Kristin Ebbert Acupuncture - Los Angeles Acupuncturist Explains How Acupuncture Actually Works

THE SCIENCE OF ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture works best when applied to chronic problems that Western medicine has trouble treating effectively or without drugs (and their annoying and often significant side effects). Some prime examples include headache, nausea, addiction, menstrual disorders and menopause, arthritis, sprains, low back pain, asthma and stroke rehabilitation.

How does acupuncture work?
From a Western biomedical perspective, research has shown that acupuncture treatment triggers different physiological responses, such as:

•	Stimulating the immune system and increasing white blood cells, which defend the body against infection
•	Decreasing cholesterol and triglycerides
•	Regulating blood sugar metabolism, which helps the body use energy more efficiently
•	Increasing blood circulation and producing beneficial changes in blood pressure
•	Increasing stomach peristaltic activity and regulating digestive fluids, thereby improving digestion
•	Regulating and stimulating serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is directly related to sleep, appetite, and moods
•	Increasing the availability of receptors in the brain that process and weaken pain signals
•	Affecting both the brain’s short- and long-term ability to reduce pain sensation

News & Research
Chinese acupuncture affects brain's ability to regulate pain, study shows
       University of Michigan Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center (8/10/09)

Acupuncture Provides Relief to Twice as Many People with Low Back Pain as Conventional Therapies
       Reuters (9/25/07)

Chinese Herbs Can Help Control Eczema
       Reuters (8/2/07)

Blood Pressure Changes With Acupuncture Comparable to Those With ACE Inhibitors
       Medscape Medical News (6/15/07)

Acupuncture, Exercise Help Ease Pregnancy Pains
       Reuters Health (5/11/07)

Acupuncture Pins Down Allergy Relief
       FoxNews.com (4/3/07)

Massage and Acupuncture Reduce Pain After Cancer Surgery
       University of California, San Francisco (3/29/07)

Malignant mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. You can learn more about acupuncture as an effective complementary treatment for the nausea and pain associated with cancer at the Mesothelioma Center.

Traditional Chinese Medicine for Multiple Sclerosis
       Seattle Post-Intelligencer (3/21/07)

Dietary Supplements: Unsafe at Certain Doses
       Johns Hopkins Health Alerts (3/14/07)

Acupuncture Benefits Those with Knee Osteoarthritis
       Annals of Internal Medicine (12/21/04)

Neck Pain Reduced by Acupuncture
      New York Times (2004)

Interesting Article on Chinese Herbs
Taking a New Look at an Ancient Tradition:
A handful of companies are mining traditional Chinese medicine for Western-style drugs. Why aren't more?
From The Scientist: Magazine of the Life Sciences (5/9/05)

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is the federal government's lead agency for scientific research on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

In 1997, the NIH issued a consensus report that concluded, “The data in support of acupuncture are as strong as those for many accepted Western Medical therapies. There is sufficient evidence of acupuncture's value to expand its use into conventional medicine and to encourage further studies of its physiology and clinical value.”

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