Acupuncture is one of the most popular modalities in
the world of natural medicine, so you may have heard of it before. And if you
have, you probably have some misconceptions about it as well.
Photos of people undergoing acupuncture might scare
you away from the treatment forever, but it’s not as painful as it looks. In
fact, most patients report very little or no pain at all. But more on that
later.
Many naturopathic doctors in Toronto are trained
acupuncturists, including Dr. Lee and Dr. Luck here at Annex Naturopathic. So
we put this article together for you to explain more about acupuncture, clear
up any misconceptions, and help you know what to expect.
First off, does acupuncture hurt?
This is the most common question. It does look
painful, doesn’t it? It sounds painful too; getting dozens of tiny needles
stuck into you doesn’t seem like an enjoyable experience.
But acupuncture needles are not designed to pierce
deeply into your skin the way a hypodermic injection needle does. They do
pierce the skin, but on a much more superficial level. On top of that,
acupuncture needles are much smaller.
Most people say they feel only a slight pinprick along
with a mild tingling sensation, and sometimes a mild, dull ache. Occasionally,
a needle may hit a blood vessel or a small nerve, which can cause the pinprick
to be more painful, but still quite mild.
Where
does acupuncture come from?
Acupuncture is one
of the oldest medicinal practices from China. Archaeologists have found
evidence of what looks like acupuncture needles from as far back as 6000 BCE.
We've also found that Otzi, the "Ice Man" who was pulled from a
glacier and died around 3300 BCE, had tattoos on some of the meridianal channels
used in acupuncture. Otzi was from Europe, so this could mean early Europeans
created their own version of acupuncuture!
The earliest
confirmed date of what is undoubtedly acupuncture, though, comes from about 100
BCE in The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine. This explains the
concepts of the meridianal channels through which qi (energy, or life force)
flow.
Europeans first
came upon acupuncture in the 17th century, when the East India Company began
trading with China and Japan. But it wasn't until 1971, when a member of the US
press corps was given acupuncture while in China to help recover from an
emergency appendectomy, that acupuncture began to gain popularity in the west.
Today, acupuncture
is commonly used to treat a number of different ailments, with new research
being done on its effects all the time.
What is acupuncture good for?
A study published
in the Journal
of the American Medical Association in 2012 examined a group of
nearly 18,000 patients suffering from back and neck pain, osteoarthritis,
chronic headache, or shoulder pain.
Of the different
control groups they set up, the one that received acupuncture reported greater
relief and less pain than the other control groups. Based on this testing, they
concluded that acupuncture is more effective than a placebo and is useful for
treating chronic pain.
Other studies have
been done to suggest acupuncture can be effective for treating a range of other
health issues, including certain eye conditions, headaches, fibromyalgia,
asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, and more.
Can acupuncture help you?
If you’re wondering
whether acupuncture can help with any health conditions you’re experiencing,
contact Annex Naturopathic today. You’ll get a chance to speak with one of our
naturopathic doctors who will answer your questions and help you better
understand how acupuncture or other naturopathic modalities can help you live a
healthier, more vibrant life.
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