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Sticking Point
Why more mainstream doctors are increasingly
turning to acupuncture for what ails you
Tara McElroy, MD, is sticking more
needles in her patients than ever before. Three years
ago, the Cleveland Clinic OB/GYN completed a physician’s
course in acupuncture. With it, she says, she
has had increased success in treating problems that
often resist Western medicine, such as female sexual
dysfunction and compulsive overeating. “Physicians
feel helpless in these areas,” says McElroy. “I needed
something more for my patients.”
Acupuncture, which has been practiced for millennia
in China, is a small part of her own practice.
But she makes frequent referrals to the clinic’s Center
for Integrative Medicine. There, acupuncture, which
uses needles to stimulate specific parts of the body, is
increasingly popular for problems like chronic pain,
allergies, and asthma. Five thousand patients underwent
acupuncture at the facility in 2009, up from 3,600 in
2007. It’s a trend that is mirrored across the country,
according to the National Center for Complementary
ACUPUNCTUre IS
beCOMING POPUlAr
FOr PrObleMS lIke
CHrONIC PAIN, AllerGIeS,
AND ASTHMA.
Reviewed by
Laura J. Martin, MD
WebMD MEDICAL EDITOR
and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), part of NIH. In
2007, 3.1 million people tried acupuncture, a million
more than in 2002, to relieve discomfort caused by
fibromyalgia, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting,
low back pain, and other ailments.
“The demand is out there,” agrees Hakima Amri,
PhD, assistant professor of physiology and biochemistry
at Georgetown
University and director
of Georgetown’s master’s
of science degree
in complementary and
alternative medicine. But
“there is an overall lack of
an educational platform
for physicians and future
physicians,” she says.
There is also a lack of
definitive research on the
effectiveness of acupuncture
treatments. A recent
NCCAM-funded study,
for example, reported
that acupuncture outperformed
conventional
medicine in relieving chronic back pain, but the same
study also found that simulated acupuncture was just as
effective as the real thing.
Still, more than 3,000 U.S. physicians integrate
acupuncture into their clinical practice, including
James Gordon, MD, founder of The Center for
Mind-Body Medicine and author of Unstuck: Your Guide
to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of Depression. When he began
studying acupuncture 40 years ago, “acupuncture
was considered at best a superstition,” Gordon
recalls. “Now, it’s increasingly being accepted as part
of mainstream medicine.”—Matt McMillen
The human body has about 2,000
acupuncture points.
Before You TrY
AcupuncTure
“I use acupuncture on
nearly every patient I see,”
says James Gordon, MD,
including himself. He treats
his arthritic knees with
needles every day. Gordon
offers these tips for those
interested in pursuing
acupuncture treatment.
Pursue the big picture.
Acupuncture, says
Gordon, is only one part
of traditional Chinese
medicine, which also
stresses the importance
of herbal medicine,
nutrition, massage,
and other practices. He
often includes these
other approaches in his
patients’ care.
Do your research.
There are as many
as 20,000 licensed
acupuncturists at work
in the United States.
Practitioners in most
states must pass an
exam administered
by the National
Certification Commission
for Acupuncture and
Oriental Medicine. Find
an acupuncturist who is
well-credentialed,
Gordon
advises.
The right
person
should
also be
able to put
you at ease,
answer your questions,
and make you feel
you are progressing
in your treatment.
LEfT TO RIghT: JOn fEIngERsh/gETTy IMAgEs; CARTEsIA/PhOTODIsC/gETTy IMAgEs
Focus On
Depression
This content is selected and controlled by WebMD’s editorial staff and is brought to you by AstraZeneca.
January/February 2011
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Questions for
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40
WebMD the Magazine | January/February 2011
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