Acupuncture
is a treatment method used in Oriental Medicine. Acupuncture practitioners use thin, sterile needles inserted in precise areas of the body to initiate
healing and promote health. Acupuncture networks in the body are akin to a telegraph system giving
instructions to the body/mind that enables it to repair itself and correct imbalance. There are over 370 pre-defined acupoints
mapped on the human body and innumerable trigger points that come and
go with time and injury. Acupuncture and the traditional medicine from
which it comes offer a unique analysis of ailments and disorders and
incorporate several different treatment methods, one of which is
acupuncture. Today, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are the most widely used
medical system in the world.
Acupuncture is extremely useful in relieving stress. According to many health experts, stress causes or complicates most modern diseases. In order for acupuncture to be effective, an individual will need to commit to regular treatments. By lowering the cost of treatment, MetroWest Whole Health aspires to help people make that commitment to their health.
Your acupuncturist may treat different acupoints each time you come for a treatment
as your diagnosis changes and your condition improves. An average
session involves the acupuncturist needling 5-15 points. Each acupoint
prescription
is individually tailored to the patient, their complaint, and the
diagnosis made by the clinician during the patient's intake. Needles
generally are retained for 30-60 minutes and are manipulated during
that time to attain the desired therapeutic result.
There are many acupuncture techniques including electro-acupuncture, laser
Acupuncture and microsystems-based acupuncture (e.g., Ear, Scalp,
Hand).
At
MetroWest Whole Health we provide acupuncture sessions in a community
setting. Acupuncture here is personal, deeply relaxing, and effective.
Research Perspectives: US & International
Over the last four decades in which acupuncture has developed in the
U.S., it has been proven to be not only exceptionally safe when
performed by licensed professionals, but effective in an
increasing body of scientific studies.
Statement by the US National Institutes of Health: The NIH has funded research on Acupuncture for many years. After considerable evaluation, the NIH published its 1997 Consensus Statement on Acuuncture. From research on acupuncture the NIH reported that "[p]romising results have emerged, for example, [demonstrating the] efficacy of acupuncture in adult post-operative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and in post-operative dental pain. There are other situations such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma where acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program. Further research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions will be useful. See NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture, Nov 3-5, 1997
Statement by the World Health Organization: The effectiveness of acupuncture analgesia (pain control) has already been established in controlled clinical studies. Acupuncture analgesia works better than a placebo for most kinds of pain, and its effective rate in the treatment of chronic pain is comparable with that of morphine.
Because of the side-effects of long-term drug therapy for pain and the risks of dependence, acupuncture analgesia can be regarded as the method of choice for treating many chronically painful conditions. (WHO. Acupuncture: Review and Anylsis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials, 2002).