So we all have that friend who is super into acupuncture and swears by it. And it's very common in holistic circles, but it's also kind of a stereotype too…So is it just popular for the sake of being popular, or does it actually WORK?
Today, I am going to "STICK my nose" in this case! 😉
What I found out is that, although I still can't quite believe the cases where someone thinks that their bad back or their cancer was completely cured by acupuncture, it is definitely a helpful technique for pain relief… acupuncture is definitely better than no acupuncture!! The way acupuncture first became popular in the US was, back in 1971, New York Times journalist James Reston went to Peking and said the acupuncture he got completely cured his bad back. Suddenly, everybody was going wild for acupuncture.
So what exactly is the POINT of acupuncture? (I promise, this is my last pun for this article…)
Well, it's supposed to unlock your body's ability to heal itself. But the way it works is, the acupuncturist inserts very fine, thin needles into specific places called "acupoints." Now, with traditional medicine, the idea is that it matters EXACTLY where the acupoint is, and that's what starts the healing. But some more recent studies are showing that the reason acupuncture is effective is not because of the area, but just because inserting the needles activates your body's endorphins, and also triggers the release of serotonin in the brain.
And even though TV stereotypically shows like a hundred needles on the person, the truth is, it only involves 5 to 10 needles on the person, and then leaving them on for 10 to 30 minutes.
There's mixed evidence on whether or not acupuncture works, but the problem with some of these studies on acupuncture is, they're done with a small sample size. I mean, if you only have 10 people or 100 people, then how are you really supposed to know for sure whether acupuncture works?? Get on it, scientists! 😉
One study that was endorsed by the National Institutes of Health, though, done in 2012, did find evidence that acupuncture was effective for many conditions, from back pain to osteoarthritis to headaches.
It showed that although acupuncture isn't going to cure cancer anytime soon, it can help with nausea and pain relief associated with it. Plus, there are literally no downsides!
That's the main thing that I'm thinking about…Even if acupuncture didn't work to outright cure any pain or disease…no matter what, it's going to be a good experience, and it doesn't involve many risks either. The worst that could happen, of course, is that the needles aren't completely sterilized, so I would recommend going to a very well-established location, not somewhere you find on groupon.com. 😉
(This is totally true for any other minor procedures, like getting lip injections. You'll find deals for that on Groupon all the time, and I'm just thinking, "Wow, if there's anything to try and save money and cut corners on, it's not that!!")
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