Acupuncture: Pathways for Relief

Ø      How to Find the Best Acupuncturist!

Ø      Safety and Warnings!

How to Find the Best Acupuncturist?

Knowing about the education and credentials of your acupuncturist can help you decide if he or she is right for you.  Most states require acupuncturists to be licensed, meaning that they have to pass a national exam.  M.D.s, however, can offer acupuncture without taking such a test.  They must have at least 200 hours of training and have an M.D. license from their state.  An acupuncturist without a M.D. should also have attended a school accredited by the U.S. Department of Education for at least two years.  In some states chiropractors can practice acupuncture.  And in some states acupuncturists can only practice under an M.D.  You should also check your acupuncturist by taking these steps:

• Ask friends.  Look for an acupuncturist by asking your friends for the name of a good one.  Ask for as many details as they are willing to share.  Basically, you want to know if the experiences were good ones.
• Ask the acupuncturist about training.  Your acupuncturist should have at least two years of experience in acupuncture.
• Notice if the first visit lasts at least a half hour.  It should include a lengthy discussion about your physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms.
• Be wary of quick-cure promises.  You acupuncturist cannot promise a cure on the first visit.  He or she should provide a diagnosis only after taking a detailed history and performing an exam.  You should see results from acupuncture within the first three to six visits.  If you haven't, it may be time to seek out another practitioner or another type of therapy.  Note: some patients recover fully after acupuncture treatment is complete, but others find it can only help ease their symptoms.

Safety and Warnings

One of the advantages of acupuncture is that there are few side effects, especially when compared with Western medicine.  Rarely, an acupuncture treatment can cause the condition to worsen temporarily.  Or there may be some slight bleeding or bruising after the needles are taken out. 

Acupuncturist's needles are sterile and disposable today, so there's an extremely small danger of infection.  If you're on blood-thinning drugs such as Coumadin, you may have increased bleeding with acupuncture.  But often this is not a significant problem.  Always discuss your use of such medications with your acupuncturist.

You should keep your prescribing doctor informed that you are getting acupuncture. 

Children younger than seven years and very ill patients should only be treated by acupuncturists who have considerable experience.

Pregnant women also should take care if they're seeking acupuncture.  Acupuncture needles can bring on uterine contractions if they're placed in certain areas of the body, such as the abdomen.  Obviously, if you're pregnant it's important to let your acupuncturist know, as well as keeping your primary physician informed of the acupuncture treatments.

Be true to yourself.  If you're feeling uncomfortable or threatened in any way, you should look elsewhere.  Watch out for any therapies that don't respect your value system or where you feel that your autonomy isn't respected.  Even though you're going to an expert or practitioner for their guidance, you should feel that the process involved a free exchange of ideas.

Many conditions also require conventional treatment for best results.  Always tell your doctor if you are using an alternative therapy or if you are thinking about combining an alternative therapy with your conventional medical treatment. It may not be safe to forgo your conventional medical treatment and rely only on an alternative therapy.