Does Acupuncture Work?

Does Acupuncture Work? : Meridians are invisible (or yet to be discovered) channels through which the life force called Qi circulates. Acupuncture (or acupressure) points are specific locations throughout the body where the meridians are close to the surface.

It is believed that by stimulating these points, the Qi can be brought into harmony, restore health, and stop the pain.

If one is interested in stimulating these points, searching “top chiropractors near me” will find you the best place to go to experience acupuncture.

A Time Tested Tradition

Acupuncture is believed to have originated in China in the century before the Common Era. Documents discovered in the tomb of Ma-Wang-Dui, which was sealed in 198 B.C.E, revealed references to the meridians involved in its use, however, no details about acupuncture itself.

The entire scientific community was astonished to find meridian lines tattooed on the body of Ötzi the ‘Ice Man.’ This largely intact frozen corpse was found after the Alpine Glacier melted and was dated to around 3,300 B.C.E.

The skin contained 61 tattoos. There were nineteen groups of black lines ranging from 7 to 40 mm long and 1 to 3 mm in thickness that corresponds to the accepted modern meridian lines.

Tools discovered dating around 6000 BCE are believed to have been used for acupuncture. As needles were not available, sharpened stones and the splintered points of long bones were used. The same instruments were probably used for other medical interventions, for example, draining an abscess.

The first documented evidence of acupuncture comes from a question the Emperor made to his advisor Chhi-Po who responded in writing in The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine circa 100 B.C.E. The documentation of specific acupuncture points were not published, however, until much later.

Considering how long the use of acupuncture has been around, persisting even today, there must be some merit in its use, right?

In and Out of Favor

In the 17th century faith in acupuncture declined, believing it was superstitious and not scientific. In 1929, the Chinese prohibited acupuncture and all forms of traditional medicine. This was largely due to the rise of Western medical advances. The rural practitioners, however, preserved and continued the practice.

When communism ruled China, all forms of traditional medicine, including acupuncture were re-established. By the mid-twentieth century, numerous acupuncture clinics were established in China and its use in the hospital setting became common. Both the United States and Great Britain started to investigate acupuncture at that time.

In 1971 an American journalist in China developed appendicitis. Acupuncture was used post-operatively with his reported success. On return to the U.S., the journalist wrote an article in the New York Times. His experience related in the newspaper article started a vigorous interest in the practice.

The U.S. National Institute of Health investigated acupuncture and found it to be effective “in some cases.” Subsequently, the practice of acupuncture became mainstream in America.

At present, the Depart of Health in all states issues licensure for the practice of Oriental Medicine.

What is Required for an Acupuncture License?

Acupuncture requires an extensive amount of training. For your own safety, make sure that anyone you consider for this type of treatment is a professionally licensed expert.

Requirements for an accredited training program may include:

Completion of a four year masters degree program in Oriental medicine or foreign equivalent
Western Anatomy and Physiology
Western Pathology
Western Biomedical Terminology
First aid including CPR certification
A 15 hour course in the Universal Precautions of Needling Techniques
State specific course (up to 20 hours) of State Laws and Rules
A minimum of a 60 hour course in injection therapy

Requirements to be licensed as an Acupuncturist in The United States generally require:

Being a minimum of 21 years old
Having proof of accredited training program completion
Successful completion of the NCCAOM examination or other state deemed equivalent
Submission of completed application and fee for licensure
Verification of professional liability insurance coverage
Proof of English language proficiency if the written examination was in a language other than English

As with all Department of Health licensures, ongoing continuing professional education must be submitted for license renewal every two years.

Does It Work?

In 1996, the U.S. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) classified acupuncture needles as “medical devices.” This gave acupuncture governmental legitimacy.

There are many documented conditions in which acupuncture has proven effective, perhaps most significantly with chronic pain.

In 2012 a National Institute of Health (NIH) study concluded that acupuncture was helpful in assisting with the following four conditions:

Shoulder pain
Chronic headache
Osteoarthritis
Back and neck pain

The NIH has stated that the study is “the most rigorous evidence to date that acupuncture may be helpful for chronic pain.”

WebMD claims that in addition to chronic pain, acupuncture can be effective for menstrual cramps, nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy, and infertility.

How Does It Work?

In short, the western explanation suggests that acupuncture works by stimulating the body’s innate healing mechanisms.

In the case of infertility, for example, acupuncture is considered to work in two ways:

It can reduce the stress and anxiety of the patient.
It increases blood flow to the ovaries.

The founder of Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Centers in Colorado and New Mexico states, “Logic tells me more blood flow, more access to eggs, more eggs, more embryos, more choice, better chance for a baby.”

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in Great Britain States that acupuncture works due to the body’s immune responses to the local needle trauma.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends acupuncture for over 100 conditions.

Is Acupuncture Right For You?

Many patients report no effect from acupuncture, but there are numerous reasons why that may be.

Practitioner skills, the patient’s mental status about the procedure, and other variables may minimize outcomes. Many more than not patients report improvement, if not resolution from symptoms after acupuncture.

If considering acupuncture, check the provider’s credentials. Do not rely on an acupuncturist’s diagnosis, get a referral from an M.D. or D.O.

We may not yet entirely understand how acupuncture works at the biomechanical level; however, experience over time tells us that it does.