Acupuncture techniques are so effective for a broad range of health issues that I personally travel with a small needle kit everywhere I go. That way, regardless of where I’m at, I can treat Trevor (my other half) and myself at a moments notice if something flares up. Sure, I’m a licensed acupuncturist, so I’m a little biased. But the technique flat out WORKS. Read on to discover why it works and how it can help you:
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is widely believed to have originated in China around 100BC, making it one of the oldest (along with moxibustion) practices in Traditional Chinese Medicine. From China, acupuncture first spread to Korea around 514AD and then to Vietnam in the 8th century. During the second half of the 17th century, acupuncture spread from Asia into Europe and by the 19th century the practice was common throughout the world.
Today, acupuncture is widely practiced throughout Asia, Europe, North America & Australia and is gaining greater acceptance almost daily as studies proving it’s efficacy continue to be published. In fact, the NIH (National Institute of Health) in the U.S. publicly supports the use of acupuncture for certain conditions and prestigious academic medical centers including Harvard, Stanford, John Hopkins and UCLA all have acupuncture treatment programs. In the UK over 50% of practicing MD’s prescribe acupuncture to their patients!
In practice, there are over 400 individual acupoints all over the surface of your body. Each of these external points correlates to an internal organ or system. By stimulating specific points with either very fine needles (acupuncture) or pressure (acupressure) we can elicit a beneficial response in the organ or system that corresponds to the point being stimulated.
The pathway between these points, organs and systems has been traditionally known as meridians. There are 12 main meridian “pathways” and the traditional belief is that there is a “flow” of energy along these meridians and between the external acupoints and the internal organs and systems. If this “flow” of energy gets “stuck”, then various health issues arise. By stimulating the right points that correspond to your unique health situation, that energy flow gets “unstuck”, returns to its normal state of flow and balance and your symptoms improve.
If you’re a natural skeptic or haven’t experienced the benefits of acupuncture firsthand, I realize the above paragraph may sound a little cray-cray…. Fear not. I’m not going to try to sell you a voodoo doll, conjure ancient spirits or contact aliens during your session. In fact, while the verdict is still out in the scientific community on the EXACT mechanism of action that makes acupuncture so beneficial for such a wide array of heath concerns, study after study after study has proven acupuncture works (Including one research study that involved injecting a radioactive tracer at the appropriate depth on specific acupoints and following the path of that tracer via MRI scan as it flowed along the meridian to it’s corresponding organ!).
Some researchers believe that acupuncture stimulates the flow of tiny amounts of electricity (you did know that your body produces electricity right?). Others have hypothesized the positive effect comes from nerve stimulation below the acupoint. I believe it’s most likely a combination of both, plus several other factors we’ve yet to discover.
However, one thing is for certain:
The ancient Chinese people figured out a system for healing the body that modern science has been able to prove works, whether the EXACT mechanism of action is completely understood or not.
And really…. Who cares? Lets leave the debates, studies and theories to academia and focus on what matters…. Achieving robust health and vitality!
Check out the video demonstration of Acupuncture below:
What are the benefits of Acupuncture?
- Pain related issues such as: headaches and migranes, low back pain, neck pain, muscle spasms, sprains and strains, sport related injuries, etc.
- Chronic inflammation
- Stress and anxiety related issues including emotional, family and job related stressors
- Colds, Flue and immune system problems
- Nervous system dysfunction (getting that constant state of fight or flight under control)
- Nausea and other digestive problems
- Insomnia
- Allergies and autoimmune conditions
AND… despite what the internet “science trolls” would have you believe…
There’s an enormous body of scientific research to back it up!
Between 1995 and 2014 there were 13,320 research studies on the effectiveness of acupuncture published on Pubmed (the primary repository of research study publications in the world) including:
- A 2009 study from the University of Munich, Germany involving 2137 patients that concluded acupuncture was a valuable non-pharmacological treatment for headaches.
- And a 2012 study from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics involving 17,000 patients that concluded “acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic pain and is more than just a placebo effect, therefore it’s a reasonable referral option for doctors”.
Here’s a few direct quotes from world renowned experts regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture:
- “I think that if we had more acupuncture and less AZT [an AIDS medication], we would see a qualitative improvement in these patients’ health.”
– William Michael Cargile, B.S., D.C., F.I.A.C.A. - “Even in acute abdominal problems, acupuncture can be used before surgery to arrest the condition before it progresses further.”
– Maoshing Ni, D.O.M., Ph.D., L.Ac., Vice-President of Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Santa Monica, California - “There is evidence that acupuncture influences the production of and distribution of a great many neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, and that this in turn alters the perception of pain.”
– David Eisenberg, M.D., Clinical Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School - “Every drug of choice has a receptor site mechanism that is very specific. What we do is meet the needs of that receptor site by supplying and directing the endorphins or enkaphilins through acupuncture.”
-Sir Jay Holder, M.D., D.C., Ph.D., Director of the Holder Research Institute in Miami, Florida - “Acupuncture is equivalent to the effect of tranquilizers in cases of depresion, worry, insomnia, and nervous disorders, and its action is swift and lasting.”
-Professor Pierre Huard of the Medical Faculty of Paris France and Dr. Ming Wong of the Medical Faculty of Rennes - “Not only is acupuncture effective as a primary modality, it also can play a vital role as an adjunctive therapy due to how effective the meridian system is as a means of proper diagnosis.”
-William Michael Cargile, B.S., D.C., F.I.A.C.A., Chairman of Research for the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine - “Because the meridians influence every cell in the body and pass through every organ and organ system, acupuncture provides health practitioners with an accurate and noninvasive means of determining health deficiences, as well as a method of reestablishing balance.”
-William Michael Cargile, B.S., D.C., F.I.A.C.A., Chairman of Research for the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine - “In short, it [acupuncture] provides maximum benefits without the dangerous side effects associated with many of the approaches of conventional medicine.”
-William Michael Cargile, B.S., D.C., F.I.A.C.A., Chairman of Research for the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine - “While acupuncture represents a legacy of concepts that predate Western civilization, as a contemporary health care system it also represents a synthesis of continuously evolving scientific and technological developments which provides us with new tools to meet current clinical challenges.”
-Dennis Tucker, Ph.D., L.Ac., of Nevada City, California
AND…
Check out the video below to see what Dr. Josh Axe has to say about the benefits of acupuncture treatments:
Are there any side effects to Acupuncture treatment?
Acupuncture treatments have very few side effects. A very minor amount of bleeding (a few drops) may occur at the needle site and very occasionally a very minor amount of bruising.
Who shouldn’t get Acupuncture treatments?
If you have a severe needle phobia, have a bleeding disorder or are taking blood thinners, acupressure may be a better place to start. Otherwise, acupuncture is applicable to virtually everyone.
Does Acupuncture Hurt?
The needles are VERY fine gauge, not much larger in diameter than a strand of hair. You will feel a small pinprick at the point of insertion, but it generally won’t hurt.
Who should get Acupuncture treatments?
Acupuncture is effective for a wide range of conditions and is particularly helpful in treating chronic pain, anxiety, stress, insomnia and an overstimulated nervous system. If you’ve got:
- Frozen shoulder
- Neck pain
- Back pain
- Migranes
- Mobility and range of motion issues
- Chronic inflammation
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Chronic colds or flu
- Nausea and digestive system problems
- Allergies & autoimmune conditions
- Insomnia
- Nervous system disfunction
- Arthritis
- Fibromyalgia
- TMJ/TMD issues
- Sports injuries
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- PMS & menstrual cycle problems
Then you should consider a treatment and see what you think about the results… I’m convinced you’ll be impressed!
However, I believe acupuncture is most effective as a regular part of an overall health and wellness plan that keeps you operating at your best and out of your doctor’s office. Therefore, it’s my firm belief that EVERYONE can benefit from a routine that includes regular acupuncture to keep your nervous system functioning optimally.
If you live anywhere in East Hants or Halifax Regional Municipality including Enfield, Elmsdale, Fall River, Halifax, Bedford and Dartmouth, my clinic is only a hop, skip & jump away so…
Call Jennifer to book your Acupuncture treatment today:
902-209-5137
Or Use our online scheduler to book your appointment right now by clicking the button below:
What do people think about their Acupuncture treatments?
Here’s what some people had to say about their experience with Acupuncture:
