Getting to point of alternative therapy

JESSE walks with pain and a stick. In her mid-50s, she lives in the country and finds getting about in Edinburgh difficult because of the cobbles, which jolt at every step.

Osteoarthritis in her left hip is now preventing her from gardening. She takes two painkillers, with glucosamine for her joints, cod liver oil for her circulation, garlic to ward off seasonal ailments, and something for high blood pressure.

As well as this, she has had acupuncture for her hip, when she was abroad and wants more, as she is too young for a hip operation.

Acupuncture? Why acupuncture? What good is sticking pins in someone with osteoarthritis, which happens when the bones rub against each other because the cushioning cartilage between them has deteriorated?

It’s one of the oldest known degenerative diseases, and modern medicine usually helps people with osteoarthritic hip problems by operating on the hip.

I have another new patient in her 80s who has now had two operations on each of her hips - she’s still hobbling. Why does she think acupuncture can help?

Research by scientists in the United States has concluded acupuncture can reduce pain and improve mobility in arthritis patients by 40 per cent.

A total of 570 patients aged 50 and older with osteoarthritis of the knee took part in the 26-week study. They were randomly assigned one of three treatments - genuine acupuncture, "sham" acupuncture, or a self-help course that teaches patients to manage their own condition.

They also continued to receive their normal medical care, including anti-inflammatory drugs and pain relievers. By the end of the trial, the volunteers receiving acupuncture found pain was reduced by about 40 per cent and function improved by almost 40 per cent.

Acupuncture is a traditional oriental therapy that aims to improve the overall wellbeing of the patient, as well as treat the specific complaints the patient is concerned about.

Chinese philosophy says our health is dependent on the body’s motivating energy - known as Qi - moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of meridians (channels) within the body.

FOR any number of reasons, Qi may become unbalanced. By inserting fine needles into the channels of energy, an acupuncturist can stimulate the body’s own healing response and help restore its natural balance.

To assess how the energies are flowing in an individual’s body, an acupuncturist with traditional Chinese training is likely to ask a number of questions, and assess the patient’s energy from how they look, sound, behave, walk and so on and will probably feel the pulses on both wrists, noting their quality, rhythm and strength.

The structure, colour and coating of the tongue also give a good guide to physical health.

Acupuncture is only one part of traditional Chinese medicine, others include cupping (placing heated cups over the skin to encourage blood flow, which Gwyneth Paltrow recently brought to public notice), ear acupuncture, moxibustion (a method of warming the body using herbs), guasha (a method of moving the body’s energy and blood) and massage.

An acupuncturist will have an understanding of Chinese medical philosophy and theory, which can be applied to almost any condition, from the common cold to meningitis, infertility to depression, skin disease to respiratory problems and migraine to arthritis. It also helps an acupuncturist understand the causes of disease.

Acupuncture is a powerful method for helping many conditions, using a system that has been developed and safely tested over thousands of years.

Chinese medicine has very few side effects and most of those are desirable, like sleeping better, having more energy, being more positive, and coping with the stress of everyday life better.

Acupuncture may not be suitable for everyone, because sometimes there is a more appropriate alternative, such as herbs or homeopathy, but acupuncture can help most people, and reduce suffering and prolong life in many terminal conditions.

Does it hurt? The answer is yes, a little, but much less than giving blood, for example. Once the needle has been inserted, you should feel something, more like a slight ache, a tingling or heaviness, when the needle starts to work.

In most cases, without this the treatment is less successful. Anyhow, people wouldn’t keep coming if they didn’t think it was worth it.

Chinese medicine and acupuncture approaches everyone as an individual, a practitioner won’t use the same acupuncture points for everyone with the same disease. Which points are used depends on the specific health condition and the patient.

AN acupuncturist will also offer lifestyle and dietary advice so you can help yourself to maintain good health. How do you find someone properly trained in this wonderful system of medicine, at last receiving its due recognition?

Be careful to choose an acupuncturist who is registered with a professional body such as the British Acupuncture Council. BAcC members have an extensive training in acupuncture and bio-medical sciences appropriate to the practice of acupuncture in the UK.

Look out for the letters MBAcC after the practitioner’s name as this shows membership of the BAcC.

A patient’s personal relationship and rapport with their practitioner is important. You need to find a practitioner you feel comfortable with, who understands what you want from treatment and who can explain clearly the benefits acupuncture can offer.

As for Jesse, the woman in her 50s who found it difficult to get round Edinburgh, three days after the first treatment she said the pain initially got slightly worse, then got considerably better.

Seven days after the next treatment she was less sore and much better at night and she’d managed to visit and walk around a large foreign city (also with cobbles) with much more energy than usual.

At the next treatment, four days later, she said that she had now had five days without pain at all, until she went Christmas shopping, after which she ached that night. And the stick? I never saw it after the first session.

Jonathan Clogstoun-Willmott is director of the Edinburgh Natural Health Centre. He is a member of the Society of Homeopaths and of the British Acupuncture Council