to stimulate a response from the body which promotes the body’s natural healing abilities and improves its function. When the chi is not flowing freely and becomes stuck or blocked, similar to damming a stream of water obstructing its flow, it can lead to illness and pain. By inserting the needles the flow can become restored which enables the body to be healed. There are about 2000 acu-points in the body.

The western medical viewpoint on acupuncture believes that there may be a correlation between the needles being inserted which in turn stimulates the central nervous system releasing neurotransmitters and hormones which can relieve pain, increase your immune system and regulate bodily organ functions.

When looking for an acupuncturist you can seek out a doctor who has trained in acupuncture or a licensed acupuncturist. The major differences between the two are that a doctor will generally have had 200 or so hours of training where as a trained acupuncturist will have had around 3000 hours of training. For instance, in my course we spent the first full year studying theory and it wasn’t until the second year until we were allowed to insert needles.

There are even different types of acupuncture treatments, all originating from different parts of the world. The most common being from china but the Japanese have also been treating with acupuncture for centuries and the major difference is that the Japanese use pins that barely pierce the skin. There is acupuncture that is based on five elements theory which treats the imbalances of the body by seeking a balance of the wood, water, fire, earth and metal elements of the body’s energies. There is auricular acupuncture that was first developed in France which treats the whole body by stimulating the acupuncture point’s on the ear only. There are over 200 points in the ear alone! There is also Korean acupuncture which focuses on putting the points in the hands to regulate the body’s organs and musculo-skeletal system. There is even animal acupuncture which the Chinese have been doing on their pets since 136AD. The American Veterinary Medical Association recognizes acupuncture as a legitimate treatment and you can even get pet insurance plans that can cover the costs.

Acupuncture is used to treat a huge range of disease states including:

addictions, asthma, nausea, carpal tunnel syndrome, colds/flu, bowel irregularities, headaches, fibromyalgia, low back and neck pains, menstrual problems, arthritis, sinusitis, urinary problems, stress/anxiety to mention but a few. The world health organization recognizes over 100 disorders that can be treated by acupuncture. If you are unsure as to whether your health problem can be treated by acupuncture it is best to speak to a qualified acupuncturist.

In 2004 a study in the annals of medicine showed that acupuncture significantly reduced pain and improved function on 294 people suffering from chronic osteoarthritis of the knee who could not be helped by medicine. After 8 weeks these people felt far less pain in their knees than before the treatments.

The Mayo clinic found that 50 participants with fibromyalgia had significant reductions in their pain and joint stiffness from acupuncture treatments

A report in a 2005 issue of the Obstetrics and Gynecology found that could relieve overactive bladder problems. Out of a group of 74 women who had acupuncture, 30% had less urgent trips to the bathroom compared to 3% fewer trips with those who were given sham acupuncture.

When you go for treatment with a qualified acupuncturist he/she will likely ask you a number of questions regarding your digestion, your energy levels, your quality of sleep, your diet, whether you prefer a cold or warm environment to name but a few. He will check your pulse to evaluate the state of balance within your body. Pulse diagnosis is an important tool in traditional Chinese medicine and a lot of information can be learned from the pulses alone (a medical doctor trained in a short acupuncture course will not likely have this skill as it takes many years of study to do this) and also your tongue will be checked for the color, shape, color of the coating/lack of coating etc. All of these questions and diagnostic techniques give the therapist an idea of what state of balance or imbalance there is in your body. It’s very much like being a detective and putting all of the clues together to arrive at a diagnosis. Then the practitioner inserts anywhere from 4 to 12 pins on various locations of the body. The pins are made of stainless steel and are used only once. The old methods used re-usable pins which were sterilized but this is very seldom used anymore because of blood contamination and the fact that the needles get blunt after a while so it’s painful. Normally when a person has acupuncture they don’t even feel the pins go in. It is virtually painless. The pins are left for about 20 mins and then taken out.

Acupuncture has survived for more than 5000 years and today is used more widely throughout the world than ever before. It’s more widely recognized by the western medical establishment than ever before. It is used in hospitals throughout the globe and there are hundreds of studies that have shown the effectiveness of acupuncture. It is not necessary to ‘have to believe in it’ for it to work and you may see results immediately after the first treatment depending on the condition. Acupuncture is no longer a question these days if it works as millions of satisfied clients will tell you a resounding YES. However, like any form of treatment it is not the ‘be all and end all’. It will treat certain conditions better than other treatments just like any other form of therapy may be better at treating certain dysfunctions better than others. This is why speaking to an experienced practitioner is an important step to get an informed opinion whether your particular condition can be treated successfully.