Traditional acupuncture involves the insertion of fine needles (about the width of a human hair) into the body at specific locations. The needles used are sterile, stainless steel and are incinerated after use. A thorough consultation is carried out prior to the first treatment using Oriental diagnostic skills, which include looking at a patient’s tongue and feeling their pulse. The acupuncturist asks many questions about the patient's health and lifestyle. This in-depth consultation is crucial in order to establish which aspects of the patient are out of balance and this in turn informs the treatment.
There are basically two different types of acupuncture, which can be confusing for patients. Some doctors, nurses and physiotherapists practise a Western-style treatment, using acupuncture needles, to achieve relief of symptoms. Traditional acupuncture is holistic in approach and therefore quite different. The theory that underpins traditional acupuncture takes many years to learn, but the overarching aim of acupuncture is to restore harmony within the body so that proper physical and psychological functioning will return to the whole body. Patients often report improvements in conditions they hadn’t mentioned in the initial consultation – conditions they thought were in no way connected to the complaint they wanted to resolve. This is due to the holistic nature of acupuncture which treats the individual rather than the symptom.
We know that acupuncture was being used in the East at the very least 2,000 years ago. I won’t provide lots of historical information as that’s probably not why you’re reading this website. If you are interested in the history and development of acupuncture then do have a look at the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) website: www.Acupuncture.org.uk
Acupuncture is one of the safest medical treatments. Two surveys conducted independently of each other and published in the British Medical Journal in 2001 concluded that the risk of a serious adverse reaction to acupuncture is less than 1 in 10,000. This is far less than many orthodox medical treatments. One survey was of traditional acupuncturists and the other of doctors who practise acupuncture.
A total of 66,000 treatments were reviewed altogether, with only a handful of minor and transient side effects recorded. There are very few side effects from acupuncture when practised by a fully qualified practitioner of traditional acupuncture. Any minor side effects that do occur, such as dizziness or bruising around needle points, are mild and self-correcting.
There is usually very little sensation as the needle is inserted because it is so fine. Upon insertion, the acupuncturist gently manipulates the needle which produces a sensation that people describe variously as: “a dull ache”, “tingling”, “like a slight electric shock”. Interestingly, my patients often say it doesn’t feel at all like a needle and they also say that the sensation feels deep within the body – which suggests that it is something other than just the needle being felt, since the needle usually only penetrates about 1cm. Patients also report that the sensation can be felt in parts of the body other than where the needle is.
The effectiveness of acupuncture is now well-established in Western medical literature. Thousands of peer-reviewed articles have been published over the past few decades. However, the mechanism by which acupuncture exerts its effect is very much open to debate. Oriental medicine describes a life-force or Qi (pronounced ‘chi’) as inhabiting every living organism and states that any disruption or blockage of Qi will eventually result in illness. Acupuncture aims to restore the flow of Qi and thus restore balance and health within the individual. Western medicine argues that the effect of acupuncture is due to stimulation of the nervous system by the needles and that it is this stimulation that causes the various physiological and psychological improvements.
Acupuncture received the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) accreditation for persistent, non-specific low-back pain in 2009, which means that GPs can refer a patient to an acupuncturist for treatment of this condition. However, acupuncture is a complete system of medicine in its own right and has been shown in clinical trials to be useful for the following ailments (please see the BAcC website for links to the research):
- Allergic rhinitis
- Back pain
- Bell’s palsy
- Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME)
- Eczema and psoriasis
- Female fertility issues
- Frozen shoulder
- Gastrointestinal tract disorders
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Male infertility issues
- Menopausal symptoms
- Nausea & vomiting
- Premenstrual syndrome
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Sports injuries
- Substance misuse
- Tennis elbow
- Type-2 Diabetes
- Urinary incontinence
The following health insurance schemes cover acupuncture treatments: Allianz / BHSF / Cash4Health / HSA / HSF / Westfield / WHA / Foresters / BCWA / Groupama / Norwich Union AVIVA / CIGNA International / Pru Health / Standard Life
It is important to eat a snack (not a heavy meal ) before a treatment as patients can feel light-headed afterwards. It is therefore sensible to not plan a stressful or demanding activity immediately after a treatment, particularly if you are a new patient.