LAURA LEWIS MANTELL MD

Medical Acupuncture

What is medical acupuncture and how does it differ from “regular” acupuncture?

Medical acupuncture is acupuncture performed by a physician, who has been thoroughly trained in acupuncture as a specialty. A medical doctor can use acupuncture alone or as a complement to other medical treatments to help you. Licensed acupuncturists are non-physicians who attend school to learn acupuncture.

What can medical acupuncture do for me?

Medical acupuncture can influence three areas of health care: treatment of many medical conditions, prevention of illness and promotion of health.

While acupuncture is often used for pain control, for which it is very effective, in the hands of a well-trained practitioner it has much broader applications. Conditions Recommended for Acupuncture by the World Health Organization (WHO) include:

• Digestive disorders: gastritis and hyperacidity, spastic colon, constipation, diarrhea.

• Respiratory disorders: sinusitis, sore throat, bronchitis, bronchial asthma, recurrent chest infections, common cold, acute rhinitis, acute sinusitis.

• Neurological and muscular disorders: headache, migraine, peripheral neuropathy, facial tics, neck pain, intercostal neuralgia

• Orthopedic problems such as frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, various forms of tendonitis, low back pain, sciatica, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis

• Urinary, menstrual, and reproductive problems.

• Mouth: toothache, pain after tooth extraction, pharyngitis

• Eye: acute conjunctivitis, uncomplicated cataract, myopia, central retinitis

In other conditions such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, menstrual cramps, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, acupuncture can be useful as stand alone treatment or be included as part of a comprehensive management program.

A recent study by the NIH (National Institutes of Health) showed that:

• Acupuncture provided pain relief, and improved function for people with osteoarthritis of the knee as well as or better than standard care.

• Acupuncture can be helpful in resolving physical problems stemming form tension, stress and emotional conditions as well.

• Most recently, acupuncture was found to assist IVF patients in their efforts to become pregnant.

What should I expect during my first visit?

During the first office visit, I will ask you about your health and lifestyle. A medical acupuncturist is often more interested in the “total you” than many medical doctors. I will want a complete picture of your treatment needs, which may or may not be for just one condition. Let me know about all medical conditions you have, stressful or emotional factors you feel are effecting your health, treatments or medications you are taking, so that I can give you the care you need.

What does acupuncture feel like?

Acupuncture needles are hair-thin. People experience acupuncture differently, but most feel no or minimal discomfort as the needles are inserted. Some people are energized by treatment, while others feel relaxed.

Many acupuncturists use herbs; Do you?

While many acupuncturists prescribe herbs, I do not. There are hundreds of ongoing studies examining the safety and efficacy of many, many herbs. Thus far, while there are some promising results, the manufacturing process is unregulated. That means, you do not know what you are buying.

Many herbs actually act as blood thinners. While this is sometimes a desirable outcome, if combined with prescription blood thinners or even aspirin, excessive bleeding may occur. Some herbal laxatives cause you lose water and potassium. If you combine these with diuretics, such as prescription drugs for high blood pressure, that risk is increased.

The point is not that herbs “don’t work”; the point is that they do work, but we often do not know how or what interactions they might have when combined with other medications or other herbs. Moreover, the production of herbs is unregulated; there is no “FDA” for herbs yet, though tougher regulation is coming. With acupuncture, as with all my treatments, I only recommend therapies that have been proven both safe and effective in carefully controlled scientific studies.