What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a healing modality that improves the body’s functions and promotes the natural, self-healing process by stimulating specific anatomic sites known as acupuncture points. These acupuncture points are stimulated by inserting fine, sterile needles into the skin. Acupressure, electrical stimulation, moxibustion, cupping, massage etc may further enhance the effects.

Traditional Chinese medicine is based on ancient philosophy that described the universe and the body in terms of two opposing forces namely yin and yang. These forces manifest themselves in the form of five energies namely wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Energies flow in the body along specific pathways called meridians. When these forces are in balance, the body is healthy. This perpetual and healthy flow of energy maintains the balance of the yin and yang forces. However, if for some reason the flow of energy gets blocked or imbalanced, the disruption can lead to pain, lack of function or illness.

Treatment and diagnosis

The process of curing the imbalance involves multiple steps not very different, yet more thorough, than a visit to the doctor.

The first visit to the acupuncture centre involves detailed background check wherein every minute detail of the patient is observed—scars, skin discoloration, voice tonality, gait and attitude in carrying the body, skin and hair texture and emotional response. Tongue diagnosis, pulse diagnosis, etc. also help to come to the right conclusions. The above process provides the acupuncturist information about energy flow through the patient’s body, along with an insight into their energy constitution and imbalances. Based on this information, treatment protocol is decided.

If for some reason the flow of energy gets blocked or imbalanced, the disruption can lead to pain, lack of function or illness

The correct diagnosis is followed by the treatment stage. Here, we follow the dictum of accomplished acupuncture teachers—an ideal treatment plan should constitute minimal needles and maximum cure.

Needles are inserted at various acupuncture points. Many a times, along with needles moxibustion or electrical stimulation is given. Needles are to be retained by the patient for 20 minutes. All this is aimed at achieving balanced energies thereby curing the ailment. To ensure optimum patient care, the needles are never reused.

Commonly Asked Questions About Acupuncture

Here are answers to common queries that patients generally have about acupuncture

Does acupuncture have any side effects?

Acupuncture has minimal side effects, one of them being hypoglycaemia [drop in blood sugar levels] in certain cases. Hence, it is advisable not to undergo acupuncture treatment on an empty stomach.

Does inserting needles into the skin hurt at all?

The only pain worth mentioning is an equivalent of a pin-prick lasting no more than a micro-second.

How many sittings does one need?

The time frame varies according to a person’s constitution, how the body responds to the treatment and whether the ailment is chronic or acute.

In what ailments is acupuncture helpful?

Acupuncture has proven to be extremely successful in curing chronic ailments where mainstream medicine has promised only disease management. These ailments include—arthritis, slip-discs, digestive problems, circulatory/nervous system ailments, infertility, gynaecological issues, spondylitis, pain management, respiratory disorders, skin disorders, etc.

Case Examples

The following case studies will help you understand the efficacy of acupuncture

1. Mrs A [name concealed to protect identity] came with chronic pain in the left knee. Because it was due to an old athletic injury, the orthopaedic doctor diagnosed the pain as a cartilage tear. This injury would often lead to the knee joint getting locked if the patient sat in a squatting position, followed by extreme pain to unlock the joint. The advised treatment was invasive arthroscopy. The treatment rendered was needles on the gall bladder meridian, which looks after ligaments and cartilage of our body. The treatment was aimed at strengthening the function of the cartilage and lasted for three months. The results were termed as “magical” by the patient.
2. Ms B, an aspiring actress, came for cosmetic acupuncture treatment. Cosmetic acupuncture helped her regain her complexion along with a face lift, contouring, even tone of skin, collagen building, glow—all of it in 12 sessions.
3. Mr C came for treating his addiction to cigarettes. He was smoking 20 sticks a day. Semi permanent acupuncture needles were given in his ears and in a month he quit smoking. It’s been nine years since he stopped and is still going strong.

Ailments that have been cured due to acupuncture are numerous and the case studies far too many to find mention here, but the one thing that does merit mention is the smile and happiness evident in patients when they are cured of their illness. The realisation that an illness that was causing them deep anguish has been evicted from their lives is the greatest reward that I receive as a doctor.

This was first published in the December 2015 issue ofComplete Wellbeing magazine.

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Here in Ontario, Canada, where I live, summer days are often hot and sunny. Playful, easy-going, joyful, friendly, full of energy and passion are ways to describe summer. It’s the time when the growth of plants are in full swing, inviting the birds and the bees to enjoy the sweet nectar of their fragrant, colourful flowers. The animals are out sunbathing, hunting for food and making sure that their young ones learn the ropes of living a successful life. Summers are productive and humming with activity.

Winter days, on the other hand, are often crisp and cold here. The feelings could be described as more introverted and withdrawn. The trees are bare and the landscape is sleeping, covered with a blanket of brilliant white snow. The plants and animals are in hibernation. It’s important to slow down in this season so that energy reserves don’t run out when food is less abundant. Winter provides a good opportunity for seeds to get the time and rest they need to germinate when winter is over and the spring rains fall.

Emotional expression sustains life

The expression of summer, winter, and all of the seasons in between are an important way in which the environment sustains itself. Without the energy of the summer, there would not be enough food produced to last throughout the winter. And without the rest in the winter, burn-out would occur and we’d soon be too tired to do anything at all.

There is neither beginning nor end, neither good nor bad—just a cycle of necessary emotions realised through the seasons that bring our environment into healthy balance and expression.

In this way, nature teaches us how to bring forth our emotions appropriately. Emotions occur unapologetically because it would be unhealthy to hide or hold back an expression of the season. When there is excess moisture in the air, it calls for rain. There’s no holding back. If it didn’t rain when it needed to, the landscape would suffer. The ground would not receive enough water to nourish the plants and rivers. Because nature knows what she needs to express and then expresses it, we benefit since we rely on her for our needs.

People are less willing to express emotion

And yet people suppress their emotions. Have you ever felt angry but held back its expression because you thought it was wrong? Have you ever felt like crying but stopped yourself because you didn’t want to be seen as weak? We do this all the time. We judge our emotions and then hide them. It’s not our fault though. We were brought up to believe that uncomfortable emotions such as anger and sadness are bad. But these labels don’t serve us well. After all, expressed appropriately, anger is an important way to draw boundaries; and sadness helps us to feel compassion and empathy.

Repressed emotion can build and show up inappropriately later as an over-the-top blow up or a mental or physical illness. The person becomes unbalanced because the necessary energy that is required to feed an authentic part of him or her is not being carried forth. Ultimately, their authentic self is not being expressed and their relationship with themselves and others suffer.

People are afraid that an ‘undesirable’ emotion makes them less loveable, so they force themselves to stop feeling it, to stop acknowledging that it’s there. But perhaps people would act differently if they remember that the essence of any landscape remains its same beautiful self no matter what emotion it’s expressing. Winter, summer, spring or autumn – each has its own unique beauty and purpose of giving the environment what’s necessary. Just like all seasons are useful, so are all emotions. There’s no need to be judgemental about what comes up. The emotion is just signalling what’s happening at the moment, what season it is. It’s all for the sake of re-balancing the system which is in constant flux.

Sometimes people suppress their emotion because it’s too painful. They might need to grieve the loss of a loved one but can’t bear to feel the sadness. Though I am not an expert at expressing this myself, it once helped me to understand that I was not the sadness itself. I could detach myself from it even though I was feeling it. Though I felt overwhelmed by it, I imagined that it was a wind that would keep knocking at my door until I opened it so the feeling could pass through and eventually die down.

Eventually it did.

How to let your emotions flow naturally

Spending time in nature is a safe way to let ourselves acknowledge and feel emotion without judgement. Maybe it’s because Mother Nature is so expressive herself, we can’t help but feel and be moved by her.

Journaling in the midst of nature is a good way to get your emotions flowing. Try writing in your journal non-stop for 10 minutes. Write down whatever comes up for you in that moment with no judgement. After 10 minutes of writing, take a walk in nature for another 10 minutes. Repeat this process three times, taking turns to write and walk for a total of one hour.

Mother Nature is sympathetic and gives us nurturance as we express our emotions. When we are feeling down, our spirits are uplifted when we see a lovely flower. This is nature telling us “It’s okay, you’re still loved”. Our feelings are validated in nature and we feel safe to be honest with ourselves.

Expressing emotion is natural and healthy. Especially if we express it with non-judgement and then let it go when it’s done. There’s no feeling shame or regret when a tree needs to drop its leaves. The falling leaves are an expression of needed release, and the earth beneath it graciously receives it. And from the nourished earth a beautiful flower is able to grow, expressing its authentic self and beauty in the world for all to see with no apologies.

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