STICK IT TO THE MAN: WHAT ACUPUNCTURE DOES
To the uninitiated, acupuncture can seem like a lot of hocus pocus. You’ve seen the pictures of people lying on beds with needles stuck all over their bodies. How could that possibly help with anything? The reality is that acupuncture is an ancient remedy used for centuries in Chinese medicine and has been scientifically proven to help not only physical ailments but mental ones as well.
In order to understand how acupuncture works, you have to understand how traditional Chinese medicine views the body. Think of the body like a road map. There are different channels called meridians that run all over the body. These meridians are like roads for energy. Some are big; think of them as the highways. Others are small, like side streets or paths. All of them work together to keep energy flowing through all the areas of the body. When everything is running smoothly, energy is able to reach where it needs to go in order to keep everything on track. But when there are blockages, like traffic jams, energy can get diverted or trapped. In Chinese medicine, this is what causes pain (and a host of other issues).
Acupuncture is a way to clear these blockages. Traditional Chinese medicine says that there are specific points along this complex meridian road map that, when activated, can open up passageways and allow energy to flow through. Acupuncture, the practice where tiny stainless steel needles are stuck into your skin superficially, is a way of activating these pressure points.
What It Can Do for You
Typically, the conversations around acupuncture center on physical ailments. It’s been found to be an effective tool in relieving all sorts of pain from muscle and joint ailments to even chronic inflammation inside the body. It’s used for chronic heart issues, breathing problems, gastrointestinal issues, and even fatigue. It can also be used to address superficial issues like skin and hair problems by promoting blood flow to the surface.
Less discussed is the ability of acupuncture to treat non-physical ailments as well. Studies have shown that acupuncture can help alleviate anxiety, depression, fear, and even addiction. A popular use for acupuncture is smoking cessation. It has also been found to be an effective treatment for more serious anxiety disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety disorder.
Choosing a Practitioner
Acupuncture is a highly specialized practice that many spend years, even decades, studying. Choosing an acupuncturist should be a careful process. Some will have medical degrees, but that shouldn’t be your only indicator. Look for specific certifications in acupuncture and Chinese medicine. You may want to search for terms like “homeopath” or “naturopath” as well; these holistic doctors will sometimes be trained in acupuncture as well as herbalism and other forms of “alternative” medicine.
Do your research. Acupuncture may seem simple to the layman, but a lot can go wrong if it’s not done properly or the facility isn’t clean. Check online review sites. Read every review and pay close attention to the average review, not just the very positive or very negative. You may also want to ask your general doctor for a recommendation. Many medical doctors are starting to recommend acupuncture as a supplement to Western medical treatments and have pre-screened networks to draw upon. Finally, remember to trust your gut. Just because you go to one person for your first appointment doesn’t mean you’re locked in. If you don’t vibe with them, try another provider.
What to Expect from Your First Appointment
The biggest thing to remember when going to your first acupuncture appointment is to treat it like any other doctor visit. Acupuncture is a medical specialty, so treat it as such.
- Your first appointment will start with a consultation. The provider will ask you in detail about the ailments you are hoping to treat with acupuncture. Be honest and treat this like a checkup with your general doctor. It doesn’t do you any good to not be forthcoming with everything. They may ask you questions about your diet, your lifestyle, your stress levels, and previous and current medical conditions.
- Next, your provider will likely do some evaluating. They’ll do some things you’re probably used to, like feel your pulse and take a look at your tongue and mouth. They’ll also poke and prod you to see what areas have pain or inflammation. They may also do some things you’re not used to, like look at the color of your face, inspect your feet, and even use tools like crystals or a pendulum to access energy flow.
- The acupuncturist will then let you know what their plan of action is. They’ll let you know what areas of the body they will focus the needles on. Keep in mind that many acupuncture points are far away from the point of physical pain. For instance, pain in your elbow might mean putting some needles in your feet. You’re not expected to understand this complicated system on the first visit, so sit back and go with the flow. If you need to remove any clothing, they’ll tell you.
As an example, here’s a look at the acupuncture points for stomach pain.
- You’ll lie back on a table and relax. The practitioner will then start inserting needles into your skin. The process is superficial, and the needles are very small, so you may not feel anything at all. If you do, that’s okay, and the acupuncturist will guide you through it.
- Once the needl es are inserted, you’ll be asked to relax for usually around 20 minutes while the needles go to work. The practitioner might dim the lights, put on some soothing music, and maybe even leave the room to help you relax. If you fall asleep, that’s normal.
- Once the session is over, the acupuncturist will remove the needles. Depending on what ailment you are hoping to treat, they may leave small tacks (called seeds) on certain points. You won’t feel them, but they are meant to keep the energy flow to those points open even after the session is over.
- After an acupuncture session, some people feel relaxed and others feel energetic. It really depends on what was being treated in the session.