What To Expect From An Acupuncture treatment?

Hi: Hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend.

Convincing people to try acupuncture is a challenge. But convince is the wrong word ... the wrong attitude. As I wrote in my last blog, the idea of using needles to improve one's health strikes many as odd. Not only that, practitioners of Chinese Medicine have the audacity to tell you they're sticking those needles in particular spots for a reason! That's it's all part of a well-thought-out system of natural medicine!

I wasn't sure what would happen during my first acupuncture treatment, which took place, by the way, when I visited my school for the first time in the summer of 2005. It made me feel a little heavy and drained. Not a ringing endorsement, except that in my case I was extremely open to giving it a chance.

There wasn't much wrong with me; I was just feeling the effects of the endorphins, opiods and the overall rebalancing that acupuncture generates.

Let me make a few observations.

1. Acupuncture Works!

Don't doubt it. Given the right circumstances, the right amount of patience and the right patient-practitioner relationship, you can achieve excellent results. For starters, visit this World Health Organization webpage: www.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js4926e/5.html. You also can find a lot of information on the Internet.

2. Acupuncture should not hurt.

You'll feel a little something, even a slight sting, as the needles enter the skin. But that's where the nerve endings are. After 10-15 seconds, if you continue to feel anything like pain, the needle is probably in the wrong place. That's rare. You should begin a sense a certain heaviness, numbness or tingling around the point. That means your energy - your Qi - has been stimulated and has begun to move.

Acupuncture releases endorphins and opiods. Those body chemicals are one major reason acupuncture is so relaxing.

A good practitioner talks with the patient on the table. They should be aware of how you're feeling, and readjust needles or take them out when necessary.

3. The acupuncture points are there for a reason.

One reason acupuncture shouldn't hurt is that the points are functional. It wouldn't make any sense to design a medical system for daily use that causes constant pain!

Where are the points then and where would you be likely to be needled?

Since the energy channels run all across the body, there are points everywhere, too. But practitioners - the ones you'll run into here, at least - avoid points around the genitalia. There's never any nudity or unwanted exposure. True, many back issues, sciatica issues, hip issues, urinary issues and some reproductive issues involve some exposure as the patient lies on their stomach, that's far from nudity.

4. The needles ...

They're extremely thin, flexible and solid. Right there, that tells you they're not the big, hollow needles many got scared of in the doctor's office long ago. I like to show people an acupuncture needle if they're coming in for a first treatment or just have the desire to see one. I'll glide it over their hand and let them do the same to me if they like. It helps break the fear and mystery of the acupuncture needle. You can see the surprise and sense of relief on their faces!

Needles these days are packaged individually and administered through a plastic tube. Place it over the point and tap ... the needle goes in. Once they're used, they get thrown into a sharps box where they'll be disposed of eventually as hazardous waste.

5. What kind of results should you expect from a treatment?

The goal always is to make the patient feel better than they did when they first arrived. After 20-30 minutes, the needles have had enough time to cycle the Qi through the body at least once. You want people to come back, of course. That's because, as a practitioner, you know that 9 times out of 10, it's going to take more than one treatment to correct an issue.

Acute or short-term issues, such as a cold or a recently injured back, can usually be improved in fewer treatments. The condition is fresh and hasn't had an opportunity yet to entrench itself in the body.

Chronic issues are another issue altogether. They took root further in the past, and it very likely was a combination of imbalances that created the problem in the first place. Fibromyalgia always comes to mind in this conversation. Asthma is another example, just as long-term asthma and Irritable Bowel Syndrome are too. Any Chinese Medicine practitioner is going to need more time to make a difference.

Acupuncture is the kind of treatment that often creeps up on a patient. By that, I mean it works so subtly yet determinedly that a patient might not notice they're feeling better. Incremental improvements are very common with this medicine. Unlike the reaction you get to many Western medicine, the benefits of acupuncture not only come without side effects, they accumulate treatment after treatment, week after week.

That's why it's very helpful to make an honest committment to see if it's the right thing for you. Most often, you'll be glad that you did.