Acu-Addition: Evaluating Its Fit for Your Treatment Plan
Author: Dr. Taryn Holmes, Chiropractor
Over time, acupuncture has been gaining popularity as a treatment option for various conditions. The origins of acupuncture started with Traditional Chinese Medicine and these core values have migrated into Western medicine1. Although acupuncture can be beneficial for a patient, it is seldomly used as a sole treatment, but more so in conjunction with a comprehensive treatment plan1.
There are thousands of acupuncture points in our bodies that may be used to help treat multiple conditions. However, during an acupuncture treatment only a select few points are used for the condition being treated. Alongside using a few of these points, electrical stimulation or manual stimulation can also be used with the acupuncture needles1. During your acupuncture treatment, sterile stainless-steel needs are used. These needles are single use and are inserted into the acupuncture point needed for the treatment. Needles are usually left in for 10-15 minutes, and patients may feel a numbness or heaviness which is described as “de-qi” 1. This is a sign that the treatment is effective1.
Electrical stimulation, or better known as electroacupuncture, is a pain management strategy that can be used with acupuncture needles. Once the needles are inserted, clips can be put on the needles, and a low frequency current is passed through the needles2. Using this technique can help alleviate pain through pathways in our central nervous system2. This can also be achieved through manual stimulation of the needles as well2. Manual stimulation can include twisting the needles, tapping the needle, lifting the needle in/out, or a combination of movements.
Some of the main conditions that acupuncture has been shown to be beneficial in a comprehensive treatment plan include headaches, osteoarthritis, and low back pain3.
Headaches and migraines often can cause various difficulties for patients. Acupuncture within a comprehensive treatment plan, has been shown to help reduce the frequency of headaches or migraines and reduce the intensity1.
For low back pain it has been shown that acupuncture treatment in conjunction with a comprehensive treatment plan can help improve functional movement in the low back and improve low back pain1.
In osteoarthritis patients, the addition of acupuncture alongside a comprehensive treatment plan has been shown that there was improvement in knee osteoarthritis4.
To conclude, acupuncture can be a great part of a comprehensive treatment plan for patients with various conditions. Manual stimulation or electroacupuncture are some of the various techniques a trained chiropractor can use to help treat a condition. Acupuncture can help to improve the function of an area in the body and decrease pain. As a chiropractor who has been trained in Medical Acupuncture with an evidenced based approach to Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, having this tool can be very beneficial to helping patients with numerous conditions.
References
1. Van Hal, M., Dydyk, A. M., & Green, M. S. (2023). Acupuncture. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532287/
2. Zhou, M., Zhang, Q., Huo, M., Song, H., Chang, H., Cao, J., Fang, Y., & Zhang, D. (2023). The mechanistic basis for the effects of electroacupuncture on neuropathic pain within the central nervous system. Biomedecine & Pharmacotherapie [Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy], 161(114516), 114516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114516
3. NIH Consensus Conference. Acupuncture. (1998). JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 280(17). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9809733/
4. Scharf, H.-P., Mansmann, U., Streitberger, K., Witte, S., Krämer, J., Maier, C., Trampisch, H.-J., & Victor, N. (2006). Acupuncture and knee osteoarthritis: A three-armed randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine, 145(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-145-1-200607040-00005
