 Al
Dia Today |
| Laura Vasallo
practices acupuncture theraphy on Trudie Barclay
in her clinic located at 1101 West Hibiscus
Blvd, Suite #105, Melbourne, FL 32901 — Tel:
(321)725-2438 — Web site:
www.mynaturalapproach.com. |
By Michael
Roizen, M.D.,
y Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Syndicated Columnist
What do
Cher, Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams
and Titan, the world’s tallest dog, have in
common? Like more than 20 million Americans and
Canadians, they’re on pins and needles.
Acupuncture needles, that is.
This
therapy involves inserting hair-thin needles
into specific points on the body to treat
countless problems, ranging from easing chronic
pain and insomnia to reducing the side effects
of cancer treatments and helping smokers quit.
Acupuncture’s been around longer than “60
Minutes” has been airing: Archeologists have
unearthed 5,000-year-old stone needles in Inner
Mongolia.
But we like this popular form of energy medicine
because it’s backed by an impressive body of
21st-century research. Energy medicine? Yes, it seems to
change the electric currents or nerve impulses in your
body. And often, acupuncture can help when drugs can’t
be tolerated or when conventional treatments fail. It’s
a team player that works well alongside other treatments
-- an integrated approach used successfully for
everything from sinusitis and allergies to infertility,
asthma and beyond. One of us -- Mehmet -- even uses
acupuncture as an add-on treatment during open-heart
surgery, and the other -- Mike -- uses it to treat
chronic pain as well as pain and nausea post surgery.
Here’s what acupuncture clearly has been clearly
shown to help so far (other studies are ongoing, so
expect to see this list grow):
Peaceful sleep.
Just months ago, a Hong Kong University study of 60
insomniacs found that those who got acupuncture fell
asleep faster and were more likely to stay that way
(instead of waking up at 4 a.m. to worry about the stock
market) than those who got a fake version of the
treatment.
Relief from arthritis. British
researchers who analyzed five well-designed studies of
1,334 people with bum knees have confirmed that
acupuncture relieves debilitating joint pain related to
arthritis.
Squelching pain. In a landmark German
study of 1,162 back-pain sufferers, twice as many got
relief from acupuncture as from conventional fixes such
as drugs or physical therapy. Acupuncture also has been
proven at least as effective as pain drugs not only for
treating migraines, but for preventing them, too --
making it a great choice if you can’t tolerate the side
effects of migraine-preventing meds like beta
blockers.
Reducing treatment side effects. Dozens
of studies show that acupuncture helps quell pain,
nausea, fatigue, hot flashes and dry mouth in cancer
patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation.
How can one therapy do so much? Eastern and
Western medical philosophies merge when a licensed
acupuncturist inserts those sterile, disposable needles
-- painlessly, we promise! -- into your skin. Eastern
practitioners say the needles remove blockages so that
the body’s energy, called qi (pronounced “chee”) flows
freely. Western science shows that acupuncture boosts
levels of pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory chemicals
called endorphins in the brain and bloodstream. And that
changes how your nerve impulses flow.
You don’t
even have to believe in it for acupuncture to work its
magic. Case in point: Veterinarians know that
acupuncture often helps ailing horses, goats, cats and
dogs (including Titan, the world’s biggest Great Dane)
in measurable ways -- such as being able to walk and run
again. With animals, there’s no placebo effect. It
either works or it doesn’t. Same goes for people. Many
skeptical consumers who’ve tried acupuncture as a last
resort become believers when they see results.
Ready to get stuck? First check your insurance.
Some plans cover it; some don’t. (We wish more did.)
Then find a certified practitioner. Acupuncture is one
of the most regulated alternative healing techniques in
the U.S. and Canada, although requirements vary by state
and province. More than 16,000 licensed acupuncturists
and thousands of trained physicians practice this
healing art. You can find a certified acupuncturist in
the U.S. through the National Certification Commission
for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
(http://www.nccaom.org). And, of course, our
institutions (The Wellness Institute at the Cleveland
Clinic and the Heart Institute at New York-Presbyterian
Hospital) offer it. In Canada, find a health-care
practitioner trained in acupuncture through the
Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute
(http://www.afcinstitute.com).
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