Transcription:
Acupuncture 101: What it is and why do it?

Maggie McKay: Acupuncture is becoming increasingly popular, both in alternative and mainstream clinical settings. Today, our guest is Dr. Allison Becker, who will discuss acupuncture 101, what it is and why do it.

Welcome to Stoughton Health Talk. I'm Maggie McKay. Thank you for being here, Dr. Becker, and sharing your expertise with us. I have so many questions. But first, can you please introduce yourself?

Allison Becker, ND: Sure. Thanks for having me, Maggie. My name's Dr. Allison Becker. I am a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist, and I've been practicing in Southern Wisconsin for 16 years.

Maggie McKay: I can't wait to find out more about what it is and all the miracles it works, acupuncture's origin and what science knows about how it works. So to start, what is acupuncture?

Allison Becker, ND: Sure. So, acupuncture is one of the branches of Chinese medical system. The Chinese medical system is the oldest medical system on the planet, it's several thousand years old. And acupuncture has been used in China for everything from the common cold to cancer for thousands of years. And here in our country, acupuncture started to kind of get a foothold in the '70s in California where there started to be some research done on the effectiveness of acupuncture and low back pain. Those were some of the initial studies done on acupuncture. People have grown in their awareness of acupuncture and how beneficial it is not just for pain, but for other conditions as well. And scientific studies have now demonstrated that as well.

Acupuncture itself, I'll describe it a little bit to you. For those who might not have any idea, acupuncture is the insertion of very, very small hair-like thin needles into various points on the body. There are 360 some acupuncture points on the body, and they all have different functions. Some of them stimulate the immune system. Others calm the mind. Others relieve pain. They all have different functions. And when you study acupuncture, you learn where all those points are and then what the point prescriptions are for different conditions.

Maggie McKay: Can it prevent disease?

Allison Becker, ND: That's an interesting question. I think that, traditionally, it's been used more to address an issue, right? And here in our country, that's certainly how I see people come to me, is when they have a problem that they need help with. However, oftentimes, if somebody comes to me and they're having pain or maybe they're recovering from an injury, shoulder injury or stroke or various things, we'll do the acupuncture and it helps, tremendously helps in their healing, speeds their healing. And then, the person also recognizes, "You know what? I just feel better doing this? I feel more calm. I feel like I can sleep better. I've got more energy. Can I just keep doing this?"

So, I do have people that come every month or so. I have some people I've seen for 15 years that have come every month for their tuneup. We call it their tuneup. And there are protocols that are like that. They're sort of wellness and preventative protocols that just help strengthen the body's resilience and help calm the mind and keep everything in balance. So, it can be used preventatively like that, yes.

Maggie McKay: That sounds like a good way to go. If somebody's squeamish about needles, how do you relieve their fear on that one? What do you tell them on what to expect?

Allison Becker, ND: Well, acupuncture needles are very, very different than a blood draw needle or a needle that would be giving an injection. They're very small. And oftentimes, they're even silicon-coated, so they slide into the skin very, very easily. Oftentimes, people don't even feel them, or if they do feel them, it might feel like a little bit of a bug bite. You know, it's very, very different than people's normal sort of relationship with needles in a medical setting.

Often, I have had a lot of people who are squeamish about needles or have needle phobias and we go really slowly. I let them guide the treatment in terms of what they're comfortable with, right? So, we may do a very only a few needles to begin with. And then, a lot of times they don't want to watch, right? They don't want to see the needles. And that's fine. I just let them go at their pace and try not to push them. And people are surprised at how they can get a different, a new relationship to needles, to acupuncture needles. Now, it's not necessarily going to change how they feel about blood draws, but it's a different relationship. Yeah.

Maggie McKay: I loved it. I couldn't believe how I didn't even feel it. I didn't look but, boy, was it beneficial. I was completely sold on it the first time I did it, and it did not hurt. But you touched on back pain a little bit earlier and some other things, but can you explain what types of conditions you find acupuncture are most useful for? Who benefits the most from it?

Allison Becker, ND: Sure. So, I mean, the sort of best way to look at that is what's been demonstrated in the science. So, there are studies that demonstrate that it's beneficial not only for back pain, but also stroke recovery, recovery from injury, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, golfers elbow, tennis elbow, those kinds of things. I find it really beneficial for post-knee replacement, post-hip replacement. Acupuncture can really decrease scar formation and increase blood flow to the area and really speeding healing in that way.

In my practice, I also use it for helping with menopausal issues, balancing hormones, infertility, sleep, anxiety. I mean, there's so many reasons why a person could get benefit from acupuncture. And I will say, Maggie, that not everybody gets benefit from acupuncture. It's like any tool in the toolbox. Not every drug works the same way in different people's bodies. And it's the same way with acupuncture. Some people, it works incredibly well for everything. Some people, it works well for some things. And some people, it doesn't help. So, it's really just like any tool. That's the same how it is in any medical tool. And it's important for people to understand that they kind of give a trial of treatments, see how they respond, and then reevaluate.

Maggie McKay: Dr. Becker, are there any side effects to acupuncture?

Allison Becker, ND: Just feeling good.

Maggie McKay: Well, that's a good one. We like that.

Allison Becker, ND: No. Honestly, I mean there are potential side effects. Certainly, you can get bruising from the needle. You could theoretically get nerve damage. I have given thousands of treatments and I've never seen that. So, there are some potential side effects like that, but they're very rare.

On a rare occasion, someone might get really lightheaded or feel kind of spacey after a treatment. I always tell people, especially when it's the first time that they've had a treatment, I tell them to just wait, to sit out in the waiting room, have a glass of water and just kind of reacclimate into the rest of the world because acupuncture itself is very calming, it's very relaxing, and it kind of removes you from the hustle and bustle of all day long. And it puts you in a very healthy place for your nervous system, but can also be a big shift for people so those are the people that can tend to be a little foggy or spacey or lightheaded afterwards. And I just have them drink a glass of water, walk around a little bit, and then they feel better.

Maggie McKay: What was your inspiration for getting into this practice?

Allison Becker, ND: I love this question because I get to tell you about the other thing that I love, is I love animals and thought I was going to be a vet when I was a kid. They're a really big part of my life. And when I was in naturopathic medical school, I worked at a veterinary clinic on the weekends in Portland, Oregon and that clinic had acupuncturists. The veterinarians were acupuncturists. And people would literally carry in their dogs, their old arthritic dogs, and the dogs would get acupuncture, and then the dogs would walk out of the clinic. And I was amazed and I just said, "I don't know what's going on in there, but I want to be able to do that for people. I want to be able to help people like that." And so, that's when I started doing my program and I did a master's program in Chinese Medicine in Portland.

Maggie McKay: That's awesome. So, what is the one takeaway, one or two, that you would like people listening to take from this conversation we've had today about acupuncture?

Allison Becker, ND: I love your questions about the needles because a lot of people think it's scary. Acupuncture is not scary. It's actually very relaxing. And I think that surprises a lot of people. It's also effective. A lot of people ask me, "Does it work?" And they don't realize that actually this is a modality that's been happening for thousands of years on the planet. And if it didn't work, it wouldn't stay, right? You know, this works. Most of the time, it works.

So, I encourage people to try it, particularly if they have some of those conditions that we were talking about. But certainly ask their medical provider about it. I love it. I've been starting to get referrals from neurologists and sports medicine docs and there are definitely a lot more physicians that are recognizing that this is a drugless therapy that has very low risk of side effect, that is relatively affordable, often covered by insurance that people should be able to try to see if it helps them.

Maggie McKay: So, if someone would like to find out more or make an appointment with you, where would they go?

Allison Becker, ND: Sure. You can call our clinic at 608-882-1388.

Maggie McKay: Dr. Becker, thank you so much for sharing your expertise on acupuncture and enlightening us on its history, its usefulness, and that the needles really don't hurt, and it works. Thank you.

Allison Becker, ND: Thank you. Thanks for inviting me today.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not serve as an endorsement.

Maggie McKay: You can also visit stoughtonhealth.com. That's S-T-O-U-G-H-T-O-N health.com. That concludes this episode of Stoughton Health Talk. Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast and all the other Stoughton Health Talk podcasts. I'm Maggie McKay. Be well.