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TCM / Acupuncture: What is Acupuncture?
Originating in China over 2,000 years ago, acupuncture refers to the stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. Acupuncture is one of the key components of the system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which also includes herbal supplements, tui na (a form of bodywork) and diet therapy.
Any symptom is a sign of an imbalance. Disease is due to an internal imbalance in the flow of qi (pronounced “chee” meaning vital energy) along pathways known as meridians. Health is achieved by maintaining the body in a “balanced state.”
Essentially, your practitioner uses acupuncture to address imbalances externally and Chinese herbal medicine to restore balance internally.
What to Expect
When you come to Healing Ground in Highland Park, Illinois, your practitioner will begin by looking for a relationship between symptoms before determining the optimum pathway for health.
Diagnosis starts with a detailed pulse and tongue analysis, medical history and assessments of your lifestyle and health. From this diagnosis, your practitioner develops an individualized treatment strategy that may incorporate one or many of the TCM methods to return your body to its natural, healthy state.
Acupuncture is the insertion of very thin needles into specific points along the meridians of the body. These hair-like, stainless steel needles are sterile and disposable. It is common to feel a sense of heaviness when a needle is inserted and little to no discomfort. Many patients fall asleep or deeply relax during treatments.
In-Depth Research
Influence of Acupuncture on the Pregnancy Rate in Patients Who Undergo Assisted Reproduction Therapy
Summary: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in undergoing in vitro fertilization by comparing a group of patients receiving acupuncture treatment shortly before and after embryo transfer with a control group receiving no acupuncture. Acupuncture was performed in 80 patients 25 minutes before and after embryo transfer. In the control group, embryos were transferred without any supportive therapy. The results of this study showed an increased rate of pregnancy in the acupuncture group with 34 of 80 patients (42.5%) becoming pregnant, whereas pregnancy rate was only 26.3% (21 out of 80 patients) in the control group. This study shows that acupuncture seems to be a useful tool for improving pregnancy rate during in vitro fertilization.
Role of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Female Infertility
Summary: This article reviews existing scientific rationale and clinical data in the utilization of acupuncture in the treatment of female infertility. In the article the reviewers found that studies have suggested that certain effects of acupuncture are mediated through the central nervous system and hormone secretion. Because of this, they believe that it is reasonable to hypothesize that acupuncture may impact on the menstrual cycle In addition to affecting hormone secretion, acupuncture also may affect the sympathetic nervous system, or the "fight or flight" reflex. The calming effects of acupuncture on the sympathetic nervous system may increase uterine blood flow, making the lining of the uterus thicker and more hospitable to implantation of a embryo. The reviewers conclude that although the definitive role of acupuncture in the treatment of female infertility is yet to be established, its potential impact centrally on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis and peripherally on the uterus warrant continued study.
Review Article: Therapeutic Roles of Acupuncture in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
Summary: It seems conclusive that acupuncture is capable of reducing nausea and vomiting, inhibiting gastric acid secretion and normalizing gastric dysrhythmia. Because of this, it is a good choice of a therapeutic treatment for morning sickness in pregnancy, nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy, and for gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD). It is anticipated that acupuncture may have a role in treating patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Although studies are not yet conclusive, there is substantial evidence that points to acupuncture as being a good treatment for this disorder.
Effectiveness of Acupuncture as Adjunctive Therapy in Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Randomized, Controlled Trial
Summary: The purpose of this study was to find out whether acupuncture is an effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis. 570 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee proven by x-ray participated in the study. The researchers assigned patients to receive either 23 sessions of acupuncture or sham acupuncture over 26 weeks (twice a week during the first 8 weeks then down to once a month by the 14th week), or arthritis education. Sham acupuncture involved using a special device to place fake needles on the 9 areas of the body where the patients who received true acupuncture got real needles. After 8 weeks, patients in the acupuncture group had greater improvement in function, but not pain, compared with patients in the sham acupuncture group. Among patients who remained in the study, those in the acupuncture group had greater improvements in both pain and function after 26 weeks compared with the other groups. This study tells us how acupuncture adds to other treatments for knee osteoarthritis since patients in all 3 groups could use other treatments during the study. It does not tell us whether acupuncture works better than other therapies. This study suggests that an extended course of acupuncture seems to offer some improvements in pain and function for patients with knee osteoarthritis compared with sham acupuncture or education.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis: a randomized-controlled clinical trial
Summary: Patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) increasingly use complementary medicine. The aim of this study was to determine whether traditional Chinese therapy is efficacious in patients suffering from seasonal AR. Fifty-two patients between the ages of 20 and 58 who had typical symptoms of seasonal AR were assigned randomly and in a blinded fashion to (i) an active treatment group which received a semi-standardized treatment of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, and (ii) a control group which received acupuncture applied to non-acupuncture points in addition to a non-specific Chinese herbal formula. All patients received acupuncture treatment once per week and the respective Chinese herbal formula as a decoction three times daily for a total of 6 weeks. Compared with patients in the control group, patients in the active treatment group showed a significant after-treatment improvement. The results of this study suggest that traditional Chinese therapy may be an efficacious and safe treatment option for patients with seasonal AR.
For more information about TCM, visit the Chinese Medicine page on the site devoted to our Fertile Options program for couples preparing for conception.