Puncturing the skin

Acupuncture, which originated in China 2500 years ago, is one of the oldest, most commonly practiced medical procedures in the world.

Acupuncture became widely known in the U.S. in the 1970s and by 1995, there were over 10,000 nationally certified acupuncturists practicing in this country with the number expected to double in the year 2000.

The Food and Drug Administration approved acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners in 1997. Currently, onethird of acupuncturists are medical physicians.

Non-physician acupuncturists practice more traditional oriental medicine and must meet licensing and certification requirements. The National Institutes of Health has termed acupuncture “an acceptable alternative, or part of a comprehensive treatment program” for certain medical conditions.

Acupuncture involves stimulation at specific points on the body by puncturing the skin with sterilized, flexible, very fine needles.

These points on the body are believed to stimulate the central nervous system to release chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord, and brain.

These chemicals can help reduce pain and inflammation, and may also trigger the release
of other chemicals to stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities and promote physical and emotional well-being.

The Chinese call this restoring one’s “qi” (pronounced chee) which is translated as one’s “energy flow”.

Variations of traditional acupuncture include Moxibustion – the process of burning dried herbs on top of the needles for treating certain health conditions, and Electroacupuncture – when the needle points are stimulated electronically.

Acupuncture practitioners will usually discuss your complete medical, personal, and family history with you in great detail in order to obtain a complete picture of your treatment needs and personal behaviors that may contribute to your condition.

It is important that you tell the practitioner if you are pregnant, have breast or other implants, have a pacemaker, and what medications and other treatments you are currently taking.

In some cases there may be bruising or irritation after the treatment, but the procedure itself produces minimal pain since the needles are hair-thin and hollow.

Lifestyle, age, and physical factors combine to make every person different and you should not rely on stories and hearsay about acupuncture to influence your decisions about healthcare.

A treatment that works for one person may not work for another person, even with the same condition