Get to Know Acupuncture Point Therapy for Headaches, Osteoarthritis and Back Pain

  Acupuncture  - It has been used for more than 2000 years as a trusted pain-relief and healing therapy – but has only come into popular use in North America over the last few decades. Back In 1971, James Reston, a reporter traveling with President Nixon in his historic visit to China, wrote an article in the New York Times about the use of acupuncture to relieve his abdominal pain after emergency surgery.

 That article arguably started the ball rolling – and has stimulated interest in this ancient healing modality. A 1998 survey estimated that North Americans made more than five million visits to acupuncturists yearly. And that figure has multiplied over the last decades, especially in Canada, as alternative healing continues to grow exponentially in popularity.

But does acupuncture point therapy work? Can it really treat pain? And can it be applied to effectively address conditions like osteoarthritis, back pain and headaches?

Let’s first look at the technique overall - and how it works as a therapy:

According to Chinese acupuncture point theory, there are more than 300 acupuncture points on the body that connect to pathways called meridians. These meridians are believed to enable the passage of Qi, (energy or life force) throughout the entire body. Good health relies on free-flowing Qi energy. In other words, the unobstructed flow of Qi regulates the physical, mental and spiritual balance. Disease occurs when there are obstructions to the flow of Qi, deficient or excessive Qi, or when there is an imbalance of yin and yang (relating to the organs).

By placing needles in strategic acupuncture points, acupuncture therapy removes any blocks to the flow of Qi, balances yin and yang and restores general balance. These treatments are customized, based on a patient’s unique characteristics and needs. For example, patients with chronic neck pain might receive different treatments than those with leg pain. As “new-agey” as it may sound to traditional medical practitioners, acupuncture has been proven to have measurable physiologic effects that result in pain relief and healing.

How long and how many needles?

Typically, acupuncture is a series of biweekly or weekly treatments.  A standard acupuncture appointment involves 5-15 needles and a treatment lasts from 20-60 minutes. Usually there is a clinical response within 10 treatments. Maintenance treatments are usually necessary.

How it acupuncture therapy works its magic (in scientific terms):

When needles are inserted into acupuncture points, blood flow increases occur regionally which can be measured by skin temperature recordings and laser Doppler flow values. The nerve stimulation, in turn, sends messages to the spinal cord, brain stem and hypothalamus. These stimulate the release of endogenous opioids such as beta- endorphins, met-enkepalins,

and dynorphin. In addition, acupuncture affects the release of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides such as serotonin and melatonin. These may explain the relaxing effects and immunity boosting results seen after treatment.

Acupuncture for Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and can lead to disability, impaired quality of life, and increased health care utilization and costs, especially in the elderly. There is no cure for it.  Popular therapies to treat it, however,  have included intra-articular steroid injections, hyaluronate injections, opioids, physical therapy, weight loss and exercise – all with variable results.

Acupuncture point therapy, however, has generated some very positive results in a number of controlled studies as effective treatment for osteoarthritis.  A review of seven randomized, controlled trials suggested that acupuncture resulted in improved knee pain and function, with a minimum of side effects. Scattered reports suggest that acupuncture may be effective in osteoarthritis of other large joints, although no well-designed studies have been completed.

Regardless of location, acupuncture is likely to play an increasing role in the effective treatment of osteoarthritis.

Acupuncture for Headaches

Headaches are not just an occasional cause of discomfort – in severe cases they can actually cause death. Although many new medications have come on to the market as cure-alls, a large percentage of headache sufferers continue to struggle with pain, despite the new pharmaceuticals. This has led many to try non-drug approaches to headache, especially acupuncture.

A meta-analysis of 26 trials that lumped all types of headaches together (16 with migraine, 6 with tension and 4 with mixed headaches) involving 1151 patients has recently been reported. The conclusion, limited by the poor quality of studies, was that acupuncture could be beneficial for headaches. A more recent study, published subsequent to the above-mentioned trial, further supports the role of acupuncture in treating chronic headaches, especially migraines.

Acupuncture for Back Pain

Back pain affects 65-80% of the population at some time in their lives. People with chronic neck and back pain often do not respond to or develop side effects from conventional treatments such as injections, medications and surgery. Consequently, there has been much interest in the use of acupuncture for low back pain and mechanical neck pain.  At this point, research has begun to compellingly suggest that acupuncture may aid low back pain. More studies are needed to form definitive scientific conclusions.

Toronto and Ontario Acupuncture regulations

In Ontario, the practice of acupuncture is now regulated by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, chapter 27^. The government is in the process of establishing a college^] whose mandate will be to oversee the implementation of policies and regulations relating to the profession.

Learn more about acupuncture treatment in Toronto.

Visit one of our Greater Toronto Area Physical Rehabilitation Clinics.

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