The word “acupuncture” makes some people wince, imagining it just has to be painful. That’s before a there’s a clear understanding of how and why acupuncture works.
Two experienced acupuncturists explain why the procedure isn’t the pain some imagine.
“The biggest misconception about acupuncture is that it is very painful — and it’s not,” says Dr. Faleh Atassi, who is affiliated with Porter Regional Hospital and incorporates acupuncture into his family practice at Valparaiso Family Health Center. “The needles are very thin, very sharp, and they’re disposable. I put the pressure with my finger first so that the patient very rarely feels pain.” Atassi says there are very few areas of the body where it can cause some pain.
“Acupuncture needles are very thin and solid, made from stainless steel. Most people feel very minimal pain at insertion. Some feel no pain once the needles are in place,” says Dr. Kalpana Doshi, a board certified acupuncturist in Valparaiso, Ind., at St. Mary Medical Center, part of the Community Healthcare System.
On to the use of acupuncture, then: What exactly is it? “Acupuncture is a method of encouraging the body to promote healing and to improve functioning. Medical acupuncture is the term to describe acupuncture performed by a doctor trained and licensed in Western medicine, who has had thorough training in acupuncture as a specialty practice,” says Doshi.
Acupuncture is performed for a long list of ailments — so long we won’t name them all here, but here are some supplied by Doshi:
— neurological and muscular disorders, such as headache, neck pain, tennis elbow, low back pain, sciatica, osteoarthritis, tendonitis.
—digestive disorders like gastritis, constipation, diarrhea
—respiratory disorders such as sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis
—urinary, menstrual and reproductive problems
—stress and emotional issues.
In addition, it’s used for promotion of health and well-being.
An impressive list, to be sure. How can this be? Atassi explains, “In acupuncture treatment we address the person as a whole entity. When you come to my office with chronic lower back pain, fibromyalgia, and other painful conditions, we understand there may be a disturbance in the Qi (pronounced chee), which circulates throughout the whole body, every hour of every day.”
According to ancient Chinese medicine still practiced today, Qi is present in all living things, as an energy that can become unbalanced or misdirected, resulting in pain and illness. “Since this Qi is present throughout the body, applying acupuncture to areas of the body that will release the Qi in the right direction allows acupuncture to be helpful for many different conditions,” says Atassi.
Doshi offers another way of describing how it works: “Needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the spinal cord, brain and muscles. These chemicals either change the experience of pain or trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones that influence the body's own internal regulating system.”
Since Qi circulates throughout the whole body, the best points for the specific condition are chosen—in fact, says Atassi, there are “superstar” points that are particularly effective, though that doesn’t apply to all medical conditions.
The method involves inserting tiny needles and applying heat or electric stimulation at very precise acupuncture points, explains Doshi.
Atassi emphasizes the importance of approaching a medical condition in a holistic way, taking into account the condition of the entire body—including the areas governing mood.
“Acupuncture has been shown to be helpful for people with depression and anxiety,” says Atassi. Acupuncture releases endorphins, those feel-good neurotransmitters in the brain that contribute to a sense of well-being and help to relieve pain. “So in treating the whole person, we may treat chronic lower back pain with acupuncture in specific areas, in conjunction with the Qi that circulates in the whole body and can help depression (and other mood disorders).
If the concept of Qi seems foreign, Doshi points out that acupuncture is a very old medical art, and the World Health Organization recognizes the use of acupuncture in the treatment of wide range of medical problems. Atassi states, “It does work, as evidenced by 3,000 years in the market.”
“Acupuncture “is not a quick fix, in general,” says Doshi. The individual’s condition and response to treatment will determine the number of treatments required.
In general, says Atassi, several sessions are needed, since most patients have a chronic illness, such as fibromyalgia or back pain. But for the patient seeking relief for an acute condition such as a migraine headache, one session can often be enough. Doshi says for complex or chronic conditions, one or two treatments a week for few weeks may be recommended.
Cost varies with practitioners, usually ranging from $50 to 100 per session. At present, says Doshi, very few insurance companies or health plans fully reimburse patients for acupuncture treatments. So far, that may be a sticking point for some patients.
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