Getting the Point

By Mary Openshaw
The Facts

Tina Tweedle of Angleton can attest to the benefits of acupuncture. Over the past few years, the treatment has been successful in treating the pain of her carpal tunnel syndrome.
 
 Recently, she went back to Dr. Melissa Ramirez, a certified chiropractic acupuncturist who practices at Care Clinic in Angleton, to receive acupuncture for pain in her neck and shoulder.
 
 �It doesn�t take much getting used to,� Tweedle said of the treatment.
 
 Ramirez presses a small plastic tube against Tweedle�s skin. She takes a small, fine acupuncture needle, slides it into the tube, and then gives it a firm tap with her index finger. She removes the tube and the needle is in place.
 
 It takes less than five minutes to insert needles at points on Tweedle�s neck, back, shoulders, forearm and thumb. She never flinches.
 
 �The brain senses the pressure from the tube before it detects the prick of the needle, so the patient doesn�t feel pain,� Ramirez said.
 
 Acupuncture is used to treat a variety of health woes.
 
 �Pain is the No. 1 indication for acupuncture treatment,� said Dr. Jason Flanagan, associate professor of clinical sciences at Texas Chiropractic College.
 
 �In addition, acupuncturists treat patients for smoking cessation, weight loss and substance-abuse withdrawal,� Flanagan continued.
 
 Ramirez said she�s treated conditions ranging �from asthma to eczema,� in the 17 years she�s been practicing in Angleton.
 
 Acupuncture originated in China between 2,000 and 4,000 years ago. According to HealthWorld Online, www.healthy.net, the practice may have begun in the Stone Age, when stone knives or sharp-edged tools were used to puncture and drain abscesses.
 
 Over time, needles replaced the stones. Acupuncture points were developed as a result of millions of observations of how stimulating a particular point onthe body affected different conditions. Chinese medicine teaches there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the body.
 
 Acupuncture became better known in the United States in 1971 when New York Times reporter James Reston wrote about how doctors in China used needles to ease his pain after surgery, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative medicine. Acupuncture is based on the premise that there are patterns of energy flow, called Qi (pronounced �chee�), throughout the body that are essential for health, the center says on its Web site, www.nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture. Disruptions of this flow are believed to be responsible for disease. Acupuncture may correct imbalances of flow at points close to the skin.
 
 Ramirez explains it pretty concretely.
 
 �The way that I understand it, we can stimulate the body�s immune response to certain injuries or blockages that don�t allow energy to get through the body,� she said. �Just like a scratch will heal itself, acupuncture is a micro-trauma that forces the body to focus on healing.�
 
 More and more research is being done into how acupuncture works. Ramirez told of a study she read about where a doctor who didn�t believe in acupuncture tried it on his own sprained ankle after traditional medicine failed to work. To his surprise, the swelling in his ankle went down.
 
 �Then he started thinking like a scientist,� Ramirez said. �He did a baseline MRI of the blood flow in the brain without stimulation. Then he stimulated specific acupuncture points related to vision, which were located on the foot.� He stimulated each of four points individually and did another MRI after stimulating each point.
 
 �In all the cases, at least three if not four points stimulated the visual part of the brain,� Ramirez said. �This helps to validate that it�s not a placebo effect. It�s not that the treatment worked because someone believed in it.�
 
 Often, a patient comes to an acupuncturist with a diagnosis in hand. Ramirez still puts patients that come to her through a physical exam, to check the extent of their problem.
 
 �I have a lot of medical diagnostic training,� she said. �Sometimes I believe (a patient�s) problem is more complicated than their diagnosis, and I want to understand more.�
 
 The treatments themselves are quick. After the acupuncture needles are in place, they stay there for about 15 minutes. After that, the needles are removed.
 
 �When the body is ready to release them, the needles pull straight out without tugging at the skin,� Ramirez said. It�s uncommon for a patient to bleed when the needles are removed, she added, though it happens occasionally.
 
 As for results, some patients see them after the very first treatment. Ramirez reevaluates patients after four treatments, and might switch to different points at that time.
 
 Some people may experience side effects from acupuncture.
 
 �It can increase stiffness temporarily,� Ramirez said. �That�s the way of the body focusing more attention on that area in order to heal it.� The stiffness usually passes in 12 to 24 hours.
 
 She recommends patients avoid cold drinks, cold air, and cold food for two hours after a treatment to prevent acu-shock. That�s a nasty-sounding term, but it just means a case of shivers.
 
 �Acu-shock means blood flow has shifted away from the extremities, toward the center of the body to warm up,� Ramirez said. �They get the shivers as their body tries to warm up. I tell my patients to drink something warm or wrap up in something warm, and it should pass in 15 minutes.�
 
 Occasionally some patients, particularly those on blood thinners, may experience bruising after acupuncture, though it�s uncommon, she said.
 
 As more and more scientific research is done into acupuncture, more and more insurance providers cover the treatments. But each company is different, so people should check with their providers to be sure.
 
 To find a reputable acupuncturist, start by talking to your doctor. He or she may be able to refer you. Also, if a doctor gives you a diagnosis, ask if acupuncture might help.
 
 National acupuncture organizations may have listings for certified acupuncturists, and can be found through online search engines. Check an acupuncturist�s credentials before making an appointment. A practitioner who is licensed and certified has met certain standards to treat patients through the use of acupuncture.
 
 Sticking to it
 The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine sponsors an annual Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day each year on Oct. 24, to raise awareness about the benefits of acupuncture and how people can find certified practitioners. To learn more about Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day, visit www.aomday.org. To learn more about acupuncture in general and how to find a good practitioner, visit www.nccam.nih.gov/ health/acupuncture.
 
 Mary Openshaw is a features writer for The Facts.