Acupuncture

What happens in a session

Your first visit at the clinic in Keswick is 75 minutes and includes both the diagnosis and a treatment. Follow-up visits are 60 minutes.

1. Questions. Expect a lot of questions, first about the problem you came in with and then about the rest of your health: sleep, digestion, energy, appetite, and for women the menstrual cycle. In Chinese medicine these all feed into the diagnosis.
2. Tongue and pulse. Your tongue is looked at and your pulse is taken at both wrists. For pain, it is also common to check which movements hurt and where the tender spots are.
3. The plan. Ask what the diagnosis is in Chinese medicine terms, which points are being used and why, and roughly how many treatments to plan for.
4. Needling. You usually lie on a treatment table, clothed where possible. The needles are 0.14 to 0.30 mm thick, solid rather than hollow, and single-use. Most people feel a small pinch or nothing as a needle goes in. Once it is in place, a dull ache, heaviness, warmth or tingling around the point is normal and expected.
5. Rest. The needles usually stay in while you rest. Many people find this part relaxing and some fall asleep. Some treatments also add heat, moxibustion or cupping, depending on the diagnosis.

Afterwards you might feel relaxed or a little tired. Drink some water, and avoid hard exercise or alcohol for the rest of the day.

What it is used for

Acupuncture is used most for pain, and also for problems with sleep, digestion, mood and the menstrual cycle. Pages on specific conditions explain how Chinese medicine sees each one:

• Pain: back pain, sciatica, knee pain, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, and headaches and migraines
• Sleep and mood: insomnia, anxiety and chronic fatigue
• Digestion: bloating and constipation
• Women’s health: period cramps
• Other: sinusitis

The research below is on chronic pain. For a course, plan on 5–10 treatments to judge progress.

How it works in Chinese medicine

In Chinese medicine, the body is described as a network of channels (often called meridians) that carry Qi and Blood. Acupuncture points are places along those channels. In this theory, pain and many other symptoms come from Qi and Blood not flowing freely, or from one system being too weak or too strong compared to the others.

The diagnosis names that pattern, for example Qi stagnation, Blood deficiency or Cold and Damp. The pattern, not just the symptom, decides the points. That is why two people with headaches may have needles in quite different places.

This is a traditional framework for choosing treatment, not a biomedical explanation. Research is still working out how needling acts on the body, with most studies looking at the nervous system and how the body processes pain.

Safety and who should avoid it

Acupuncture by a trained practitioner has a low rate of serious problems. Common, minor effects are a small bruise or drop of blood where a needle was, brief soreness at a point, and feeling tired or light-headed after treatment. Serious problems, such as a needle reaching the lung, are rare and are avoided with correct technique.

Tell me before treatment if you:

• Are pregnant or trying to conceive. Some points are avoided during pregnancy, and treatment is adjusted.
• Take blood thinners or have a bleeding disorder. Bruising is more likely, and needling may be lighter.
• Have a pacemaker or other implanted device. Electrical stimulation of the needles should not be used.
• Are prone to fainting, or have a strong fear of needles. Treatment can be given lying down, and fewer needles can be used.
• Have diabetes, a skin infection or poor circulation in the area to be treated.

Acupuncture does not replace a medical diagnosis. If you have new, severe or unexplained symptoms, see your doctor first. In Ontario, anyone using the titles R.Ac or R.TCMP must be registered with the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario (CTCMPAO), and you can check any practitioner on the College’s public register.