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Talking Points

Talking Point By Simon Wright

Many of you have probably experienced Acupuncture or Dry Needling and have been astounded by how painless yet effective it is. Acupuncture has formed the backbone of Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years and is now very common in all corners of the globe.

So what is the difference between Dry Needling and Acupuncture?

Dry Needling

Simply put, Dry Needling is the insertion of a solid needle (as opposed to an empty hypodermic needle) into various trigger points on the body to alleviate muscular, joint and connective tissue pain. More and more frequently you will find Physiotherapists, Chiropractors and Osteopaths utilizing dry needling in conjunction with conventional treatment.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture on the other hand can only be performed by qualified Acupuncturists and although very similar to dry needling, it is often much more effective because it uses Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theories to diagnose various patterns of disharmony prior to the application of the points.

From a TCM perspective, whenever you are suffering from pain, it is due to an obstruction of blood or Qi (pronounced chee) or an imbalance to the Yin, Yang or fluids of the body which can be caused by trauma or injury, environmental factors such as wind and cold, prolonged negative emotions, lack of exercise or poor nutrition/ lifestyle factors.

Acupuncture works by re-harmonising these imbalances to enable the body to heal itself.

Sounds like voodoo?

 Although TCM theory is an ancient form of medicine and uses quite foreign terminology, modern science has established 5 modern theories as to how Acupuncture works, and they are as follows:

"Augmentation of Immunity"

“Acupuncture raises levels of specific hormones, prostaglandins, white blood counts, gamma globulins, and overall anti-body levels”.

"Endorphin" Theory

 Acupuncture stimulates the secretions of endorphins in the body.

"Neurotransmitter" Theory

Acupuncture affects certain neurotransmitter levels such as Serotonin.

"Circulatory" Theory

Acupuncture has the effect of constricting or dilating blood vessels. This may be caused by the body's release of Vasodilators, such as Histamine, in response to Acupuncture.

"Gate Control" Theory

According to this theory, Acupuncture closes certain nerve gates by strategically overloading them with impulses, thus reducing pain transmission.

So what can it treat?

Acupuncture is most commonly known for its ability to manage pain, but the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US institutes of health have also found Acupuncture effective in the treatment of women’s reproductive health problems such as painful and irregular periods, PMS, infertility and menopausal symptoms; emotional disorders such as anxiety, insomnia, stress, depression; dizziness and fatigue; addictions; digestive disorders like nausea, reflux and irritable bowel syndrome; respiratory problems including asthma, allergies, colds and flu; and headaches and migraines.

How many sessions will I need?

A typical course of treatment will require between 3-5 sessions for an acute condition and 6-10 sessions for chronic conditions or infertility cases/ menstrual disorders.