Yesterday, a patient of mine, suffering from severe and unrelenting pain, said he wished he'd known about acupuncture before he'd underwent surgery several months ago. The surgical process appeared to have caused further weakening to his body without helping the pain. I was happy to hear that the acupuncture treatment he received in my office greatly reduced his pain without any negative side-effects. He seemed upset that he'd underwent surgery before trying acupuncture first.
Many people have heard acupuncture works, yet distrust its effectiveness based on scant scientific evidence or its lack of support from their doctors.
It can be challenging to have full trust in a non-traditional therapy like acupuncture, as most Western doctors have very little understanding of the theory and potential of Chinese Medicine.
Clinical studies, which are rooted in the Western Scientific method are inappropriate in assessing the efficacy of acupuncture treatment. These studies focus on treatment of the disease or condition. Chinese Medicine focuses on treatment of the individual, and does not treat conditions. Three people with the same symptoms will inevitably be given different treatments by a competent acupuncturist. No two people possess the same physiological and pathological makeup. To treat the individual requires a tailor-made acupuncture treatment that will address the specifics of the person with the symptoms. This type of therapy cannot be measured in the standard Western scientific method. It is a very different process then proscribing pills or procedures based on symptoms.
To develop trust in acupuncture, the principles of the medicine must be understood.
I had a phone conversation the other day with a patient who was under the impression that acupuncture was merely palliative care for pain: most likely an idea given to him by his doctor. I understand why this thought exists. It can be difficult to wrap the mind around the concept of acupuncture. How can the insertion of needles into the skin have the power to alter the structure of the body? It is merely the orientation of the mind that causes this difficulty. In Chinese Medicine, the body is acknowledged as having regenerative capability. Incidentally, Western medicine believes this as well. The Liver can regenerate itself after alcohol abuse: this is acknowledged. Yet, somehow this capacity to regenerate is not extended to the rest of the body within the Western mindset.
Central to Chinese Medical theory is the understanding that function effects form. When the body's function is strong, the regenerative force will also be strong. The body can rebuild any damaged part of itself. However, if there is blockage within the regenerative force, this capacity will be weakened.
It can be quicker to have a surgeon cut into the body and manually rebuild a damaged structure. However, this process does nothing to strengthen the body's innate self-regenerative mechanism. The trauma of the surgery will cause further damage for the body to deal with. If the patient is strong, this may not be such a problem. However, if the function of the body is already compromised, the regenerative capacity will most likely also be weakened.
A strength of acupuncture is the capacity to strengthen the body's function, without causing the burden of further trauma. It frees any blockage to the regenerative force as it supports the expulsion of pathology.
I am not suggesting that surgery is a bad thing. A good friend of mine feels the back surgery he underwent saved his life. He felt instantly better after the procedure, and healed rather quickly. He obviously possessed a strong constitution, which allowed him to recover quickly from the surgery. However, I'm not confident that this is always taken into account when a doctor suggests surgery.
It is my hope that understanding of acupuncture will continue to expand within mainstream consciousness. A minimally invasive therapy such as acupuncture, with very little side-effects, can be a tremendous help to those suffering from pain and debility. I think many people would be happy to forgo the difficulty of surgery if they can avoid it.
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