Is acupuncture a legitimate form of treatment for pain?
Acupuncture involves inserting very fine, FDA-approved, metal needles into precise points on the body based on meridians, which are a highly complex network of flows of energy. As a part of a complementary medicine program for pain management, this ancient healing technique is steadily being incorporated into medical practices all over the country. No longer found only in Chinese medicine centers, acupuncture is actually being taught at Harvard Medical School. A brief introduction to The International Structural Acupuncture Course for Physicians: A Palpation Based Approach includes:
“The Harvard Medical School and the Department of Medicine at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is offering a highly regarded, comprehensive, nine-month course in acupuncture for physicians. There is a growing interest among patients and physicians in acupuncture as a therapeutic modality. However, physicians have little or no training in either the science or practice of this treatment approach. This unique course provides practical, hands-on training in acupuncture. The training program is designed to bring together Eastern and Western views of health and disease into a results-oriented acupuncture style. Strong emphasis is placed on developing a neuroanatomical understanding of pain modulation with acupuncture. You will learn to evaluate and treat patients using modern palpation-based Japanese acupuncture techniques that link classical Chinese theory to pragmatic diagnostic and treatment methods.” The entire course description can be read here.
Some of the topics taught in the Harvard course include:
- Pain Control
- Scar Treatments
- Structural and Orthopedic Problems
- Cardiac and Vascular Disorders
- Autoimmune and Autonomic Disorders
- Mood Disorders
- Myofascial and Neuroanatomic Treatment
- Neurological problems
A Brief History
For more than 2,500 years, acupuncture has been an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine. Long before being part of the curriculum at Harvard, practitioners of this ancient form of treatment have always had a deep understanding of how the body functions, even without the benefit of modern scientific equipment. By the early part of the 20th century, western medicine had been introduced into China and many of its promoters in the healthcare field were calling for traditional Chinese medicine to be banned. On March 17, 1929, the Chinese National Medical Assembly in Shanghai rejected this movement and March 17 is celebrated as Chinese Doctors’ Day.
Western trained doctors continued to lobby against these alternative forms of treatment until Mao Zedong’s Communist Red Army made its year-long flight to escape being annihilated by the forces of Chiang Kai-shek in what became known as the Long March. There were no drugs, anesthesia or surgical equipment on this journey. Thousands of wounded and sick soldiers lived thanks to doctors trained only in traditional Chinese medicine, especially acupuncture. After that, traditional and modern medical practices have been implemented side-by-side throughout China, and acupuncture is being used and accepted more and more all over the world.
While there are other areas where acupuncture is believed to be effective, it is most often used in controlling pain for patients who either prefer an alternative approach or who have tried other options, including medications, injections, physical therapy, diet and surgery. In 1998, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) added to its growing popularity by releasing a statement confirming the existence of sufficient evidence to warrant acupuncture being accepted as having beneficial pain-relieving qualities, especially in the areas of dental pain, low back pain, headache, myofascial pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and osteoarthritis, as well as chemo-related nausea.
Today, patients truly benefit from the best of both worlds. Everyone is unique and we now recognize there is no such thing as a cookie-cutter treatment plan. Plus, each person does better with modalities comfortable to their lifestyle and understanding. At Long Island Spine Rehabilitation Medicine, we strongly believe that each individual is best served through an integrative treatment plan in which there is ongoing communication between your physician and your complementary medicine specialist. To learn if acupuncture or any of our other complementary medicine modalities are a right fit for you, simply call (516) 268-0070 or use our convenient online form by clicking here.
