MODE Weekly is happy to introduce our new Wellness Column, this week courtesy of David Frank, M.D., Medical Director at Pinnacle Health WellQuest – A Collaborative Healing Institute. The Wellness Column will bring health and wellness information to our readers from a variety of medical experts from our region. Direct wellness questions to AskTheDoctor@MODEweekly.com. Responses by contributing doctors will appear regularly in this column.

You’ve heard about it, but you’re reluctant to try it because you remember hiding behind your mother’s leg when the pediatrician came after you with a needle.

Well, it’s time to grow up. Acupuncture is growing in popularity as a treatment for a variety of conditions. The National Institute of Health (NIH) recommends acupuncture for patients with numerous ailments, including: chronic pain, acute pain, back pain, headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, gastrointestinal problems, stroke rehabilitation, addictions, anesthesia, degenerative joint disease, and osteoarthritis.

Acupuncture is an ancient holistic system of medicine that addresses disease within the context of the whole person, rather than by focusing on a particular symptom. Treatment is concerned with restoring balance to the body. Acupuncture addresses the physical, emotional, and mental components of the disease process.

Central to Chinese medicine is the idea of "Qi" (pronounced ‘chee’), which can be thought of as the energy force behind bodily functions and processes. If Qi is in order, health results. When Qi is disrupted by injury, stress, or poor nutrition, the result is pain or disease.

Through thousands of years of observation and testing, the Chinese formulated a system of pathways or meridians that they believed carried the Qi of the body. Each meridian contains a series of points or "gates" which help to control the flow of Qi through the meridians and the organ systems. Acupuncture is the art of using needles to open or close these "gates" in order to restore a state of balance to the body.

The needles used today are sterile, used once and then disposed. The needles are extremely fine, only fractions of a millimeter thick. So fine, in fact, that many people feel very little when the needles are inserted. Individual experiences vary, but within a few minutes of placement, it is not uncommon to feel a warmth, heaviness, or tingling in certain parts of the body. These are all signs that the Qi is moving and the body is balancing. Needles may remain in place for fifteen to thirty minutes depending on the nature of the complaint.

Many people are afraid of needles; you are not alone. But most acupuncture patients actually look forward to their next treatment because the experience is usually positive and pleasant. Sometimes it’s deeply relaxing, other times energizing.

The duration and frequency of treatment depends on the severity of the complaint and whether the condition is new or chronic. Treatment may incorporate other aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine including Chinese herbal remedies, dietary recommendations, exercise, and massage. From the choice of acupuncture points to the prescribing of herbs or massage, an individual treatment plan is as unique as the patient.