A lot of people are leery about acupuncture. And it’s not just the needles.
People are suspicious of the discipline, because it’s not sited in the Western Medical tradition. This aspect of public opinion is familiar to me. As a chiropractor, I know that my own discipline has faced public skepticism. The fact is that it continues to be under-valued in some circles.
But attitudes are changing rapidly. Part of that has to do with the fact that more and more people are discovering that acupuncture works as part of a multi-disciplinarian approach to pain management. Like they say, the proof is in the pudding and public consciousness is finally wrapping its head around this ancient pain management tool because the pudding is good.
A public health problem
Pain of various kinds afflicts 10 – 20% of the adult US population, with 11% of adults reporting chronic pain.
Maybe that’s the reason more Americans are seeking out complementary medicine. In the USA alone, 3 million people reported turning to acupuncture in a 2007 NHIS study.
So, what’s stood in the way of acupuncture becoming firmly entrenched as part of the medical establishment? Basically, that effect has to do with evidence-based medicine and the requirement for empirical support.
But increasingly, research is taking a profound interest in the practice of acupuncture and that interest is rendering acupuncture-positive data.
2010 shoulder pain study
A randomized clinical study in 2010 investigated the effects of acupuncture treatment on a sample of 424 patients. All study participants had suffered from chronic shoulder pain for a period of longer than 6 weeks.
The results of this study revealed that acupuncture was effective for the treatment of shoulder pain, cited for its ability to relieve pain and restore normal function.
It’s hoped that this and other studies will serve to propel acupuncture to its rightful position as a strong complementary pillar of the Western tradition. But it’s also hoped that the medical community includes the perspectives of patients as part of their research efforts.
After all, it’s the patient our work is centered on.
Multi-disciplinarian role
When part of a complex of care, acupuncture can be even more effective for pain relief than when it’s applied in isolation. At Back & Body Medical, that’s why it’s 1 of 4 distinct disciplines we practice as a team.
Our award-winning multi-disciplinarian model includes chiropractic, sports medicine, physical therapy and of course, chiropractic. By individualizing responses to pain, we draw together what all 4 disciplines bring to pain relief, creating effective treatment and enviable outcomes.
I’ve seen what acupuncture can do when deployed in a multi-disciplinarian setting like the one here at our Manhattan clinic. Its value to the pain relief model in play at Back & Body is inestimable and we proudly offer it to our patients as key feature of our practice.
Back & Body Medical
If you’re struggling with chronic pain and seeking a solution that’s specifically designed to treat you as an individual, contact us. We can help.
