And yet, NICE lists both of the procedures examined in the study as recommended therapies for knee osteoarthritis. In many scientific studies, something known as a P value tells us that a relationship is statistically significant—that is, that aspirin might fight heart disease, or cheese makes us happy.
The Effect Size is the magnitude of the difference between the two groups— how happy does cheese make you? The researchers ask a simple question: if most of the recommended treatments fail to meet this threshold, why is acupuncture excluded while arguably more invasive procedures are included?
But as patients, we should perhaps be asking a different question. Kids are getting COVID pricks, people are getting out their passports, and vaccination requirements are working. Medical waste, PPE, and online shopping are driving a surge in ocean pollution. Sign up to receive Popular Science's emails and get the highlights. Traditional Chinese medicine explains acupuncture as a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force — known as chi or qi chee — believed to flow through pathways meridians in your body.
By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians, acupuncture practitioners believe that your energy flow will re-balance. In contrast, many Western practitioners view the acupuncture points as places to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue. Some believe that this stimulation boosts your body's natural painkillers.
Acupuncture is used mainly to relieve discomfort associated with a variety of diseases and conditions, including:. The risks of acupuncture are low if you have a competent, certified acupuncture practitioner using sterile needles.
Common side effects include soreness and minor bleeding or bruising where the needles were inserted. Single-use, disposable needles are now the practice standard, so the risk of infection is minimal.
Not everyone is a good candidate for acupuncture. You may be at risk of complications if you:. Tell your doctor you're considering acupuncture. He or she may be able to tell you about the success rate of using acupuncture for your condition or recommend an acupuncture practitioner. During an acupuncture treatment, your acupuncturist inserts very thin needles into specific spots on your body.
Insertion of the needles usually causes little discomfort. Each person who performs acupuncture has a unique style, often blending aspects of Eastern and Western approaches to medicine. To determine the type of acupuncture treatment that will help you the most, your practitioner may ask you about your symptoms, behaviors and lifestyle.
He or she may also closely examine:. This initial evaluation and treatment may take up to 60 minutes. Subsequent appointments usually take about a half-hour. A common treatment plan for a single complaint would typically involve one or two treatments a week.
The number of treatments will depend on the condition being treated and its severity. I have seen some miraculous things in my practice over the years. It is unrealistic to believe that any healing remedy will work after one treatment. Western medicine gives antibiotics for days. Not one magic pill. Why would you hold acupuncture to even higher standards?
Acupuncture works with your body, in steps that it can handle. Healing will move faster in some more than others, depending on severity of chronic illness or injury and length of time that has passed. If you have had back pain for 10 years, it will take time to get it to move. Most acupuncturists say 6- 8 treatments to start seeing results for any condition. There is some legalese that goes with chiropractors using acupuncture without training. There are a few very rare chiropractors who take the time to do the training in traditional acupuncture and to them I say Thank You!
0コメント