Acupuncture: The Alternative Treatment

With its origins many centuries ago in the Far East, acupuncture has come to be almost synonymous in the U.S. with “alternative medicine”. Involving the use of needles and pressure points, proponents of the field believe that many illnesses and injuries are caused by interruption of a person’s inner energy. Redirecting the flow of this energy is the primary purpose of an acupuncture session. If you’ve been thinking of trying it out, however, here are some things you should be aware of.

Because there are few regulations in the acupuncture world, it is a buyer beware situation for the most part. Costs can vary widely from shop to shop, often depending on the location and what other services the office offers the customer. The experience of the workers may also influence the price to a certain degree. There are a few states that require their acupuncturists to be licensed. Requirements of these licenses may also cause the price of the service to go up, though it may do little in terms of actual quality control.

It should be noted that many people have reported having good experiences with acupuncture and maintain that it cleared up their ailments. Having said that, there has been very little scientific evidence to prove that there is anything legitimate about the tradition. One recent study suggested the needles might be creating interruptions in the neural pathways, making it impossible for the brain to register pain from a certain area of the body. This could play a part in explaining why pain seems to go away with proper treatment. However, this is a masking effect at best, the same effect one might get through taking a Tylenol. For this reason, any emergency type of pain—such as chest pain—should always be treated through legitimate medical means.

If you are interested in trying acupuncture for yourself, you should try to find a place that is experienced and has a good reputation in the community. If you can, try to get a direct recommendation from a friend or someone else who has been through a few sessions. If you can’t find anyone with experience, look online. You may be able to find reviews on the Web for places in your area. You can then choose based on who seems to have the bulk of the positive reviews, or at least a dearth of negative ones. After all, when trying something new, you might as well try to have a positive experience right out of the gate.