New Research for Acupuncture as Fibromyalgia Treatment

A new study published in Rheumatology International suggests that "dry needling" (another name for acupuncture) is an effective treatment for fibromyalgia.

Researchers gave 60 people with fibromyalgia weekly dry-needling sessions for six weeks. At the end of the study period, the treatment group showed significant improvement when compared to the control group. The symptoms that improved included:

• Pain

• Fatigue

• Pressure pain threshold

At a check up six weeks after the treatment period ended, the dry-needling group still showed significant improvement.

Learn more about acupuncture for pain relief. Curious about 'dry needling'? Just another name for acupuncture - and sometimes for trigger point therapy as well! We offer the only board certified acupuncturist in Iowa who is trained in both of these styles.

Patients at Health On Point have huge successes with acupuncture, both for fibromyalgia and myofascial pain syndrome. It reduces overall pain, anxiety, fatigue, and "fibro fog" - all of which made individuals much more functional.

Have you had acupuncture? How did it work for you? Is it something you've considered? Leave us your comments!

Acupuncture is worth a try for chronic pain

Below is an excerpt from Harvard Men's Health Watch. We would love to hear your stories and experience with acupuncture for pain.

Chronic pain in the muscles and joints can make life miserable. Standard treatments like ice and heat, anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, and appropriate exercises can often ease the pain. But when they don’t, acupuncture is an option with a good track record that’s worth considering.

Over the years there has been substantial debate about whether acupuncture really works for chronic pain. Research from an international team of experts adds to the evidence that it does provide real relief from common forms of pain. The team pooled the results of 29 studies involving nearly 18,000 participants. Some had acupuncture, some had “sham” acupuncture, and some didn’t have acupuncture at all. Overall, acupuncture relieved pain by about 50%. The results were published in Archives of Internal Medicine.

The study isn’t the last word on the issue, but it is one of the best quality studies to date and has made an impression.

“I think the benefit of acupuncture is clear, and the complications and potential adverse effects of acupuncture are low compared with medication,” says Dr. Lucy Chen, a board-certified anesthesiologist, specialist in pain medicine, and practicing acupuncturist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

How does it work?

Acupuncturists insert hair-thin needles into the skin at specific points around the body. It is virtually painless when done by an experienced practitioner. Inserting the needles is thought to correct imbalances in the flow of energy in the body, called qi (pronounced “chee”). As I write in the April issue of the Harvard Men’s Health Watch, in Western scientific terms acupuncture is thought to ease pain by affecting neurotransmitters, hormone levels, or the immune system.

• How often is acupuncture needed? Plan on weekly treatments until you start to see a benefit, then gradually lengthen the time until the next visit.
• Who administers it? Ideally a trusted, certified provider. You can search for a trained acupuncturist at the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine or by calling the organization at 904-598-1005.

Open House!

One week and counting... will you be joining us for the opening of the year??

Open House for Health On Point!

(psssst - RSVP early and you receive a free gift at the event!)

Week 1 - Grand Re-Opening!

This is our first full week at 325 E Washington Street, Suite 101. Thank you for your patience as we've been busy transforming the office and moving ourselves up the block. Do stop by for a tour and cup of tea!

Our new reception area - the perfect escape from the snow. Settle in here with a mug of tea and you can zone out or have an aromatherapy treatment while you relax.

We invite you to one of our three furnished treatment rooms. There is natural light, plenty of space to stretch your legs, and a warm table for treatment.

Acupuncture an Antidote for Allergies

Hay fever sufferers who underwent 12 acupuncture sessions experienced fewer symptoms and required less antihistamine medication compared to a control group, researchers from Annals of Internal Medicine.

Acupuncture already helps to relieve pain in some patients, and the latest study hints that it might relieve sneezing and itchy eyes as well.

Most patients plagued with sniffles brought on by seasonal allergies turn to antihistamines for relief, but when they don’t get relief, some opt for alternative treatments like acupuncture.

In a study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers examined 422 people who tested positive for pollen allergies and had allergic nasal symptoms such as a runny nose. The participants reported their symptoms as well as what medication and doses they used to treat them. The researchers then divided them into three groups; one received 12 acupuncture treatments and took antihistamines as needed, a second group received 12 fake acupuncture treatments (needles placed at random, non-meaningful points in the body) and took antihistamines as needed, while the final group only took antihistamines for symptoms.

After two months, the researchers asked the patients about their symptoms and how much medication they used. The participants who received the real acupuncture treatments with their antihistamines showed a greater improvement in their allergy symptoms and less use of antihistamines compared to the other groups. 

But if the treatments are providing some type of relief, then acupuncture’s potential role in treating allergies should be investigated further, the authors say. “The effectiveness of acupuncture for [seasonal allergies] compared with other antiallergic interventions and the possible underlying mechanisms of any effect, including context effects, need to be addressed in further research,” they write in the study.

That view is supported by Dr. Remy Coeytaux of the Duke Clinical Research Institute and Dr. Jongbae J. Park of the Regional Center for Neurosensory Disorders and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study. They note that acupuncture’s benefits have started to emerge over the last 15 years and enough high-quality clinical trials support “patient-level meta-analyses for several clinical indications.” They suggest that more rigorous research, which would incoude comparing acupuncture with existing teatments for conditions such as allergies, should be conducted in coming years.

They write:

It may be time to begin asking such questions as: How does acupuncture compare directly with other therapeutic approaches? Which of the many acupuncture traditions or approaches is most effective or appropriate for a given clinical indication? What outcomes or process measures should we be assessing in clinical trials of acupuncture? Is the magnitude of effect, if any, associated with acupuncture for a given clinical indication “worth it” from the perspective of patients, payers, or policymakers?

In the meantime, study author Dr. Benno Brinkhaus of the Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics at Charité University Medical Center in Berlin wrote in an email response describing the study that “From my experience as a physician and acupuncturist, and as a researcher, I would recommend trying acupuncture if patients are not satisfied with the conventional anti-allergic medication or treatment or they suffer from more or less serious sides effects of the conventional medication. Also because acupuncture is a relative safe treatment.”

Share your personal experience with us - what do you think about acupuncture as a way to address seasonal allergies? It's right around the corner....

Acupuncture Petition Reaches its Goal!

We made it!! 

I want to thank everyone who signed the government petition that asks for acupuncturists to be recognized as health care providers under the Social Security Act. 

The Social Security Act recognizes many other health care professionals such as dietitians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse midwives, and clinical social workers. More than 26,000 signatures were collected. I hope this will influence the powers-that-be. If we are included legally as health care providers, it increases the likelihood that Medicare and your insurance will cover your treatments, you will have easier access to acupuncture, and we will all benefit from better wellness care. The first step was fittingly accomplished in the first days of the Chinese New Year.

With gratitude,

Rachel