Is Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Right For Me?

Effectiveness

Acupuncture has been part of healthcare for millions of people over thousands of years. More recently modern scientific standards have been applied to assessing the effectiveness of acupuncture. After considerable research, the Nation Institutes of Health (NIH) and The World Health Organization (WHO) released statements regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture. In 1997, the NIH Consensus Development Statement confirmed that acupuncture may be useful as an adjunctive or alternative treatment for stroke, headache, tennis elbow, post-op nausea and vomiting, osteoarthritis, the effects of chemotherapy and many other conditions. In the 2003 Acupuncture Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials, WHO published a list of over 100 conditions for which acupuncture may be useful.

Safety

We use only single use, disposable stainless steel needles. The seal on the needles are always opened in front of the patient, and the needles are disposed of in biohazard containers in each room. In a recent study of 34,000 acupuncture treatments reported in the British Medical Journal, only 43 minor adverse reactions were reported, such as minor bruising, and NO serious adverse events were noted.

Acupuncture is Effective.

Studies have shown that patients do not have to believe in its effectiveness for it to work. However, to be effective acupuncture must be performed by an acupuncturist who has both adequate educational background and experience (and skill). With acupuncture, the more experience the Doctor has, the better his or her skills will be.

Afraid of Needles?

Unlike hypodermic needles, which are hollow and large enough to carry a fluid, acupuncture needles are solid and extremely thin. In fact, the needles are almost the same thickness as a human hair. The needles sometimes cause a small pinching sensation, but this subsides after a couple of seconds. Most acupuncture needles are not felt at all by the patients.

If you have a fear of needles, discuss this with the Doctor. We do have alternative treatments. In addition, we can test a less sensitive spot so that you become much more comfortable with acupuncture. All of our patients quickly get comfortable with acupuncture needles. Most patients tell us they look forward to their acupuncture treatment sessions, as they actually find the experience quite relaxing.

Further Questions?

Check out our FAQ to review answers to other common questions. If you would like to speak directly to us, we would be delighted to help answer your questions. We can be reached at 416-532-9094 or info@totalwellnesscentre.ca.


We use only single use, disposable, sterile needles. Your safety is our greatest concern.