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benefits of acupuncture

Acupuncture Beats Drugs For Urinary Incontinence

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hannamonika / 123RF Stock Photo

Urinary incontinence plagues people of all ages, frequently affecting women after childbirth, men after prostate surgery, and the elderly.  Stress urinary incontinence is very common among women especially, with laughter, sneezing, coughing and lifting all very common causes of urinary leakage.

Several studies have shown that acupuncture is more effective for urinary incontinency than conventional therapy, including drugs.  Herbal medicine can also be helpful.

Researchers compared the effects of electroacupuncture treatment with drug treatment. A randomized clinical trial of 100 female participants with mild to average level SUI were separated into two groups: electroacupuncture treatment and drug treatment. The treatments were administered over three 10 day sessions. The drug treatment group was given 2.5 mg of midorine hydrochloride tablets, 3 times per day. The eletroacupuncture group was treated with mid-intensity electrostimulation.

The results demonstrate that the short-term complete recovery rate for the electroacupuncture group was 20%. An additional 54% of participants showed signs of significant improvements. The short-term complete recovery rate for the drug group was 10%. An additional 24% demonstrated significant improvements.

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Acupuncture Information: Everything You Need To Know

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A model displays acupuncture channels and points
Acupuncture meridians and points

The History of Ancient Chinese Medicine

Many people are looking for accurate acupuncture information, to understand how acupuncture works and learn more about the history of ancient Chinese Medicine.

Why is it so important to get accurate acupuncture information and facts?

Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs and Traditional Chinese Medicine can seem very foreign and difficult to understand for us Westerners. And there’s a lot of vague, strange, or just plain wrong information about ancient Chinese Medicine and how acupuncture works floating around out there.

Let me de-mystify it for you, just the same way I do in educating my patients every day.

Acupuncture Information: Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Part I

Part II: Acupuncture and History

Part III: Chinese Medicinal Herbs

Part IV: Acupressure History

Part V: Asian diet

Part VI: History of Qi Gong (Tai Chi)

Acupuncture is just one technique used in Traditional Chinese Medicine which also includes Chinese Herbology, Chinese Massage (Tuina or Shiatsu), Exercise (Chi Gong, Tai Chi), Chinese Nutrition and Meditative techniques.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Near Potomac MD

How Acupuncture Works

You may have heard some funny things about this form of medicine. Maybe it seems a little ‘out there’ to you. But there is actually an easily understood physiological basis to acupuncture theory.

Benefits of Acupuncture

Five Benefits of Acupuncture Near Germantown MD

Acupuncture Benefits Available in Rockville MD

Acupuncture for Pain Near Silver Spring MD

One thing that the clinical studies reveal is that patients almost universally love acupuncture! Read about the benefits and why patients keep coming back.

Side Effects of Acupuncture

Acupuncture information about side effects. Acupuncture therapy is one of the safest modalities there is. But there are still potential, though rare, side effects.

Acupuncture FAQ

Here you’ll find answers to the most common questions about this effective therapeutic modality.

Acupuncture Research

There are many issues that making doing research on this modality a challenge. We’ll help you sort out the good from the bad research.

Acupuncture Charts

Some fascinating charts that show how the ancient Chinese had mastered many aspects of anatomy and physiology thousands of years before the West caught on.

Acupuncture Meridians and Points

Here’s a quick review of the meridians and acupuncture points.

Acupuncture Diagnosis

Why do we feel your pulses and examine your tongue?

Ear (Auricular) Acupuncture

Why do we sometimes insert acupuncture needles in the ears?

Return from Acupuncture Information to the Acupuncture-Answers.com home page

 

How long will it take to feel the benefits of acupuncture?

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by Kathy
(Gaithersburg, Maryland)

Question: I have several issues that I believe are linked. I have frequent headaches, I don’t sleep well and I think I’m developing anxiety from worrying about my headaches. I’m starting to worry about every little ache and pain. Can acupuncture help me, how soon will I feel relief and many visits will it take for complete healing? Is acupuncture a maintenance type treatment? How long will it take to feel the benefits of acupuncture?

ANSWER: This is such a great question! The beauty of Chinese Medicine is that it is a medicine of patterns. While Western medicine has found success at breaking things down into small parts to design treatments, Chinese medicine looks at the big picture, the overarching patterns of symptoms to help the patient heal. Over thousands of years, Chinese doctors noted that certain symptoms occurred in clusters and when treated also improved at the same time. So, yes, from the viewpoint of Chinese medicine your headaches, anxiety and insomnia are related. Often when we treat for one symptom, such as headache you will see an improvement in all the symptoms. But sometimes we need to break it down and prioritize if you have a lot of symptoms/patterns at the same time.

In addition to acupuncture, moxa, cupping, gua sha and other traditional Chinese techniques, I do a lot of health coaching with my patients. I find that tweaking the diet, combined with acupuncture and some self-acupressure can usually resolve the symptoms you describe within 3 months or so. Most patients notice a change within a few weeks of beginning treatment, but some don’t notice any change until after 6-8 treatments.

With Chinese medicine treatments are individualized to each patient. It would be difficult to recommend a specific frequency or number of visits without seeing you in person, feeling your pulses and looking at your tongue for diagnostic purposes. That’s one reason I offer a free 15-minute consultation, so that people have a chance to ask questions and I can give them a quick recommendation.

Many patients come in for an initial course of treatment (8-12 visits) and do not require follow-up care. Others need to come in for ongoing or maintenance treatments in order to stay feeling well or to address serious health issues. Many choose to get regular treatment of once a month or seasonally (every 3 months) for stress-relief and as a “tune-up.” Again different people have different goals and responses to treatment, so we individualize our plan to the person, not to the illness/symptoms.

Acupuncture Facts

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These acupuncture facts are answers to common questions about acupuncture from patients.

How can acupuncture help me?

In China acupuncture is used in preventive healthcare as a way to avoid illness and keep the body in balance; it is also used in the treatment of disease, in conjunction with Western Medicine. For example, in China, about 85% of patients with acute appendicitis do not require surgery, as acupuncture and herbal treatments are enough usually to resolve the condition.

We have provided many other facts, scientific studies about acupuncture, and information about side effects and benefits on the pages about individual symptoms and diseases, so please check out the Navigation Bar to the left of the page.

I’m afraid of needles!

Facts: Acupuncture needles are really more like pins. They are thin (about as wide as a strand of hair), solid, and extremely flexible.

Though the needles penetrate the skin, there is rarely any bleeding or bruising. Patients seldom experience pain, though they may feel tingling, heaviness, or an aching sensation.

By contrast, the hypodermic needles used by Doctors are heavier and thicker, hollow and sometimes serrated. They break the skin and cause bleeding. Ten to twelve acupuncture needles can fit into the standard hypodermic needle used to draw blood.

What are the benefits of acupuncture?

In a national survey of acupuncture patients the following acupuncture facts regarding benefits were revealed:

  • 90% reported “disappearance” or “improvement” of symptoms after treatment.
  • 91% said they were “extremely” or “very” satisfied with their acupuncture practitioner.
  • The most popular words chosen to describe the patient’s relationship with his or her practitioner were “guide,” “partner,” and “friend.”

In the United States, acupuncture is slowly gaining acceptance by the medical establishment. In 1979 the World Health Organization recognized the use of acupuncture in the treatment of the following medical conditions:

  • Poor vision
  • Cataracts
  • Tinnitus
  • Toothache
  • Gingivitis
  • Muscle pain/weakness
  • Sciatica
  • Back and neck pain
  • Muscle cramping
  • Arthritis
  • Insomnia
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Nervousness
  • Neurosis
  • Migraines/Headaches
  • Postoperative pain
  • Stroke
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Abdominal Pain
  • Hyperactivity
  • Diarrhea
  • Indigestion
  • Constipation
  • Sinusitis
  • Common cold
  • Bronchitis
  • Asthma
  • Tonsilitis
  • Infertility
  • Menopausal symptoms
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Stress reduction
  • Addictions
  • High blood pressure
  • Athletic performance

What about the cost of treatment?

In a national survey of acupuncture patients the following acupuncture facts regarding cost were revealed:

  • 70% said they avoided surgery.
  • 84% said they saw their MD’s less often.
  • 58% said they saw their psychotherapists less often.
  • 78% said they used fewer prescription drugs.
  • Patients say acupuncture costs about 60% as much as MD care.

How are acupuncturists trained?

There are now approximately 18,000 acupuncture practitioners in the U.S.

  • Acupuncture practitioners are licensed at the state level. In Maryland, the state Board of Acupuncture licenses and regulates acupuncturists.
  • Standards to practice safely and effectively have been established by the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists.
  • There are more than 40 schools of acupuncture in the U.S., they are accredited by the national Accreditation Commission for Schools and Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NACSCAOM).
  • Most practitioners have a Master’s degree in acupuncture or Oriental Medicine. Although there are several doctoral programs now, the entry level degree is still a Master’s degree.

For more on acupuncture training and licensure click here
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