Acupuncture
Under the pressure of the growing healthcare costs and given the overall complexity of medical approaches to health, patients and individuals are becoming increasingly interested in using the benefits of alternative medicine. Acupuncture has already become one of the most popular alternative means of addressing various forms of health disturbances and complications. More and more patients consider acupuncture as potentially effective, safe, and relatively cheap method of dealing with serious and not very serious health problems. Whether acupuncture can be considered as absolutely safe and reliable means of curing diseases is still a question. Despite its benefits, acupuncture displays a variety of drawbacks that range from various side effects like bruising and bleeding up to worsening symptoms or the lack of effects at all. However, the major cons of acupuncture are the results of non-professionalism or the lack of training and are easy to minimize and predict, as long as acupuncturists have good knowledge of human physiology and the basic safety measures, and can carry a high degree of responsibility for their actions.
I cannot say that I am afraid of alternative medicine, but as a person who reads much and is interested in scientific medicine, I have an internal fear of everything unknown or scientifically unreliable. I am used to believe that traditional medicine is the basic and the most effective approach to health, and I view alternative medicine as the ultimate source of professional help. However, acupuncture has proved to be a good instrument of pain relief despite my safety concerns, acupuncture never gave me anything but comfort. Although acupuncture is not without its problems, these are mostly the results of non-professionalism and are easy to predict, as long as acupuncturists have a good knowledge and skills and can carry responsibility for their actions.
That acupuncture is one of the oldest and the most effective forms of alternative medicine is difficult to deny. Thousands of patients face the need to reconsider traditional medical approaches to their health and seek opportunities to engage in more effective and alternatively safer methods of health improvement. Acupuncture works through fine needles, which are inserted into acupuncture points that have to stimulate different body functions, organs, and reactions (British Medical Association 39). The safety and overall effectiveness of acupuncture are still a matter of the hot professional debate thousands of medical professionals argue whether the use of acupuncture in treating various diseases is justified. Despite its potential benefits, acupuncture has a number of cons, among which (1) the risks of physical injuries (2) infections (3) adverse reactions like drowsiness and bleeding (4) worsening symptoms and (5) the lack of effects at all.
Acupuncture is associated with the risks of physical injuries that are either caused by broken needles or result of improper utilization of the basic acupuncture techniques. British Medical Association claims that insertion of needles into the thorax, particularly the intercostal spaces, paraspinal areas and supraclavicular regions can result in the puncture of the pleura and the lung parenchyma, and is potentially fatal (40). Other injuries may include cardiovascular trauma, vein thrombosis, and nerve damage retained needles are not rare (British Medical Association 40). However, these fears and assumptions are at least wrong, taking into account that such risks are easy to avoid if acupuncturists have professional training and appropriate knowledge of human physiology. In the context of traumas and potential safety risks, traditional medicine is no less dangerous than acupuncture, and injuries in acupuncture are just a matter of professionalism and training. Infections often become another acupuncture problem because of its invasive nature, acupuncture is believed to spread various infections, from hepatitis and HIV up to bacterial infections (British Medical Association 40). These, again, are the results of non-professionalism and irresponsibility, because infections in acupuncture are easy to avoid by using proper sterilization techniques or pre-sterile disposable needles.
Everything is more difficult with the adverse effects, which acupuncture may cause in patients drowsiness, bleeding, changing sleep, appetite, and urination, as well as worsening symptoms or the absence of effects at all altogether create a vision of acupuncture as of unreliable and even dangerous alternative technique. British Medical Association reports drowsiness, bleeding, bruising, depression, increased pain, and insomnia among the most frequent adverse effects in acupuncture (42). However, whenever professionals in traditional medicine claim acupuncture to be dangerous and even undesirable, they readily forget about the side effects and adverse reactions which traditional medicine tends to produce on human health. Traditional medical preparations often produce multiple adverse effects on human health, and these adverse reactions are easy to mediate by using proper combinations of medicines and or by choosing a preparation that is most appropriate for the patient. In the same way, adverse effects in acupuncture are easy to avoid if acupuncturists have knowledge and training necessary to evaluate the effects, which acupuncture will produce on patients who already take orthodox drugs. Acupuncturists should have some awareness of drugs that cause drowsiness, since overall drowsiness experienced by the patient after acupuncture treatment may be exacerbated (British Medical Association 44). By studying medical histories of their patients, acupuncturists can predict and minimize different adverse reactions. Even if patients do not perceive any visible effects of acupuncture on their health, that does not mean that acupuncture is necessarily negative or absolutely ineffective. Acupuncture can be a good, effective, reliable, and safe method of alternative healing, as long as acupuncturists have appropriate training and education and carry a high degree of responsibility for their professional actions.
Acupuncture is included into the list of the most popular techniques in alternative medicine. Acupuncture works through the fine needles, which are inserted in acupuncture points and which, in their turn, activate various functions and reactions in human organism. Infections, injuries, adverse reactions, worsening effects, or the absence of effects at all are claimed among the most serious negative sides of acupuncture. However, all these cons of acupuncture are easy to predict, minimize, and reduce if acupuncturists have appropriate knowledge of human physiology and the basic safety measures, and carry a high degree of responsibility for their actions.
I cannot say that I am afraid of alternative medicine, but as a person who reads much and is interested in scientific medicine, I have an internal fear of everything unknown or scientifically unreliable. I am used to believe that traditional medicine is the basic and the most effective approach to health, and I view alternative medicine as the ultimate source of professional help. However, acupuncture has proved to be a good instrument of pain relief despite my safety concerns, acupuncture never gave me anything but comfort. Although acupuncture is not without its problems, these are mostly the results of non-professionalism and are easy to predict, as long as acupuncturists have a good knowledge and skills and can carry responsibility for their actions.
That acupuncture is one of the oldest and the most effective forms of alternative medicine is difficult to deny. Thousands of patients face the need to reconsider traditional medical approaches to their health and seek opportunities to engage in more effective and alternatively safer methods of health improvement. Acupuncture works through fine needles, which are inserted into acupuncture points that have to stimulate different body functions, organs, and reactions (British Medical Association 39). The safety and overall effectiveness of acupuncture are still a matter of the hot professional debate thousands of medical professionals argue whether the use of acupuncture in treating various diseases is justified. Despite its potential benefits, acupuncture has a number of cons, among which (1) the risks of physical injuries (2) infections (3) adverse reactions like drowsiness and bleeding (4) worsening symptoms and (5) the lack of effects at all.
Acupuncture is associated with the risks of physical injuries that are either caused by broken needles or result of improper utilization of the basic acupuncture techniques. British Medical Association claims that insertion of needles into the thorax, particularly the intercostal spaces, paraspinal areas and supraclavicular regions can result in the puncture of the pleura and the lung parenchyma, and is potentially fatal (40). Other injuries may include cardiovascular trauma, vein thrombosis, and nerve damage retained needles are not rare (British Medical Association 40). However, these fears and assumptions are at least wrong, taking into account that such risks are easy to avoid if acupuncturists have professional training and appropriate knowledge of human physiology. In the context of traumas and potential safety risks, traditional medicine is no less dangerous than acupuncture, and injuries in acupuncture are just a matter of professionalism and training. Infections often become another acupuncture problem because of its invasive nature, acupuncture is believed to spread various infections, from hepatitis and HIV up to bacterial infections (British Medical Association 40). These, again, are the results of non-professionalism and irresponsibility, because infections in acupuncture are easy to avoid by using proper sterilization techniques or pre-sterile disposable needles.
Everything is more difficult with the adverse effects, which acupuncture may cause in patients drowsiness, bleeding, changing sleep, appetite, and urination, as well as worsening symptoms or the absence of effects at all altogether create a vision of acupuncture as of unreliable and even dangerous alternative technique. British Medical Association reports drowsiness, bleeding, bruising, depression, increased pain, and insomnia among the most frequent adverse effects in acupuncture (42). However, whenever professionals in traditional medicine claim acupuncture to be dangerous and even undesirable, they readily forget about the side effects and adverse reactions which traditional medicine tends to produce on human health. Traditional medical preparations often produce multiple adverse effects on human health, and these adverse reactions are easy to mediate by using proper combinations of medicines and or by choosing a preparation that is most appropriate for the patient. In the same way, adverse effects in acupuncture are easy to avoid if acupuncturists have knowledge and training necessary to evaluate the effects, which acupuncture will produce on patients who already take orthodox drugs. Acupuncturists should have some awareness of drugs that cause drowsiness, since overall drowsiness experienced by the patient after acupuncture treatment may be exacerbated (British Medical Association 44). By studying medical histories of their patients, acupuncturists can predict and minimize different adverse reactions. Even if patients do not perceive any visible effects of acupuncture on their health, that does not mean that acupuncture is necessarily negative or absolutely ineffective. Acupuncture can be a good, effective, reliable, and safe method of alternative healing, as long as acupuncturists have appropriate training and education and carry a high degree of responsibility for their professional actions.
Acupuncture is included into the list of the most popular techniques in alternative medicine. Acupuncture works through the fine needles, which are inserted in acupuncture points and which, in their turn, activate various functions and reactions in human organism. Infections, injuries, adverse reactions, worsening effects, or the absence of effects at all are claimed among the most serious negative sides of acupuncture. However, all these cons of acupuncture are easy to predict, minimize, and reduce if acupuncturists have appropriate knowledge of human physiology and the basic safety measures, and carry a high degree of responsibility for their actions.
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