Scottsdale patients ask… Does Acupuncture Work?

Does Acupuncture Work?  PART 1   3/7/14

If you were to ask my acupuncture patients, they would say YES, acupuncture works, in many cases much more than expected and occasionally somewhat less. It depends on the person, whether or not their expectations are in line with the reality of their situation, their lifestyle, habits, commitment to getting well or need to be sick, and how they define a successful outcome.

Many factors are at play in the healing process. Any practitioner will tell you not everybody responds to treatment the same. This shouldn’t surprise us. Our bodies, minds and lives are extraordinarily complex and diverse. Many factors impact how we get sick and how we get well. That’s why it is important to have an open mind about what can work for you and be willing to try different approaches to see which ones do work. Often it’s a combination of modalities. Isn’t it wonderful that we have more than one to choose from. That we can combine physical therapy with acupuncture, with anti-inflammatories, with homeopathic remedies and reconstructive surgery and they can work harmoniously! How fortunate we are.

Acupuncture is not a silver bullet. There is no magic in it. It has, however, produced life-changing results for many, many people all over Asia for the last 2000+ years and in Europe, the United States and other parts of the world for the last 50+ years. And it is growing rapidly in popularity. Why? Because in most cases acupuncture does work. And because it’s extraordinarily safe, natural, cost effective and has no negative side effects when administered by NCCAOM qualified practitioner. Compared to the published data of drug side-effects, surgery complications and mishaps, and expensive and sometimes unnecessary procedures, it’s a no-brainer.

There is significant clinical evidence that acupuncture effectively treats a wide range of conditions. The NIH is wildly conservative in their determinations which I will discuss in Part 2 of my Does Acupuncture Work series, but you don’t have to be. My goodness, if you are hurting why not try acupuncture. What have you got to loose?

The success of acupuncture, and I believe all healing modalities, is often reflective of the patient’s beliefs and behaviors. Contrary to what you might be thinking, it’s not the “believers” who do the best but the people who (1) are skeptical but suspend their skepticism (2) those who have some desire to help themselves. They recognize that how they think and behave plays a role in the healing process. When people can be openminded and open to changing even the smallest thing in their lives, than what I do with needles – enable the body’s natural healing process – is amplified tenfold. Now, that is magical.