Acupuncture: Pins and Needles

By Clare Bertolus

From Kate Moss, to Gwyneth Paltrow and even Oprah, it seems that celebrities are wanting to be stuck with needles these days. No, not the hypodermic kind. All of the stars mentioned above are, in fact, well known acupuncture patients. 

But is this just another celebrity craze, or does it actually work?

Acupuncture treatment is credited with many benefits, from relieving back pain, to banishing headaches and even helping the patient quit smoking. Practitioners of Chinese Medicine claim that a few sessions of needling, so to speak, could set you on your way. 

On the other hand, thourough medical research has failed to conclusively prove any scientific link between acupuncture and the health benefits it claims.

The practise of acupuncture has been around for several thousand years. It is most commonly recognised as Chinese Traditional Medicine, but is also present in Korean and Japanese medical traditions.

Acupuncture requires the patient to take a fresh look at their ailments. Instead of focusing on organs, joints, viruses and bacteria as the source of pain and illness, acupuncture treatment asks you to have a look at your chi (energy). 

Practitioners believe that the health of the body is intrisically tied to the flow of chi. Sickness or pain occurs when the chi is blocked or altered.

A typical consultation will involve the practitioner giving your body a thorough looking over. They will ask for your conventional medical history, they will also take your pulse and examine the inside of your mouth. The final two procedures are in order to gauge chi levels and flow. So make sure you brush before you go....

Now here's the stick. To unblock the chi the an acupuncturist will place tiny sterilised needles between three and five milimeters into your skin. This won't necessarily occur where the pain or sickness is actually located, but on one of the many points around the body that are linked by the energy flows. 

The good news is it doesn't hurt. The most common reaction is a tingling sensation in the targeted area., and results vary from immediate pain relief to no tangible benefit at all.

Conventional medicine has no response to those who claim that accupuncture has cured them. Various studies have found that whilst acupuncture can be effective in reducing pain and illness there is little scientific link between acupuncture and results. Some have suggested that the needles may stimulate nerve endings or hormone production in order to relieve pain. Others have claimed that acupuncture can provide nothing more than a placebo effect.

However, traditional therapies such as acupuncture have their benefits when compared to conventional medical treatment. Acupuncture treatment has none of the harsh side effects of drug or pharmaceutical usage. It can also be much less expensive in conquering long term pain (pricing ranges between $25 and $80 a session). But doctors warn patients that they should not shun conventional medicine in favour of alternative therapies.

Acupuncturists and Medical Doctors alike agree that illnesses and pain are best diagnosed by modern medicine, with patients using alternative therapies to compliment and enhance normal treatment.

So if you're ill, but still want to be like your favourite celebrity - acupuncture could be for you. Whilst it defies scientific explanation, acupuncture certainly works for some people. After all, Kate Moss doesn't smoke anymore, right?