What is Medical Acupuncture?

Medical Acupuncture is acupuncture performed by family doctors and hospital specialists who practise acupuncture alongside more conventional techniques.  The BMAS, British Medical Acupuncture Society was formed to represent these specialist practitioners.

The BMAS outline the following:
During the past few years, acupuncture has become increasingly popular. Whilst it is exciting that the range of medical applications of acupuncture is increasing, it does mean that the responsible practitioner of acupuncture has a duty to educate both other medical colleagues and the general public about the strengths and weaknesses of the technique.

Very large claims have been made for acupuncture in the past. Not all of them can be substantiated. Such claims are worrying and can alienate many people - doctors among them - who might otherwise be sympathetic to the view that acupuncture can, in selected cases, be an effective method of treatment.

What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a treatment which can relieve symptoms of some physical and psychological conditions and may encourage the patient's body to heal and repair itself, if it is able to do so.

Acupuncture stimulates the nerves in skin and muscle, and can produce a variety of effects. We know that it increases the body's release of natural painkillers - endorphin and serotonin - in the pain pathways of both the spinal cord and the brain. This modifies the way pain signals are received.

But acupuncture does much more than reduce pain, and has a beneficial effect on health. Patients often notice an improved sense of well-being after treatment.

Modern research shows that acupuncture can affect most of the body's systems - the nervous system, muscle tone, hormone outputs, circulation, antibody production and allergic responses, as well as the respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems.

Each patient's case will be assessed by the practitioner and treatment will be tailored to the individual; so it is impossible to give more than a general idea of what treatment might involve. Typically, fine needles are inserted through the skin and left in position briefly, sometimes with manual or electrical stimulation. The number of needles varies but may be only two or three. Treatment might be once a week to begin with, then at longer intervals as the condition responds. A typical course of treatment lasts 5 to 8 sessions.

Uses for Acupuncture
Taking the above into consideration, here are some of the ways in which acupuncture may be effective:

• Pain relief for a wide range of painful conditions.
• It is commonly used to treat musculoskeletal pain, for example - back, shoulder, neck and leg pain.
• It has been used successfully to treat headaches, migraines, trapped nerves, chronic muscle strains, sports injuries and various kinds of arthritic and rheumatic pain.
• Functional bowel or bladder problems such as IBS or even mild forms of incontinence.
• Menstrual and menopausal symptoms, eg. period pains and hot flushes.
• Allergies such as hay fever, perennial allergic rhinitis, and some types of allergic rashes such as urticaria and prickly heat.
• Some other skin problems such as rashes and ulcers, itching, some forms of dermatitis and some cases of excessive sweating.
• Sinus problems and chronic catarrh. Dry mouth and eyes.
• Help with stopping smoking.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it does give a rough idea of the wide range of conditions that respond to acupuncture treatment.

Information from: The British Medical Acupuncture Society, www.medical-acupuncture.co.uk