Many Americans are now seeking out complementary alternative medicine (CAM) to complement their allopathic (western) health care. Doctors are catching up to learn about various CAM treatments.
Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years, and is one part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (which includes diet, exercise, herbal remedies and so on). The needles are small in diameter. You can also get electro-acupuncture, where the needles are connected to a device which provides stimulation. Cupping is also used, which brings blood flow to your painful areas and also relaxes the muscles. While acupuncture needling used for musculoskeletal care can reduce pain and inflammation, it is not going to “fix” a torn ligament or broken bone. It will not make a pinched nerve or arthritis go away, but you will be more comfortable so you can enjoy your days.
Ear acupuncture (needling the ears) is less well-known than full-body acupuncture. Its history dates back to the 1950s, when a French physician created an ear ear acupuncture map. By the 1970s, various ear maps appeared around the world. After the 9/11 attacks, a military physician by the name of Dr. Richard Niemtzow created a 5 point ear acupuncture protocol called Battlefield Acupuncture (video). I have gotten amazing results needling the ear for: headache (even acute migraines and hangovers), shoulder pain and vertigo.
Below are some studies (including my own) which review the benefits of acupuncture. If you would like a copy of the full article, please let me know.
- Acupuncture for chronic pain: individual patient data meta-analysis
- Ear Acupuncture for Immediate Pain Relief—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
- Auricular Acupuncture in Emergency Department Treatment of Acute Pain
- Battlefield acupuncture to treat acute low back pain int he emergency department