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Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is (obviously) a “traditional medicine” along the lines of other great medical systems like Ayurveda (traditional east-Indian medicine), and as such, it has very sound wisdom behind it. TCM has existed for thousands of years, and yet it still remains somewhat of a mystery in how it actually works. An Acupuncturist will use very fine, rounded needles to slightly pierce the skin and this is said to help manipulate and redirect our body's energy (qi (pronounced chee)) which is said to clear up blockages and promote healthful effects. In addition to this, Acupuncturists will also prescribe herbal formulas or use a number of different techniques from the TCM suite (like cupping, moxabustion, tui na, and gua sha) to help aide recovery.
In the United States, Acupuncture is not viewed as a primary form of medical treatment, and until recently, most insurance providers would not cover the expenses of it. Regardless though, Acupuncture has been growing at an amazing rate as more people are getting tired of negligent doctors and a medical system that treats the symptoms but not the problem. Despite disinfo campaigns carried out by Allopathic doctors that believe there is only one real form of medicine, I can tell you first hand that Acupuncture works, and it works amazingly well.
I originally started to receive acupuncture last year around this time due to prominent pain in my wrist and hands from improper body positioning when I was massaging. It was so bad that I could not massage in class at all, and that was certainly a problem! After a single treatment, everything went away; it was amazing. Since then, I've been receiving continued treatments for knee and ankle pain (due to having low arch support all my life), an inflamed hamstring tendon, really bad scoliosis (30 degrees off), sinus infections, and also cold and flu-like illnesses when they come around.
The results that I have seen through this modality are simply amazing; I really can not think of a better way to explain it. I am simply amazed as to the level of understanding my acupuncturist has because it's as if she knows my body even better than I do! I can tell her that my legs hurt and just through palpating she can tell which one hurts more without me even needing to tell her (this has happened, actually), or my shoulder will hurt and sure enough she can tell that a tendon is out of place and she will physically manipulate my arm so bring it back to place bringing almost instantaneous pain relief. Simply put, the level of knowledge that an acupuncturist has of the body simply through palpating simply astounds me. Just by looking at your tongue and checking your pulse on your wrist, an acupuncturist can tell all sorts of things about your health. This is the diagnosis process of TCM.
Many doctors erroneously suggest that the results seen through acupuncture are simply placebos and that acupuncture itself does not work. This is a very ignorant claim as there are many, many case studies that have proven the efficacy of acupuncture time and again for a number of things like migraines, low back pain, and even fibromyalgia. Originally, scientists and doctors theorized that Acupuncture worked not because of the directing of qi flow (which you can physically feel if you ever receive acupuncture), but because of the endorphines produced due to the pain from the acupuncture needles. As can be seen in the documentary Alternative Medicine, The Evidence: Acupuncture, real-time brain scans show that real acupuncture actually produces reactions in the area of the brain that deals with pain whereas the 2-types of fake acupuncture used did not (instead, they both produced the same effect in a different area of the brain). So as we can see, even the most rigorous of studies now show that indeed acupuncture is real medicine.
There are different types of “TCM Practitioners” and I will explain them to help alleviate some confusion. There is such a thing as “medical acupuncture”, which is a Medical Doctor that is also trained in Acupuncture, but has not studied the suite of Traditional Chinese Medicine (herbs, moxabustion, cupping, etc.). Likewise, there are those that are on an opposite end of the spectrum and they just deal with Chinese herbs and herbal formulas for all sorts of ailments. Lastly, there is the classical Acupuncturist that has been trained in both Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. The last option is your absolute best bet because there is a real imbalance if one is not without the other. This is not to say that you will not experience relief if you choose someone that is not a classical Acupuncturist, but for the best results, it's a good idea to see someone that is trained in the whole suite. As a side note, there are also veterinary acupuncturists, and they do work! A close friend of mine actually took his dog to one for a long time because his dog had major hip pain problems. The veterinary acupuncture really made a difference that could be plainly seen.
I strongly recommend this amazing modality to anyone who is suffering from any problem whether it has a name or is simply labeled as “we don't know what you got, but you got it!”. I have experienced many wonderful treatments due to acupuncture and if it were not for it, I honestly believe I would not be in the condition I am in today. Don't worry about the needles, because they don't hurt, honestly. 5 acupuncture needles can fit inside the head of a hypodermic needle and they only need to pierce through the first layer of skin. With their rounded tips, they are meant to push through muscle, etc. as apposed to cut through (as a hypoderm would).
Be Healthy Now! 