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WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE?

Acupuncture is among the oldest healing practices in the world. As part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), acupuncture aims to restore and maintain health through the stimulation of specific points on the body. In the United States, where practitioners incorporate healing traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries, acupuncture is considered part of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).

Key Points
  • Acupuncture has been practiced in China and other Asian countries for thousands of years.
  • Scientists are studying the efficacy of acupuncture for a wide range of conditions.
  • Relatively few complications have been reported from the use of acupuncture. However, acupuncture can cause potentially serious side effects if not delivered properly by a qualified practitioner.

Click here for a Visual Guide to Acupuncture on WedMD

About Acupuncture

The term "acupuncture" describes a family of procedures involving the stimulation of anatomical points on the body using a variety of techniques. The acupuncture technique that has been most often studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation.

All Photos On This Page Taken by Jayme Crowder
Practiced in China and other Asian countries for thousands of years, acupuncture is one of the key components of traditional Chinese medicine. In TCM, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, while yang represents the hot, excited, or active principle. According to TCM, health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state"; disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians. Qi can be unblocked, according to TCM, by using acupuncture at certain points on the body that connect with these meridians. One commonly cited source describes meridians as 14 main channels "connecting the body in a weblike interconnecting matrix" of at least 2,000 acupuncture points.

Acupuncture became better known in the United States in 1971, when New York Times reporter James Reston wrote about how doctors in China used needles to ease his pain after surgery. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries.

Acupuncture Use in the United States

The report from a Consensus Development Conference on Acupuncture held at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1997 stated that acupuncture is being "widely" practiced—by thousands of physicians, dentists, acupuncturists, and other practitioners—for relief or prevention of pain and for various other health conditions. According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, which included a comprehensive survey of CAM use by Americans, an estimated 3.1 million U.S. adults and 150,000 children had used acupuncture in the previous year. Between the 2002 and 2007 NHIS, acupuncture use among adults increased by three-tenths of 1 percent (approximately 1 million people).

Acupuncture Side Effects and Risks

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners, requiring that needles be manufactured and labeled according to certain standards. For example, the FDA requires that needles be sterile, nontoxic, and labeled for single use by qualified practitioners only.

Relatively few complications from the use of acupuncture have been reported to the FDA, in light of the millions of people treated each year and the number of acupuncture needles used. Still, complications have resulted from inadequate sterilization of needles and from improper delivery of acupuncture. Practitioners should use a new set of disposable needles taken from a sealed package for each patient and should swab sites with alcohol or another disinfectant before inserting needles.

Status of Acupuncture Research

There have been many studies on acupuncture's potential health benefits for a wide range of conditions. Summarizing earlier research, the 1997 NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture found that, overall, results were hard to interpret because of problems with the size and design of the studies.

In the years since the Consensus Statement was issued, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has funded extensive research to advance scientific understanding of acupuncture. Some recent NCCAM-supported studies have looked at:
  • Whether acupuncture works for specific health conditions such as chronic low-back pain, headache, and osteoarthritis of the knee
  • How acupuncture might work, such as what happens in the brain during acupuncture 
  • Ways to better identify and understand the potential neurological properties of meridians and acupuncture points
  • Methods and instruments for improving the quality of acupuncture research

What To Expect from Acupuncture Visits

During your first office visit, the practitioner may ask you at length about your health condition, lifestyle, and behavior. The practitioner will want to obtain a complete picture of your needs and behaviors that may contribute to your condition. Inform the acupuncturist about all treatments or medications you are taking and all medical conditions you have.

Acupuncture needles are metallic, solid, and hair-thin. People experience acupuncture differently, but most feel no or minimal pain as the needles are inserted. Some people feel energized by acupuncture, while others feel relaxed. Improper needle placement, movement of the patient, or a defect in the needle can cause soreness and pain during acupuncture. This is why it is important to seek care from a qualified acupuncture practitioner.

Treatment may take place over a period of several weeks or more.

How Acupuncture Works

Scientists have observed the following clinical effects of acupuncture:

Augmentation of Immunity Theory – Increased Immune Function & Resistance to Disease by Stimulating Immune Cells

Endorphin Theory – Reduction of Pain by Increasing Release of Endorphins

Neurotransmitter Theory – Inflammation Reduction & Altering Brain Chemistry by Changing the Release of Neurotransmitters and Neurohormones.

Circulatory Theory – Increases Blood Circulation & Smooth Muscle Relaxation

Gate Control Theory – Increases Pain Tolerance

Motor Gate Theory – Hastens Motor Recovery from Paralysis

Bioelectric Theory – Stimulate Cells of Tissue Growth & Repair

Nervous System Theories – Regulates Central Nervous System, Spinal & Peripheral Nerve Stimulation, Resulting in Specific Effects such as Regulating one's Blood Pressure, Blood Flow, and Body Temperature.

References

  1. Acupuncture. Natural Standard Database Web site. Accessed at http://www.naturalstandard.com on June 28, 2007.
  2. Barnes PM, Powell-Griner E, McFann K, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults: United States, 2002. CDC Advance Data Report #343. 2004.
  3. Berman BM, Lao L, Langenberg P, et al. Effectiveness of acupuncture as adjunctive therapy in osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized, controlled trial.Annals of Internal Medicine. 2004;141(12):901–910.
  4. Eisenberg DM, Cohen MH, Hrbek A, et al. Credentialing complementary and alternative medical providers. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2002;137(12):965–973.
  5. Ernst E. Acupuncture—a critical analysis. Journal of Internal Medicine. 2006;259(2):125–137.
  6. Kaptchuk, TJ. Acupuncture: theory, efficacy, and practice. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2002;136(5):374–383.
  7. Lao L. Safety issues in acupuncture. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 1996;2(1):27–31.
  8. MacPherson H, Thomas K. Short-term reactions to acupuncture—a cross-sectional survey of patient reports. Acupuncture in Medicine. 2005;23(3):112–120.
  9. National Cancer Institute. Acupuncture (PDQ). National Cancer Institute Web site. Accessed at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/acupuncture on August 16, 2007.
  10. National Institutes of Health Consensus Panel. Acupuncture: National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement. National Institutes of Health Web site. Accessed at http://consensus.nih.gov/1997/1997acupuncture107html.htm on June 22, 2007.
  11. Reston J. Now, about my operation in Peking; Now, let me tell you about my appendectomy in Peking…. New York Times. July 26, 1971:1.
  12. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Acupuncture needles no longer investigational. FDA Consumer. 1996;30(5). Also available at www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfCFR/CFRSearch.cfm?FR=880.5580.

Health For Life Clinic: Natural Medicine & Acupuncture 
112 N. Cornell Ave., Lancaster, PA 17603
(717) 669-1050

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