Once upon a time, the idea of using needles to penetrate various parts of the body can be daunting to many. However, acupuncture therapy can be one of the most relaxing and therapeutic modality. First of all, acupuncture needles are much more finer and smaller than needles used in vaccination. Most individuals have needle phobia after having malicious experiences from vaccination during childhood. However, acupuncture needles are much more like small pins. Many acupuncture needles manufacturers spend thousands of dollars in technology to improve the comfort of the therapy.
As more and more positive clinical studies are available, acupuncture therapy is becoming more accepted in the mainstream medicine. Recently, World Health Organization (WHO) published a review of controlled trials of acupuncture treatments and concluded that this therapy was effective treatment for 28 different conditions. In 1999, McMaster University, started a Medical Acupuncture program that utilizes current evidence for acupuncture treatments. In November 1997, an independent panel of experts at the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH) Consensus Development conference stated “promising results have emerged showing efficacy of acupuncture in adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and in postoperative dental pain. There are other situations, such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, in which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program.” More and more health insurance companies and even Worker Safety Insurance boards (WSIB) are recognizing the effectiveness of acupuncture, which treatments could be billable under most health plans.
Managing Pain and Restore Muscle Injuries
· Effectively addressing many physical injuries at the lower back, elbow, shoulder and knee
· Balancing muscles around the joint.
· Relaxes and releases painful knots around the shoulder and back
· Capable of penetrating deeper and smaller muscles.
· Electro-current stimulation in conjunction with acupuncture treatment can desensitizes pain and enhances the effectiveness of the treatment.
Facial Rejuvenation : Addressing wrinkles and lifting sagging tissue
Fertility : Regulates menstrual cycle, enhances embryo implantation (IVF) & sperm motility.
Smoking Cessation : Ear acupuncture for minimize craving of cigarette, cocaine as well as food.
Stress and Weight Management : Effective to treat insomnia, stress and benefit weight loss
References:
1. Dr. K. Trinh MD, McMaster University, Medical Acupuncture Program. http://www.acupunctureprogram.com/articles
2. Last AR, Hulbert K. Chronic low back pain: evaluation and management Am Fam Physician. 2009 Jun 15;79(12):1067-74
3. Szczurko O, Cooley K, Mills EJ, Zhou Q, Perri D, Seely D. Naturopathic treatment of rotator cuff tendinitis among canadian postal workers: A randomized controlled trial. Arthritis Rheum. 2009 Aug 15;61(8):1037-45
4. Lee HJ, Lee JH, Lee EO, Lee HJ, Kim KH, Kim SH, Lee KS, Jung HJ, Kim SH.Substance P and beta-endorphin mediate electro-acupuncture induced analgesia in mouse cancer pain model. J Exp Clin Cancer Res. 2009 Jul 16;28:102
5. Dieterle S, Li C, Greb R, Bartzsch F, Hatzmann W, Huang D.A prospective randomized placebo-controlled study of the effect of acupuncture in infertile patients with severe oligoasthenozoospermia. Fertil Steril. 2009 Apr 24
6. Steyer TE, Ables A. Complementary and alternative therapies for weight loss. Prim Care. 2009 Jun;36(2):395-406.