What does an acupuncturist do?
While the benefits of acupuncture and traditional Chinese (or Oriental) medicine are widely known, their use in day-to-day healthcare treatment is still low. This lack of adoption is due to the need for more awareness of acupuncture in managing various health conditions.
Before we discuss what patients should expect when receiving acupuncture treatment, we should address the most basic question: What does acupuncture mean, and who are acupuncturists?
From a treatment perspective, acupuncture involves the insertion of thin needles through the skin at points of stimulation within the body. The roots of this treatment go back to ancient Chinese history. Currently, acupuncture can manage and treat physical pain and injury. It also improves overall body health and wellness and relieves stress and anxiety.
Diving deeper into how "acupuncture" came into existence, traditional Chinese medicine defines acupuncture as balancing the flow of energy or life force, also more commonly known as chi or qi (chee), which is known to flow through different pathways in your body. Inserting needles (acupuncture treatment) into specific points along this pathway will help re-balance this energy flow through your body. Acupuncture stimulates connective tissues, muscles, and nerves, which boosts our body's natural painkillers.
What conditions does acupuncture treat?
Acupuncture points mainly stimulate the central nervous system, which releases biochemicals into the brain, spinal cord, and muscles. These bodily changes may enhance the body's ability to self-heal and improve emotional and physical well-being. Acupuncture can provide effective relief from chronic pain and arthritis. Acupuncture can address different conditions, including the following:
Emotional conditions
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Neurosis
- Nervousness
Digestive conditions
- Hemorrhoids
- Hepatitis
- Gastritis
Musculoskeletal conditions
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Muscle weakness and pain
- Muscle cramping
- Arthritis
- Sciatica
Neurological conditions
- Migraines
- Headaches
- Stroke
- Postoperative pain
- Parkinson's disease
- Neurogenic bladder dysfunction
Respiratory conditions
- Bronchitis
- Sinusitis
- Allergic rhinitis
- Sore throat
What are the benefits of acupuncture?
Here are a few ways how acupuncture can help you:
The most common reason people try acupuncture treatment is to decrease their stress and anxiety levels. This alternative medicine helps people restore the body's energy balance and stimulates the nervous system's responses. Triggering the latter can lead to significantly lower stress hormones.
With increased electronic gadget usage, almost everyone complains about eye strain and eye-related problems. Applying pressure on specific acupoints relaxes the eyes, helps improve vision, and potentially decreases eye strain.
- Improves digestive health
Poorly regulated digestive health can lead to problems like loose stools, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and heartburn. A few acupuncture sessions can help patients regulate their digestive tracts and relieve certain digestive health disorders.
An imbalance in energy flow coupled with unsatisfactory nervous system performance seriously affects the sleep cycle. Research indicates acupuncture can restore that energy flow equilibrium and stimulate the nervous system, thus curing insomnia. At times, it even surpassed sleep medications. Combining acupuncture with other practices, like aromatherapy, may strengthen the outcome.
Many fertility issues stem from a substantial disparity in the body's hormone production levels. Acupuncture treatments can help regulate blood flow and enhance the production of reproductive hormones, leading to better fertility.
Acupuncture can help people recover faster after cancer treatments or surgery. It stimulates the immune system and builds overall wellness, accelerating the body's natural healing process.
Role of acupuncture treatment in pain management
As noted above, acupuncture effectively manages pain and injury within our bodies. Acupuncture has been used in South Asian countries for centuries to treat many physical pain conditions and provide relief. In Western countries, more specifically in the United States, it is now used to relieve upper and lower back pain, nerve pain (specifically painful shingles rashes), menstrual cramps, headaches, fibromyalgia, and more.
The pain management process within the treatment of acupuncture involves releasing endorphins, known to be the body's natural pain-killing chemicals. Endorphins affect the part of the brain that produces serotonin, a chemical involved with mood.
Acupuncture treatments are generally relatively safe, and the complication rate is negligible. Commonly, acupuncture is a complementary therapy in addition to a treatment plan with an orthopedic surgeon or a podiatrist for day-to-day pain management. Ensure that you speak with your primary care physician about the risks and benefits of acupuncture and the best treatment plan that will suit your needs.
How is acupuncture helping veterans?
Washington, DC, is the capital city and has many veteran personnel living in the town and surrounding areas. It also has the Veteran Affairs (VA) centers in the city. VA has adopted many initiatives through its Veterans Whole Health wellness program, integrating acupuncture medicine. In addition to keeping people well, this initiative promotes and supports recovery and pain healing, which veterans widely need. It has helped reduce dependency on pain medication for our veteran officers and has genuinely helped change lives.
Even though many veterans feel uneasy and are uncomfortable with needles, acupuncture, a relatively painless complementary treatment option, has allowed them to adopt it. Most of these veterans see an acupuncturist twice a week. From chronic back pain to pain in the knees and ankles, acupuncture is doing a lot to keep our veterans healthy and pain-free!
Things to consider before choosing acupuncture treatment
Since Western scientific studies have yet to explain how acupuncture works conclusively, it is crucial to take some precautions when selecting acupuncture treatment. Here are the essential things to consider before visiting an acupuncturist.
- Acupuncture treatment may only be helpful for some. Therefore, you can first discuss the treatment in detail with your doctor. Explain all your ongoing treatments and medications, such as prescription drugs, dietary supplements, and over-the-counter drugs. If you are susceptible to infections, have a pacemaker, have body implants, have chronic skin problems, or are pregnant, you must inform the acupuncturist before treatment. Discussing your health with the acupuncturist before treatment is crucial, as acupuncture may enhance your health risks if you fail to report your underlying conditions.
- Consult medical specialists for an effective disease diagnosis. Before visiting the acupuncturist for treatment, talk to them about how acupuncture can improve your situation.
- Seeing a licensed and trained acupuncturist is vital for effective treatment outcomes. Your existing doctor can help you with good referrals of certified practitioners. You can even seek referrals from friends, family, neighbors, or coworkers who have already sought acupuncture treatment. An accredited acupuncturist can provide appropriate treatment to manage your condition and symptoms.
- Consider insurance coverage and treatment costs before undergoing treatment. Some insurance companies cover acupuncture treatment, while others do not. Consider the number of sessions required, the total costs of treatment, and whether it covers your insurance coverage before undergoing treatment.
What can you expect when visiting the best acupuncturist near you?
General acupuncture treatment typically involves inserting fragile needs into different stimulation points within your skin. The acupuncturist will insert about 32 - 36 needles into various stimulation points within our body. These points are also known as acupoints. An acupuncturist would then slightly turn or twirl the needles and apply heat to enhance the stimulation. Moreover, the acupuncturist may also burn a therapeutic herb called moxibustion around the skin. Some of the most commonly used terms of treatment within acupuncture are:
- Basic needling
- Electroacupuncture (EA)
- Amplitude of stimulation
- Moxibustion
- Laser acupuncture
- Acupressure
These are different methods of treatment applied by acupuncturists during acupuncture treatment. An acupuncture appointment typically lasts 60 minutes, with 6 to 8 sessions required to achieve optimized treatment results.
FAQs on acupuncture
Below are some common questions on acupuncture and brief answers to them. Feel free to ask your doctor if you have any more queries:
When the acupuncturist inserts the thin needles in the affected area, minimal pain, like a slight prick, can occur. You may also feel sensations such as dull aches, tingling, warmth, heaviness, or numbness, which is normal and usually means the acupuncture points are activated and the process is working. However, you must inform your doctor if the pain is severe or unbearable.
- Does acupuncture have any side effects?
Acupuncture rarely produces significant side effects if done safely. At the most, you may have pain, bruising, or bleeding at the site where your provider punctures the skin. Some individuals may also feel dizzy, nauseous, or develop a skin rash.
- Are there any risks or complications associated with acupuncture?
Non-sterile acupuncture needles can lead to infections. Plus, in rare cases, if the needle breaks, it can cause internal organ punctures and central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) injuries.
- When does acupuncture show results?
One acupuncture session may be enough to relieve acute pain. However, those with chronic pain issues may need more sessions. Ultimately, it all depends on your unique situation. Your acupuncturist is ideally the best person to tell you how many sessions you will need and when you can expect results.
- What should you ask your acupuncturist?
You can direct all your queries to your acupuncturist and receive answers to your satisfaction. Here's what you can ask them:
- Is acupuncture safe for me?
- How should I prepare for the acupuncture sessions?
- Is there any difference between dry needling and acupuncture?
- Should I make any lifestyle or dietary changes during my treatment?
Finding the best acupuncturists near you in Washington, DC
Finding the right acupuncturists can be quite a daunting task! However, with platforms like Zocdoc, you can easily find acupuncture care near you and book an online or in-person consultation at your convenience. If you reside in Washington, DC, and need to consult an acupuncturist, visit the Zocdoc website. Enter your condition, location, insurance carrier plan, and the date to schedule an appointment. You'll then receive a list of healthcare providers in your area.
If you have an insurance card, you may find your insurance plan information either on the back or front of that card. Consider uploading an image of your insurance card to your Zocdoc account, and we will find and display information regarding your insurance plan (this facility is not available for vision or dental plans). You can even contact the Zocdoc service team if you need help uploading a photo of your card. Also, check out Zocdoc's patient help center for more information and solutions related to insurance.
Zocdoc helps users make an informed decision by providing each health practitioner's educational background, medical certifications and specialties, and honest patient reviews and ratings. You can book a same-day appointment and choose a provider that may also be available on weekends. Additionally, you can filter your search for the best acupuncturists near you based on gender, spoken languages, etc.
All bookings are safe, secure, and accessible.
Acupuncture in Washington, DC
America's affair with acupuncture began in the 1970s. Today, it is officially recognized as a treatment of medicine and as a practice, with many insurance plans covering acupuncture treatments, including those of federal government employees, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, etc. Based on a few studies in the mid-2000s, from approximately 5981 patients suffering from long-term pain, around 80% reported receiving complete relief after acupuncture treatment. Due to these benefits, the demand for acupuncture treatment in and around DC is very high. A quick Google search will show multiple areas stockpiled for acupuncture therapy. Many clinics within Washington DC report 100 appointments getting booked per week, with this number increasing to 300 next year.
Sources
Mayo Clinic
Oxford Academic
Harvard Medical School
VA News
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Cleveland Clinic
Verywell Health
Medical News Today
Dr Derek Kirkham
Pacific College of Health and Science
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