Introduction

Many patients still do not have a clear idea of what the acupuncture profession involves. The term acupuncture actually refers both to the overall practice of TCM as well as the specific therapy of fine needle stimulation. It is a comprehensive and modern medical science rooted in thousands of years of development and experience.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an integrative Complementary Medicine that combines modern medical knowledge with a core approach which utilizes a 6000 year old holistic approach to medical diagnosis and treatment. Complementary medicine refers to a branch of modern medicine that provides a medical approach and therapies that are missing from standard medical practices and thus is a helpful addition to the care that your M.D. provides, and integrates well with such care. TCM is commonly just called acupuncture and the TCM physician is called a Licensed Acupuncturist, although these terms do little to fully describe this complex medical specialty.

The term Traditional Chinese refers to the science’s roots in early Chinese naturalist thought, sometimes called Daoism, but the science is now a worldwide medical practice, with medical schools around the world teaching TCM, and integration into hospital settings and medical doctors’ practices.

TCM is acknowledged as a proven evidence-based medical science by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institute of Health (NIH), both of which have worked to create an accepted worldwide evidence-based set of guidelines for the practice of this Complementary Medicine. Evidence-based guidelines are also evident in California, first with the California Industrial Medical Council, and later with the adoption of evidence-based treatment guidelines for acupuncture into California law, to guide the use of TCM in occupational medicine and Workers' Compensation coverage of effective treatment in musculoskeletal medicine.

Complementary and Integrative Medicine refers to a branch of medicine that provides what is missing from the modern medical approach, namely conservative therapies that are without side-effects, preventative medicine, health maintenance, consideration of the whole body and mind when diagnosing and treating a particular illness or injury, and a restorative rather than altering approach to cures. This is sometimes compared to a modern allopathic medical approach, whose emphasis is on altering the body’s physiology or anatomy to treat a specific condition, using mainly pharmaceutical chemicals and surgery. Complementary Medicine presents a cure, but a cure based not on chemical dependancy, but on restoration of healthy tissues and function.

How does TCM or acupuncture work?

TCM seeks to restore normal function, or homeostasis, to effect a lasting cure. It is generally advised that patients seek conservative approaches whenever feasible before trying more radical chemical and surgical means, especially if there is risk of side effects or other harm. The degree of severity and risk of serious harm should guide the patient and phsyician in the choice of treatments. TCM offers a variety of medical treatments that are proven to be the safest form of medical treatment in the world, and strives to not just control the disease or alleviate symptoms, but to actually treat the underlying causes. Patients that are not in immediate risk of debility or death may choose to first try the safer and more conservative type of care. Patients that are relatively healthy, yet fear a risk of developing a serious health problem, should turn to Complementary Medicine to decrease this risk and prevent serious problems in the future.

Patients unfamiliar with acupuncture often ask, how does needling actually work? Of course, there are doubts, fostered by years of professional bias, and while the practice is simple, insertion of needles under the skin, and stimulation of trigger points with needle manipulation, the answer to how it works is complex. Acupuncture is the most scientifically studied manual therapy in the world, and a large variety of scientific studies document the numerous types of reactive results seen physiologically, and measured, when trigger points are stimulated properly with the needle. Practically any physiological response can be trigger with acupuncture. But the answer is even larger than this, considering that the whole practice of acupuncture is the practice of TCM, which may incorporate a dozen or so treatment modalities, including herbal prescription, nutrient medicine, physiotherapy, therapeutic advice and training, electrical stimulation, cold laser stimulation, diathermy, etc. All of these treatments are both direct and practical, as well as safe and effective.

In the past, this was called an ‘alternative’ approach, but the word alternative has unfortunately created an unhealthy animosity towards TCM in the medical community. Today, many M.D.’s are taking up the practices of TCM or complementary medicine because it is a proven science and an effective complement to standard care. In the European Union, where Complementary Medicine is mandated for coverage, this practice is quickly expanding. Although many medical doctors are now taking up the practice of TCM, performing acupuncture and prescribing herbal and nutrient medicines, the Licensed Acupuncturist receives comprehensive education in these medical practices, including complex herbal prescription, manual physiotherapies, nutritional supplementation, needle stimulation, and patient counseling. The education of the Licensed Acupuncturist involves a four year standard of medical school that combines knowledge of modern medicine with traditional theory and practice.

TCM has always been a complementary branch of medicine, even in ancient historical times in China. China was historically an innovator in medical theory, being the first culture to use vaccines, anesthesia, narcotic pain medications, study of cadavers, and advanced surgical techniques, and the first culture to recognize the complex circulation of blood and the role of the brain in the nervous system, as well as the organ systems and their connections. China was also the first country to recognize diseases associated with nutritional deficiencies and institute treatment. The famed historian Joseph Needham has confirmed that the first organized government health care with preventative medicine, and the first organized holistic approach to public health, originated in China.

Today, the TCM physician, or ‘acupuncturist’, works with medical doctors, chiropractors, naturopaths and other medical practitioners in an integrative and complementary fashion to provide a safer and more well rounded approach to medical care. This complementary approach has given the patients more options in health care and often reduces costs by making expensive procedures and pharmaceuticals unnecessary. TCM theory is finally having a big impact on standard medical approaches, too, as evidenced by the focus on ‘Biologicals’ in the pharmaceutical industry, as well as treatment focus on hormonal balance, and holistic approaches to Metabolic Syndrome, formerly seen as a prediabetic state. Chronic diseases are now seen as homeostatic imbalances, such as the anabolic dominance of early secondary osteoarthritis. The concepts of Yin and Yang balance are pervading modern medical theory.

Recent surveys show that 70-80% of the population now utilizes complementary medicine, although this branch of medicine continues to consume only about 6% of the health dollar. Public awareness of this medical practice and its reputation as the safest medical practice in world history, with virtually no injury committed with standard practice, has allayed the fears of acupuncture needles and herbal prescription that persisted for many years after the legal introduction of this medicine in the 1970s by Chinese medical doctors. Today, most TCM physicians are graduates of approved medical colleges in the United States who pass a rigorous licensing examination after receiving a masters or doctoral degree. The TCM physician brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to your care far exceeding the practice of needle stimulation. Don't let the title Licensed Acupuncturist fool you, for the actual medical care that you receive is comprehensive and multifaceted.

Public recognition of the importance of acupuncture and Complementary Medicine is very important as the administration of President Barack Obama seeks to offer the option of the federal health care insurance policies to all Americans. Support of the Hinchey Acupuncture Coverage Act, which has been stuck in committee since 1991 due to lobbying efforts, is very important at this time to allow the option of insurance coverage for those Americans that desire it. For further information on this issue go to the sections of this website intitled approach or appointments.

Above: Acupuncture Points
— Photo by Michele Clement