Exploring Alternative Treatments: Acupuncture
In this guest post, "Beyond Bio" writer Rachel Wulf visits with licensed acupuncture practitioner/nurse practitioner Rebecca Reynolds
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a form of Eastern Medicine that involves stimulating the nervous system using small hairlike needles, heat, or pressure.
It is one of the oldest continuing forms of medicine and is estimated to be at least 2,000 years old. Mostly practiced in Asian countries, there are surviving documents from as early as the thirteenth century mapping acupuncture points on the human body. More recent evidence shows that acupuncture may be older than we could ever have imagined. A 5,300 year old mummified early human discovered in the Italian Alps, nicknamed Otzi the Iceman by archaeologists, was found to have intact tattoo marks along key acupuncture channels (constellations of acupuncture points). This suggests that acupuncture may have been used as early as the Copper Ice Age, more than doubling its timeline.
In western cultures, acupuncture was once believed to be a placebo treatment laced with superstition, but the treatments are now becoming accepted worldwide. In fact, today the World Health Organization recognizes acupuncture as an effective treatment for 31 common disorders from pain relief to turning a breech baby.
A Visit to a Modern-day Acupuncture Office
It was a cold cloudy day in late December as I was walking through a busy crosswalk towards a nondescript office building in Arlington, Virginia. I was here to meet Rebecca Reynolds, a licensed acupuncturist and nurse practitioner just a few miles outside of Washington D.C. The reception area inside could have passed for any doctor’s clinic, but something told me a visit with Becky, as her friends call her, would be anything but ordinary. On her plain wooden door is an image of a cute wooly mammoth with a spear sticking out of his rear end. A thought bubble coming out of his head says: “That’s odd, my neck suddenly feels better…” The caption below reads: “Early Acupuncture.”
Inside the small office is a paper-covered patient table not unlike what’s equipped for a regular physical. In the corner is an iPod hooked up to a speaker – “For playing music to get patients into a relaxed state,” she tells me. Around the office are some cups and boxes with what I can only guess is acupuncture equipment. The light clutter gives it a homier feel, kind of like an art studio. I glance upward and I see that the standard-issue ceiling light has been covered with a translucent blue and white gel pane. To someone lying on the table, it would look like the office ceiling opened up to a blue sky.
Every acupuncturist is a little different. In fact, there are several schools of thought when it comes to acupuncture technique. All incorporate traditional Asian philosophies such as the idea of 8 Principles (Yin/Yang, Heat/cold, Excess/Deficiency , Interior/exterior) or the Five Elements (Fire/Earth/Metal/Water/Wood), while in addition to traditional approaches other newer techniques may be taught such as electro-stimulation or neuro-acupuncture. “I use the Becky Method”, Reynolds tells me with a wink. “I do a little of everything. I work with whatever works best for the situation.”
Having worked for years in the Office of Medical Services in the US State Department as a Foreign Service Medical Provider to US diplomats overseas, Reynolds first discovered the true potential of acupuncture when based at a hospital in Sri Lanka in the 1980’s.
Reynolds recalls a particular case of a patient who had fallen from a tree, fracturing the head of his humerus (the large bone in the upper arm). As was the custom, the patient immediately received acupuncture treatments in tandem with western treatments provided at this Sri Lankan Clinic. “It was miraculous,” said Reynolds. “We took him in for x-rays, and three days later, the fracture looked just as if it were several weeks in healing.” Somehow, the acupuncture treatments stimulated his bones to recalcify the fracture at a rapid pace.
“That’s one of the things I [treat with acupuncture],” Reynolds added. “Helping people who are having surgery, pre- and post-operatively so they will have a better surgical outcome and a less complicated recovery with less bruising, etc.”
How it Works
While there are 360 classical acupuncture points, there are many other extra points that can be used, some in places you wouldn’t expect. On the ear alone, there are 120 points. According to the Cleveland Clinic, ears have very sensitive connections to the rest of the nervous system, which makes them ideal target points for acupuncture.
Reynolds uses “ear seeds” on of some her patients. Ear seeds are small stickers with a cow basil seed in the center, other types of materials can be used for ear seed like silver, gold, stainless steel. When placed on an ear point, it applies a light pressure. Patients can wear the ear seeds for up to a few days to help extend the treatment of appetite control or pain control. For people who don’t like the feel or look of the cow basil seeds, Reynolds has a supply of gold plated ear seeds with small decorative rhinestones on the outer side; it gives the look of tiny diamond in the ear.
The practice of acupuncture focuses on the flow of energy, or “Qi,” and blood throughout the body. According to traditional Asian belief systems, illness and/or physical pain stems from an imbalance in the energy, Qi throughout the body. Acupuncture is a way of getting energy /Qi where it is needed, or draining it from places where it exists in excess.
What may be surprising is that the scientific findings for the workings of acupuncture may not be so different.
Acupuncture points align with points on the body where nerve cells are particularly reachable. Nerve cells are the direct communication points to the brain. These cells are responsible for your sense of pain and other sensations such as temperature, texture, and even for your body’s fight or flight response during times of stress. How do these cells communicate with the brain? Through a chain network of electrical signaling from nerve cell to nerve cell. An electrical path that could be described as “energy” not unlike the idea of Qi. These pathways can be tricked by stimulating other nerve cells, interfering with current active pathways in the case of pain, or connecting new pathways.
Studies by the Harvard Medical School have discovered certain subsets of nerves located at traditional acupuncture points. These nerves can signal the body to perform certain tasks such as releasing anti-inflammatory chemicals called cytokines. Other acupuncture points trigger the release of dopamine (the “happy” hormone responsible for relieving stress)
Placebo Effect or Not?
Whenever we’re dealing with treatment that focuses on the brain, not the pain, it’s easy to wonder if acupuncture is a very convincing form of the placebo effect. But evidence shows that acupuncture interacts with the whole nervous system, not just the brain.
To illustrate this, Reynolds showed me a video of Tilly, a pug receiving acupuncture treatments after being paralyzed in a car accident. The amazing thing is that the acupuncture treatments were actually reopening nerve pathways that had been blocked, eventually helping her to regain control of her legs.
There are several other theories about why acupuncture is so effective. Some evidence suggests that acupuncture aids in stimulating blood circulation, which could alter concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides in certain areas of the body. Other studies have focused on how acupuncture can stimulate the production of natural painkillers, create more efficient electrochemical pathways, and interfere with pain signal pathways. Perhaps it is a combination of several of these reasons. When it comes to acupuncture, there’s still a lot to learn.
Q & A
Here’s an adapted interview with Reynolds for those considering acupuncture treatment:
Q: What’s the most important thing to remember about acupuncture?
A: Acupuncture is not a “pill.” It is not a quick fix: to know if acupuncture is going to help you and your problems you should plan of getting a number of treatments consistently, much like physical therapy. With modern medicine, 1+1 always equals 2. In acupuncture, 1+1 can equal 2, or it can equal 5, or 10, but if it doesn’t help in 10-12 treatments then another type of therapy is needed.
Q: Can my insurance cover acupuncture?
A: Many insurance plans do cover the cost of acupuncture for pain treatment. Check with your insurance provider about facilities that will work with your plan. Other acupuncture offices may deal only in direct payments from clients, but all patients should ask for a receipt with a procedure codes (CPTs) and diagnostic codes (ICDs) so that it can be submitted for reimbursement to the patient’s insurance company or used for tax purposes. Also, flexible health saving programs reimburse at 100%; these flexible saving accounts always want a receipt as well.
Q: How much does acupuncture cost?
A: It depends on the practice, and your location. Reynolds charges $140-$170 for initial treatments and $95-$125 for follow-up treatments without insurance. Other acupuncturists may charge more. Community or group acupuncture costs less but you are in a room with number of other people, sometimes 8 or more patients.
Q: How long do the effects of acupuncture last?
A: That depends on a number of factors related to your specific body and pain severity. For some, one pain treatment may completely resolve the pain. But for others it may take up to 1-4 weeks. Please keep in mind that many folks come in for treatment of issues other than pain, including anxiety, allergies and so on. For folks with chronic conditions, they will come in for a balancing maintenance treatment that might be every 2 weeks to 2-4 months according to how they are feeling. For example, someone with seasonal affective disorder will need to be seen more in the fall and winter.
Q: Are there any side effects of having acupuncture?
A: Almost none; on rare occasions you may get a small bruise. You may feel more relaxed. I advise my patients to drink plenty of water after a treatment and not to overschedule themselves. After your first treatment it’s also not unusual to have a softer stool. One unexpected side effect is patients may see an increase in fertility levels after undergoing regular acupuncture treatments. I had a patient being treated for anxiety. She and her husband had been unable to conceive for years. It turned out the anxiety was the block, and once we dealt with that, she had a healthy baby boy. For that reason, I also encourage my patients to use birth control if pregnancy is not desired.
Q: Does acupuncture hurt?
A: No. When done properly, it should not hurt. Acupuncture needles are much smaller than vaccination needles, only about a hair’s width. The needle is sometimes felt going in; after the needle is applied you shouldn’t be able to feel it. Some people might have a sensation of heaviness or pulsing at times.
Q: I am terrified of needles, are there other ways to experience the benefits of acupuncture?
A: Acupressure is similar in theory but does not actually puncture the skin. Many people use both in tandem. Cupping is another alternative medicine that uses suction pressure over acupuncture points. If you’re unsure about acupuncture, acupressure or cupping might be a way to dip your toes in the water.
Q: Can I just google the acupuncture points and do acupuncture on myself?
A: Acupuncture is a very precise form of medicine, and acupuncturists must go through extensive training in order to be licensed to practice. (It’s just like becoming a doctor or a nurse in that way). Do not try it at home.
Q: Can acupuncture points be used to decrease numbness?
A: Yes. It can be used to reduce neuropathy.
Q: Do you specialize in treating certain parts of the body or certain ailments?
A: I’ve treated patients with a variety of different ailments. I’ve had patients come in for chronic pain relief, pre- and post-surgical procedures, sinus infections, fertility treatments, turning breech babies, and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression to name a few. I’ve treated kids, adults, and senior citizens. Even given two patients with the same ailment, each treatment is unique because each person is unique. But acupuncturists do specialize, some work with fertility or pain.
Q: What exactly goes into ‘The Becky Method’ of acupuncture?
A: The “Becky Method” is actually a combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as well as Five Element (5-E), Japanese, Meridian, Tan, and Neuro-Acupuncture techniques, plus a holistic approach to the patient’s needs and concerns. “A treatment might include Dry Needling (a method of needling used by some physical therapist), Sotai, Gua Sha, cupping, moxibustion, electro-stimulation or traditional acupuncture; every treatment is unique and individualized for each patient and his/her presenting conditions.”
About
Rebecca Reynolds has practiced acupuncture in the Washington D.C. area since 2015. She graduated from the Middle Way Acupuncture Institute in Mt. Vernon, Washington and served on the executive board of the Virginia Acupuncture Society 2015-2017. She holds 2 master’s degrees, one in nursing and the other in acupuncture, and spent over thirty years working as a health care provider domestically and overseas. She is a Master Senior Fitness Instructor and teaches senior stretching at Ft Meyer with other volunteer fitness instructors. For more information, visit her website: www.a-a-acupuncture.com
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Learn more about topics mentioned in this article:
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/978-92-4-001688-0
https://hms.harvard.edu/news/exploring-science-acupuncture
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/acupuncture