Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which uses needles to stimulate the specific points on our body to facilitate flow of Qi, or energy, in order to heal pain and diseases.
Effect of acupuncture is for regaining the balance of Yin-yang and Five element (Liver, Heart, Spleen, Lung and Kidney). Acupuncture is not only for pain control, it can also help regaining physical and spiritual balance, long term health status and better quality of life.
Acupuncture is one of the Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment modalities, and is especially useful for releasing muscle tightness and relieving pain. As the different approaches of TCM acupuncture, namely, Five element acupuncture, Zi Wu Liu Zu, and etc. Although acupuncture needle might be contra-indicated in some situations, acupuncture points stimulation treatment could be replaced with acupressure, moxibustion, qua-sha and massage therapy.
Acupuncture FAQ
1) Is acupuncture different from dry needling?
There are some similarities and differences between these two techniques, and please refer to dry needling part for detail explanation .
2) Is acupuncture painful?
It should not be painful in most acupuncture points. Skilful technique in inserting needles can minimise the painful sensation. However, acupuncture therapeutic effects is based on Deqi feeling which includes dull, sore feeling and pins & needles. Please tell your acupuncturist for tender treatment technique for your first time of needling treatment.
3) What is the usual effect after acupuncture treatment?
Treatment area might feel a bit soreness of the same day of needling. Please do not massage the treated area immediately after needling, as it will cause bruise. If there are persistent soreness and bruise, please call your acupuncturist for following-up the conditions.
4) Any preparation for the first time treatment?
Light eating and enough resting before acupuncture treatment. Don't be too hungry and too tired for treatment session. Please also bring a short trousers for exchange if lower back or leg need to be treated.
5) How long would it take in each session?
It will take about 50 minutes to 1 hour for each session. Total treatment session is based on pain level and severity of underlying diseases. For example, piriformis syndrome caused sciatica would probably take around two sessions for pain relief, but is would take few more session few more sessions to settle the lower back and pelvic primary pathology. Please discuss the treatment goal with your acupuncturist after consultation.
World Health Organisation list of diseases treatable with acupuncture
1) Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture has been proved -through controlled trials-be be an effective treatment:
Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
Allergic rhinitis(including hay fever)
Biliary colic
Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
Dysentery, acute bacillary
Dysmenorrhoea primary
Epigastria (including craniomandibular disorders)
Headache
Hypertension, essential
Hypertension, primary
Induction of labour
Knee pain
Leukopenia
Low back pain
Malposition of foetus, correction of
Morning sickness
Nausea and vomiting
Neck pain
Pain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction)
Periarthritis of shoulder
Post-operative pain
Renal colic
Rheumatoid arthritis Sciatica
Sciatica
Sprain
Stroke
Tennis elbow
2) Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which the therapeutic effect of a acupuncture has been shown but for which further proof is needed
Abdominal pain (in acute gastroenteritis or due to gastrointestinal spasm)
Acne vulgaris
Alcohol dependence and detoxification
Bell's palsy
Bronchial asthma
Cancer pain
Cardiac neurosis
Cholecystitis, chronic, with acute exacerbation
Cholelithiasis
Competition stress syndrome
Craniocerebral injury, closed
Diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent
Earache
Epidemic haemorrhagic fever
Epistaxis, simple (without generalized or local diseases)
Eye pain due to subconjunctival injection
Female infertility
Facial spasm
Female urethral syndrome
Fibromyalgia and fasciitis
Gastro-kinetic disturbance
Gouty arthritis
Hepatitis B virus carrier status
Herpes zoster (human (alpha) herpesvirus 3)
Hyperlipaemia
Hypo-ovarianism
Insomnia
Labour pain
Lactation, deficiency
Male sexual dysfunction, non-organic
Meniere disease
Neuralgia, post-herpetic
Neurodermatitis
Obesity
Opium, cocaine and heroin dependence
Osteoarthritis
Pain due to endoscopic examination
Pain in thromboangiitis obliterans
Polycystic ovary syndrome (Stein-Leventhal syndrome)
Postextubation in children
Postoperative convalescence
Premenstrual syndrome
Prostatitis, chronic
Pruritis
Radicular and pseudo radicular pain syndrome
Raynaud syndrome, primary
Recurrent lower urinary-tract infection
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
Retention of urine, traumatic
Schizophrenia
Sialism, drug-induced
Sjogren syndrome
Actually, not every conditions and diseases are suitable for acupuncture, here are some situations need caution when considering acupuncture:
- Needle phobia
- people with haemophilia or use of blood thinners
- Pelvic region while pregnancy
- Emergency for surgery
In modern medicine, acupuncture is commonly used , but the theory behind practice is totally different from TCM. The dry needling is mainly based on trigger points, without the use of TCM examination.
