Acupuncture

What Is It

Acupuncture is a component of traditional Chinese medicine. Historical artifacts of needlelike stones have been discovered, indicating that acupuncture is as old as the stone ages.

Acupuncture was first introduced to North America during Richard Nixon's visit to China in 1971 when a reporter for the New York Times was given acupuncture after having an emergency surgery. Modern acupuncture may involve insertion of very fine needles through the skin, or placing TENS or a low power laser over various points found on the body.

Anatomical acupuncture is a more modern approach used by some acupuncture therapists. Clinical studies have shown an 80 % success rate for symptom relief when treated with acupuncture. It has also been indicated that acupuncture may be even more effective when combined with other treatment techniques. Acupuncture works by causing the release of the body's natural pain killers "endorphins", which blocks pain messages from being sent to the brain and influences the nervous system.

The sensation experienced with acupuncture varies from patient to patient, but has very few adverse affects or risks. A wide variety of symptoms may be successfully treated with acupuncture and it is often used by physiotherapists in conjunction with manual therapy and therapeutic exercises.