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Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a treatment, which can
relieve symptoms of some physical and psychological conditions and may
encourage the patient's body to heal and repair itself, if it is able to do so.
Acupuncture stimulates the nerves in skin
and muscle, and can produce a variety of effects. We know that it increases the
body's release of natural painkillers - endorphin and serotonin - in the pain
pathways of both the spinal cord and the brain. This modifies the way pain
signals are received.
But acupuncture does much more than reduce
pain, and has a beneficial effect on health. Patients often notice an improved
sense of wellbeing after treatment.
Modern research shows that acupuncture can
affect most of the body's systems - the nervous system, muscle tone, hormone outputs,
circulation, antibody production and allergic responses, as well as the
respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems.
The practitioner will assess each patient’s
case and treatment will be tailored to the individual; so it is impossible to
give more than a general idea of what treatment might involve. Typically, fine
needles are inserted through the skin and left in position briefly, sometimes
with manual or electrical stimulation. The number of needles varies but may be
only two or three.
Treatment might be once a week to begin
with, then at longer intervals as the condition responds. A typical course of
treatment lasts 5 to 8 sessions.
Uses
for acupuncture
Taking the above into consideration, here
are some of the ways in which acupuncture may be effective:
This list is by no means exhaustive, but it
does give a rough idea of the wide range of conditions that respond to
acupuncture treatment. Remember that before starting acupuncture, the
practitioner must be sure of the diagnosis and that all the necessary tests
have been carried out which might point to any serious or potentially serious
condition, perhaps requiring other forms of treatment. Acupuncture
- past, present and future
Acupuncture-like techniques have been used
for over 5,000 years. A comprehensive system was developed in the Far East and
this was first introduced into Europe in the 17th Century. However, widespread
interest in the technique did not develop until the political events of the
early 1970's allowed travel restrictions between East and West to be eased.
In the past thirty years, because of the
huge public interest in the subject, considerable scientific research on
acupuncture has been carried out - although much remains to be done. We now
know much more about how acupuncture works and some of the myths can be laid to
rest. It is demonstrably untrue to say that the results of acupuncture are all
in the mind. Where
to go for acupuncture
At the moment, anybody in the UK is allowed
to call themselves an acupuncturist and can start advertising and practising
acupuncture immediately, regardless of qualifications or experience. This is
not ideal within a healthcare setting, so patients must check the credentials
of their practitioner.
BMAS http://www.medical-acupuncture.co.uk members are subject to our Code of Practice
and Complaints Procedure in addition to meeting the requirements of the
statutory regulatory body for their profession. Our Code of Practice is
available to download.
Acupuncture is a potent therapy, and whilst
it is generally safer than most conventional treatments, if used without due
care it can have serious adverse effects or interactions with other treatments.
Acupuncture should only be used by trained
practitioners who can adequately assess the risks and benefits of applying the
therapy. The ideal promoted by the BMAS is that acupuncture should be fully incorporated into orthodox medicine and used as one of the therapeutic tools available in treatment of a defined range of conditions.
German Acupuncture Trials (GERAC) for Chronic Low Back Pain. Randomized, Multicenter, Blinded, Parallel-Group Trial With 3 Groups
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British Medical Acupuncture Society