ACUPUNCTURE

What are some of the conditions and/or symptoms that acupuncture is used for according to the World Health Organization (WHO)?

In an official report, Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials, the WHO lists the following symptoms, conditions, and diseases that have been shown through controlled trials to be effectively treated by acupuncture:

Low back pain
Neck pain
Sciatica
Tennis elbow
Knee pain
Headache
Migraine
Temporomandibular (TMJ) dysfunction
Postoperative pain
Stroke
Rheumatoid arthritis
Nausea and vomiting
Induction of labor
Adverse reactions to chemotherapy or radiation
Allergic rhinitis and sinusitis
Hay fever
Renal colic
Peptic ulcer
Depression
Common cold
Cataract (without complications)
Gingivitis
Acute and chronic gastritis
Meniere's disease
Constipation and Diarrhea
Nocturnal enuresis (bed wetting)
Insomnia
Intertility
Smoking cessation
Post-operative pain

How Does Acupuncture Work?

Acupuncture is the stimulation of specific points located all over the body which have the ability to affect biochemical and physiological conditions to achieve desired effects. 

Acupuncture points are areas of electrical sensitivity.  When these electrical sites are stimulated they stimulate other sensory receptors that, in turn, stimulate nerves that communicate impulses to the pituitary-hypothalamic system in the brain.  These glands are responsible for releasing endorphins and neurotransmitters.  These substances are related to the regulation of serotonin in the brain.  This is one reason depression is sometimes treated with acupuncture.

An analogy that is sometimes given to new patients relates to our homes.  What happens if you are in your kitchen and you blow a fuse?  You go to the circuit breaker box and look for the flipped switch (blown fuse).  With the click of the switch you have reestablished the electrical flow back through the kitchen.  Your body's central nervous system is likened to the breaker box. The wires behind the walls that affect everything in your home can be likened to the meridians and channels in the body's acupuncture system.  If the energy is not flowing through all of the meridians and channels it can lead to stress and dysfunction.  When your acupuncturist stimulates a point on the body, their goal is similar to why you went to the breaker box, to reestablish the normal flow of electrical impulses. 

It's about enhancing function and given the body the opportunity to communicate and regulate its needs.