Why Your Physician Might Recommend Acupuncture

Acupuncture has become a vibrant part of our nation’s healthcare system by demonstrating its effectiveness with its current utilization in most areas of traditional medical care. Research by respected institutions, such as the World Health Organization, National Institutes of Health, Mayo Clinic and others, validate its use as a form of treatment for a wide range of health conditions in tandem with conventional medical treatment.

            Over the past 42 years of practicing acupuncture, I have witnessed the impressive way acupuncture has emerged as an integral part of our healthcare system. Acupuncture earned its place by merit and by recognizing and adhering to the standards of care that this nation’s medical system demands with regard to health care.

            Hospitals and specialty clinics are increasingly adding acupuncture as an important part of their respective lists of services. The Joint Commission, the nation’s largest accrediting body in health care with nearly 21,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States, now lists acupuncture as a standard nonpharmacological treatment option for pain and behavioral health. 

            Pain remains the most common reason patients seek acupuncture treatment. Research indicates its effective use for a wide variety of pain conditions, including back pain, migraines, neuropathy, arthritis, neuralgia, tendonitis, sciatica and many others.

            There are also new and exciting areas of treatment for functional, difficult-to-treat, medically undiagnosed and mood- and stress-related conditions emerging. The Veterans Health Administration system, for example, uses acupuncture to treat anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and pain. A Mayo Clinic study on the use of acupuncture to treat fibromyalgia found it beneficial for the condition. The report also cited improvement in the areas of fatigue, anxiety and other symptoms. Major oncology centers typically offer acupuncture for fatigue, nausea, malaise, neuropathy and mood fluctuations.

            Through advancements in research technology and medical imaging, a better understanding of how acupuncture promotes positive health change is becoming clearer than ever. Specific activities and changes are being discovered and identified in both the body and brain with regard to acupuncture treatment. This understanding has made it easier for physicians to identify when to appropriately refer their patients for acupuncture treatment.

            Acupuncture has been so effective that other health specialties are exploring variations of acupuncture-like treatment. These options typically involve electricity, lasers or dry-needles, and have vastly different educational and practice standards than that of the standard acupuncture profession—oftentimes resulting in varied clinical outcomes. Current studies reveal that acupuncture treatment, when utilized by a board-certified practitioner with comprehensive professional-level acupuncture training, can be very beneficial. 

            There is no doubt as to why physicians are increasingly becoming more and more comfortable referring patients to acupuncturists. They understand that it works, is effective, and they know that board-certified acupuncturists have met the nation’s highest education, safety and examination standards. It works, it is safe and it can greatly enhance a person’s quality of medical care.

            Those interested in learning more about the effectiveness of acupuncture as a potential treatment option should locate a practitioner that has been licensed by the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners and maintains national board certification through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

For more information, call William D. Skelton, LAc, owner of The Acupuncture Clinic (located at 620 Sims Ave., in Columbia), at 803-256-1000. Also visit SCAcupuncture.com.