Acupuncture has been employed as a health care modality for over 2,500 years. Modern science has begun to understand and accept this ancient form of medicine with the support of new studies that are being conducted by leading scientists, hospitals, and medical research facilities all over the world. Today, acupuncture is receiving wide acceptance as a respected, valid and effective form of health care.

According to a study in Archives of Internal Medicine, 51 percent of medical doctors understand the efficacy and value of acupuncture; medical doctors refer patients to acupuncturists more than any other alternative care provider. The 1997 Consensus on Acupuncture from the National Institute of Health stated, "There is sufficient evidence of acupuncture's value to expand its use into conventional medicine."

In addition to its well-known effectiveness in pain control, acupuncture has a proven track record of treating a variety of endocrine, circulatory and systemic conditions.

Hundreds of studies have been done in the last decade supporting the use of acupuncture for a variety of conditions.

• A 2004 study of major depression suggests that electro-acupuncture can produce the same therapeutic results as tetracyclic drugs, but with fewer side effects and better symptomatic improvement.

• A 2003 study showed that acupuncture was effective in the treatment of chronic gastritis, with a 95 percent effectiveness rate.

• A 2003 study showed that acupuncture yields significant results in the treatment of insomnia, with a total effectiveness rate of 90.44 percent.

• A 2008 systematic review suggested that women undergoing IVF were 65 percent more likely to become pregnant when they integrated acupuncture into their normal IVF treatments.

Acupuncture is a safe, effective and natural approach to help regain and maintain health and well-being. When acupuncture and modern medicine are used together, they have the potential to support, strengthen and nurture the body more successfully than medicine alone.

Dr. Wendy is a Certified Acupuncturist. For more information, email Dr. Wendy at [email protected].