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FAQ

How does acupuncture work?
Is treatment painful? Are very many needles inserted? Does bleeding occur?
Is acupuncture suitable for people of all ages?
What conditions can be treated by acupuncture?
Do all persons respond to acupuncture treatment?
After treatment when can improvement be expected to occur?
How long can the improvement continue?
Does a recurrence of symptoms mean that acupuncture failed?
Are there any reactions following treatment?
How will the patient know when further treatment is required?

Does it matter if further treatment is delayed?
How long will the course of treatment last?
Will the benefits from treatment be lasting and should there be a follow-up treatment?
Are there precautions to be taken before and after treatment?
What are some important aspects of treatment?
Acupuncture and medical procedures
Is there any way the patient can help the treatment?

How does acupuncture work?

The precise manner in which acupuncture works is not understood. At the present time it cannot be understood in terms of currently accepted physiological concepts, although there are some theories concerning the relief of pain, There are many theories about how acupuncture could work but we know very little about how it actually does works.

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Is treatment painful? Are very many needles inserted? Does bleeding occur?

Most patient do experience some pain but this is very mild and is of brief duration.

Only a few points on the skin are used and the needle is left in position usually for no longer than a few seconds.

The smooth fine needles don't damage the skin and consequently there is usually no bleeding. If the area has a rich blood supply there may be a few drops of blood.

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Is acupuncture suitable for people of all ages?

Yes. There is no problem with babies or young children if there is no fear of needles. If the child or even an adult is frightened of needles, other methods not involving needles can be used. These methods use electricity (electric stimulator), sound (ultrasonics) or light (lasers) and do not cause pain or any other sensation. In children and carefully selected adults the results using these methods can be good. In some adults, pressure applied in a certain manner at the acu-point (acupressure) can in a few specific disorders be effective by the technique is not easy.

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What conditions can be treated by acupuncture?

A great variety of disorders can be treated. The most important ones are those associated with pain, for example headache and the pain of arthritis. Many conditions not associated with pain including asthma, nasal catarrh, stomach upsets, skin allergies, cramps, nervousness and depression, and general fatigue may respond. (see Acupuncture and Health)

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Do all persons respond to acupuncture treatment?

Although most people do respond there is a very small number who for unexaplained reasons do not benefit.

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After treatment when can improvement be expected to occur?

Most patients will notice some improvement in their symptoms at the first treatment. Others will only see this initial response after several hours or days and some after two to three weeks. If the patient is going to respond then some improvement will be noticed following the first or occasionally the first few treatments. If there is no improvement, then it is unlikely that there will be an improvement following further treatments.

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How long can the improvement continue?

After the first treatment the improvement may last for hours or days or weeks. With every repetition of treatment there is more pronounced improvement which is likely to persist for a longer period. The improvement may follow an erratic course, some treatments helping more than others.

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Does a recurrence of symptoms mean that acupuncture failed?

No. The occasional recurrence of mild symptoms in the first days after treatment is natural and temporary. A recurrence after the first week means that further treatment is necessary. Acupuncture could be thought of as the taking of a pain killing tablet. The pain disappears after taking the tablet but eventually the effect wears off and the pain returns. Each acupuncture treatment has a stronger effect and so the pain stays away for a longer period and may eventually disappear altogether. If the pain does return all you need is further acupuncture treatment.

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Are there any reactions following treatment?

Yes, occasionally, but most patients do not have any at all. A reaction may occur a few hours or days after treatment. Usually the discomforts caused are mild and will not prevent the patient from leading his normal life. There may be an aggravation of the patients usual symptoms or merely fatigue. The symptoms may last some hours, days, or rarely weeks. This temporary reaction is followed by an improvement and sometime this improvement can be remarkable. A reaction is less likely after subsequent treatments.

In former times people accepted reaction as part of the healing process. It was considered a good sign as the aim of treatment was often to increase the body's strength and resistance. In acupuncture the diseased part of the body is strengthened and the lazy part made to work again. This might be compared to someone digging a garden or riding a horse after a long period of inactivity. The lazy muscles ache after such exercise, just as the lazy organs of the body might revolt at strong acupuncture treatment.

There are some illness so severe or ingrained that a patient cannot respond without one reaction to initiate the process of healing. If there is no response to treatment, a doctor may try to induce a reaction to stimulate the curative process.

In summary, reactions are rare and temporary, the symptoms are usually mild and no harm results.

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How will the patient know when further treatment is required?

In chronic disorders there is usually a period of two weeks before a subsequent treatment is given. After the two weeks the best time for another treatment is when improvement ceased or when some symptoms have recurred. As improvement occurs the interval between treatments is increased. Occasionally one or two treatments are given following relief of all symptoms

In acute conditions further treatment may be given much more frequently especially if symptoms persist. Treatment may be given daily or even several times during the day.

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Does it matter if further treatment is delayed?

No. Subsequent treatment can be delayed without hindering progress. Sometimes it is wise to delay further treatment, as the recurrence of symptoms may be temporary.

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How long will the course of treatment last?

Acute illnesses of short duration, for example, stiff necks, sore throats or athletic injuries, may need only one treatment. If the condition is not cured by one, then one to five more may be necessary.

Chronic illnesses of months or years duration may need between five and ten treatments given over several months to cure or to achieve the greatest amount of relief. Even in patients with chronic conditions one treatment occasionally cures, although a further treatment may be required after several months. Mild disorders need fewer treatments.

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Will the benefits from treatment be lasting and should there be a follow-up treatment?

Follow-up treatments are necessary if there is recurrence. Should symptoms recur after some months or a longer period, the patient should return before the symptoms are advanced. Minimal treatment only may then be necessary and one treatment is often sufficient. It is probably wise for the patient to return once every six to twelve months for review. The doctor may be able to tell from the pulses if acupuncture treatment will be beneficial.

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Are there precautions to be taken before and after treatment?

Do not come for treatment feeling rushed or hurried.
Do not eat a heavy meal before treatment or for four hours after. The patient may be advised to avoid alcohol for three days after treatment,
After treatment, rest quietly for the remainder of the day.

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What are some important aspects of treatment?

The symptoms being treated may get worse during the first few days after treatment. Although usually mild, these may be severe, are always temporary and rarely last longer than the first week. Improvement usually follows.
Improvement in the disorder often commences immediately but may e delayed until after the first or occasionally the second week. If the patient is going to respond to acupuncture, some improvement is usually noticed in the two weeks after the first treatment. Occasionally this initial improvement only occurs after the second or even the third treatment.
The best time for a second or subsequent treatment is when the improvement is unsatisfactory or when there has been a recurrence of symptoms.

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Acupuncture and medical procedures

Acupuncture must be combined with normal medical diagnosis and procedures. For this reason acupuncture should be practiced only by a qualified doctor with knowledge of diseases, in addition to specialist training in acupuncture.

It is not wise to attend an acupuncturist who is not a medical doctor unless you have been referred by your own doctor. Primary health care should always be provided by the medical doctor. There are serious hazards associated with treatment from a person who has little knowledge and experience of diseases.

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Is there any way the patient can help the treatment?

It is important to be in good health as diseases are essentially a breakdown in the defences of he body and should be prevented by the patient trying to maintain a state of healthfulness.

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