Is Acupuncture, or community acupuncture, going to be effective in treating the conditions that you may be suffering from? There are many angles to answer this question from, the least of which is the previous blog “How much acupuncture will I need“.
Before we can talk about effectiveness, we need to define it! We should probably also separate out effectiveness, efficacy, and efficiency, as done in this wonderful post.
Effectiveness is the ability of an intervention to have a meaningful effect on patients in normal clinical conditions.
Next, what are we actually treating? Individual conditions, a whole person, and/or a person enmeshed in a complex system of the social determinants of health? Our general answer to that is yes! We offer treatments that attempt to get to the point, but also relax and regulate the entire person, and then offer enough treatments so the entire ecosystem inside them and around them can begin to change.
Some people think community acupuncture is about giving peoplehope. Some people think it’s about the cumulative effect of offering a safe space for people to unwind amidst the whirlwind of activites in life. Others are more specific in treating TCM patterns or Western labelled diseases.
Do you feel a “meaningful effect” when you receive acupuncture? Do you feel a little better, less pain? Do you sleep better, smile a bit more, or have the foundational juice to process what is needed to be processed? We are aware of the science behind acupuncture and the studies indicating it works for many conditions, but we are more interested in how it is effective for you. Leave us a comment about how acupuncture has helped you.
Recently, we’ve had good luck treating shoulder trigger points, anxiety, sciatica, and neck pain.
To learn more, you can look at Evidence Based Acupuncture’s summary.