Acupuncture - Does it Really Work? - Roslyn Motter

Does acupuncture really work?

As practitioners we struggle from time to time with the thought that maybe, just maybe, acupuncture does not work. Since this is our livelihood, the thought that acupuncture might not work is a frightening thought.

Unfortunately, a lot of patients have the view that their condition of ten years standing should be eliminated in, at the most, two treatments. I personally find this most peculiar since the same patient has often only come to me after they have had ten unsuccessful treatments with a physiotherapist or chiropractor.

However, if we can persuade a patient to continue their treatment to at least six treatments, some quite impressive results can be achieved. Sometimes indeed, a great result can be achieved in even a shorter time span, but it is always advisable to expect that a minimum of six treatments is necessary for continued relief. One of my patients came on a walking stick for her treatment. Apparently the condition had struck out of the blue and now she could not walk unaided. She came weekly for ten treatments and by the tenth treatment she no longer needed her walking stick and was pain free.

Sadly however, it is often hard to know if the treatment was a success or not, because patients are prone to canceling their subsequent appointments after just one session, for two reasons, either because the treatment was a success or because it was a failure in their eyes.

What patients do not realize is that acupuncture can be a very subtle treatment. The beneficial effects are not necessarily evident on the day of treatment. The treatment in fact can continue to take effect sometimes a month after the session.

One patient came to me for treatment on a toe that had been extremely sore for a year. I gave her one treatment and made an appointment for her to return the following week. The next appointment was subsequently canceled and I was told that there had been absolutely no change to her condition. Therefore I was quite surprised when she rang me six months later for another appointment. When I asked her how her toe was faring, she said that exactly three weeks after her treatment she had woken up one morning and her toe was completely pain free.

One problem that all therapists seem to face from time to time is the healing crisis. This often takes effect the day after the treatment. If the patient has a very toxic condition, during the process of healing there is a temporary increase in symptoms. This is because the body is struggling to realign itself. Unfortunately the healing crisis can last for a few days or even weeks and the symptoms can be identical to the disease itself. Sadly, the practitioner gets the blame for giving a bad treatment as the patient rushes off to yet another type of therapist for relief. When the healing crisis eventually ends, the new therapist will be given the praise.

Of course it is very difficult for the acupuncturist to explain that a healing crisis is part of the cure. It just looks like they are making excuses for themselves.

I have sometimes however seen a seemingly miraculous cure in front of my eyes.

I once received a call from a lady who told me that she thought her husband had just suffered a stroke. I raced over to her house, needles at the ready, and I had to agree with her diagnosis. Her husband’s right eye and the right side of his mouth were drooping. His speech was also slurred. I inserted a couple of needles in the liver and kidney channels in his feet and when the last needle was inserted I looked at his face. In just those few seconds his eye and mouth had returned to normal and his speech was no longer slurred.

Another miraculous cure occurred when I treated a dog which had not eaten for three days and whose eyes had rolled back in its head, leaving only the whites of the eyes visible. The dog could no longer walk and the owners had been encouraged by the vet to put it down. I used one needle only, and this was in an acupuncture point at the very top of the head. The dog lay silently for ten minutes, and then stood up, shook the needle out and walked over to its food bowl. It then proceeded to eat a bowl full of food and afterwards raced out into the garden where it stood barking with joy.

These are just a few examples of treatments that have been very successful for me. My suggestion is therefore for patients to let their acupuncturist give them an effective treatment. Do not expect your symptoms to miraculously disappear in one session. Of course, if they do, please tell your friends!

Roslyn J. Motter is a Sydney, Australia registered acupuncturist with her own clinic. She is also a children’s author and has recently published three children’s books - The Doofuzz Dudes Rescue Moondar; The Doofuzz Dudes and the Princess Detector; and the Doofuzz Dudes and the Babbling Bottles. The series are fantasy adventure stories and are most suitable for children aged 7 - 12 years. Woven into the adventures is a subtle theme of caring for the environment. Excerpts and illustrations from the books are available for viewing on http://www.childrens-books.com.au and children can play games and win prizes on http://www.doofuzzdudesclub.com Her acupuncture website is http://www.acupunctureworks.com.au

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