 This is the first in what I’m hoping will be a series of short ‘Myth Buster’ articles about Acupuncture. I’d like to take a closer look at what Acupuncture can and can’t do, and what a patient might realistically expect from the therapy.
Today I’m going to give my take on the vital importance of ‘tailored’ as in, personalised, treatments, a cornerstone of Traditional Chinese Acupuncture. Prospective patients often ask me: ‘Is Acupuncture good for…. X?’ I always reply, ‘that depends on who you are’. Whilst that might not seem very helpful at face value, there is method to the madness, and a fundamental principle of Chinese health practices. So bear with me… Let’s say, for example, that ‘X’ in this case is osteo-arthritis, an exceptionally common complaint. Is Acupuncture good for that? Whilst I’d almost always give a cautious ‘yes’, I’d still need a lot more information from the patient before I could give a useful reply. So: How long have you had arthritis? Where in your body is it? How bad is it? Is it stable, or getting worse? Have you ever injured that part of your body? How old are you? What medications are you on? Do you have any other illnesses? What is your diet like? (It makes a big difference in this case). How much exercise do you get, and what kind? Is there a significant family history of arthritis? Could the joint damage be related to work, or some other repetitive activity you do regularly? How badly does the weather affect your pain? What does it stop you from doing? Are there any other circumstantial factors that might be involved? (For example, I once treated a man whose job required him to prepare meat for eight hours a day in the chiller/freezer section of a supermarket. Unsurprisingly his hands hurt and were clearly arthritic. Whilst he still held down that job, my ability to help him was hampered to say the least)… Your GP might well ask these questions too, as the answers might all have something to say about your prognosis (the expected outcome of treatment). Where we differ is that a Traditional Acupuncture treatment will then be tailored specifically to you, not to the disease label of ‘arthritis’. This gives more flexibility, and the treatment can evolve and change to adapt to any improvements or worsening of the condition in a way that is both smooth and subtle. However it will never be exactly the same treatment that someone else will receive. Why? Because they’re not you! Every aspect of your health history, genetic heritage and lifestyle might impact on how you are treated with acupuncture; it all counts. All of which should help answer the other most Frequently Asked Question about Acupuncture: ‘where do the needles go for X?’ By now I’m guessing you know the answer to this one: it all depends on who you are, doesn’t it?
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