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Robin Moffit feels another
silver needle slowly pierce the skin in the back of her neck.
She can't see what is happening, but she lies still as nearly a dozen inserted needles are connected to tiny wires plugged into a homemade black box. The needles begin to pulsate, sending a slight electric current through her neck and body. Moffit, a thirty-six-year-old bank employee in Eugene, Oregon, is familiar with the procedure now, but before her treatment began, she thought acupuncture was worthless.
More than a year ago, a car sideswiped Moffit's Honda Civic at 40 mph. All the ligaments in her knee were destroyed, and she suffered whiplash that left her with chronic neck and back pain. Surgery repaired her damaged ligaments, but she found no relief for her neck and back. She tried massage and physical therapy, but one year and thousands of dollars later, she still suffered daily. That's when a friend told her about acupuncture.
After her first treatment, Moffit's body was so sore she couldn't get out of bed for three days. But her acupuncturist persuaded her to return. Three months later, she says, "I'm the best I've been in a year and a half."
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Despite lingering opposition, more Americans are seeking relief through acupuncture. A U.S. government health agency recently declared that acupuncture is an effective therapy to treat certain conditions. Traditional doctors are referring patients to acupuncturists, and insurance companies are taking notice.
Dr. Jason Eliot, a retired physician in Eugene, Oregon, became an acupuncturist after finding relief from his own chronic back pain through acupuncture. While he doesn't assert that it can replace modern medicine, he believes acupuncture is more effective for conditions like chronic neck and back problems. "I'm still in awe of how well it works," Eliot says.
Acupuncturist Tom Williams started his licensed practice in Eugene thirteen years ago. He believes acupuncturists will eventually treat most chronic diseases. Williams says that because the NIH is a government research center, "when they say, 'yes, this does have a scientific basis,' it gives [acupuncture] a credibility with regular medical doctors and also insurance companies."
Acupuncture involves the theory of so-called energy flow, or Qi (pronounced "chee"), which travels through fourteen meridians in the body. Disease and chronic ailments result when the essential patterns of Qi are disrupted. The treatment corrects the imbalance of flow through the stimulation of more than three hundred fifty nerve endings and pressure points along the meridians. Needles penetrating the skin at these points release the Qi and balance the body's energy flow. Most acupuncturists also practice "acupressure," which uses various techniques in place of needles to stimulate the pressure points.
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The growing popularity of acupuncture has forced officials to regulate the industry. The FDA removed acupuncture needles from the category of experimental medical devices and now regulates them. Each state has requirements for becoming a licensed acupuncturist, and a national board certifies them. Most states require that acupuncturists become certified. This trend of government regulation may legitimize the practice in the eyes of some skeptics.
Whether convinced by testimonials or assured by government standards, more Americans are choosing acupuncture instead of drugs. Paul Slovic, a University of Oregon psychology professor specializing in risk decisions, says that many people reject the medications and often-ineffective therapies offered by the medical community. "People are starting to think maybe science doesn't have all the answers after all," Slovic says.
While Eliot acknowledges the theory of energy flow, he had a difficult time accepting the treatment without scientific proof. "It's the biggest hurdle for physicians to cross," Eliot says. "The whole crux of our training is on a scientific basis. We're taught that chiropractors and other alternative practitioners are quacks. We don't know why acupuncture works, but we have to see that it does work."
Although Eliot can accept acupuncture, other professionals do not. Dr. Wallace Sampson, a retired professor of medicine at Stanford University, finds no scientific proof that acupuncture works. According to Sampson, studies indicate that acupuncture is no more effective than a placebo. "[The therapy] operates on a larger basis of suggestion and perception. It does not alter the course of any disease," he says.
University of Oregon physicist Rudy Hwa doesn't oppose the therapy but thinks people can misinterpret acupuncturists' use of "energy."
Despite opposition, Malvin Finklestein, a Eugene acupuncturist, predicts that acupuncturists and medical doctors will work more closely together to treat patients. While he already receives some referrals from doctors, he envisions more in the future. "The integration is starting to happen more and will happen more as the Western medical community acknowledges the efficacy of acupuncture," Finklestein says. "Certainly the NIH study and its conclusions are nudging in that particular direction."
Health insurance companies are responding to clients' demands for acupuncture coverage. Companies like California's Acupuncture Plus+ Healthcare Plan and Acupuncture Insurance Service provide comprehensive Chinese medical benefits and often cover modern medical treatments as well. However, some larger companies do not see an increased demand. Ken Strobeck, communications manager at Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Oregon says that because often the employer decides what insurance is offered--and usually the most cost-efficient plan is chosen--we may not immediately see a rise in acupuncture insurance coverage.
"One or two studies will not change what insurance companies cover," Strobeck says. "It's going to take long-term research to do that."
While acupuncture has a long way to go before becoming mainstream, reports like those from the NIH help establish the treatment's credibility. For previous doubters like Moffit, relief is all the scientific proof they need.
General information:
www.acupuncture.com
Frequently Asked Questions:
www.accessv.com/~zhsun/
The National Institute of Health's acupuncture report:
www.nih.gov/news/pr/nov97/od-05.htm
Buddhism, martial arts, in addition to acupuncture
www.dca.net/~arispoli/newpage11.htm
Aliens, Acupuncture and the Federal Government:
www.parascope.com/en/acupunct.htm
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