Acupuncture

Overview

Experienced physicians and licensed acupuncturists at Mayo Clinic perform acupuncture to treat various conditions. Acupuncture can be helpful as a stand-alone treatment to provide pain relief, as well as to help maintain general health and well-being, increase energy and improve mood in healthy individuals.

Specialists at Mayo Clinic recognize that complementary and alternative medicine treatments such as acupuncture can help promote physical, mental and spiritual wellness. Mayo has created a new specialty (Complementary and Integrative Medicine) to blend the best of both worlds — conventional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine. Mayo Clinic professionals integrate acupuncture and conventional treatments to help a patient balance mind, body and spirit.

Types

Mayo Clinic offers these acupuncture techniques:

• Manual stimulation: Needles are gently twisted by hand after placement
• Heat and electrical stimulation: Needles are gently stimulated with a safe, low current of electricity and/or heat after placement

Acupuncture usually is done in a series of weekly or biweekly treatments. Each visit typically includes an exam and assessment of the patient's condition, needle therapy and a discussion of self-care tips. A visit generally lasts from 30 to 60 minutes.

Mayo's acupuncture providers try to ensure that each patient is comfortable and familiar with the procedure before treatment sessions begin. Sessions are tailored to the patient's needs, concerns and diagnosis.

• Treatment in Arizona
• Treatment in Florida
• Treatment in Minnesota

About Acupuncture

Acupuncture, one of the world's oldest medical therapies, originated in China more than 5,000 years ago. Acupuncture therapy involves inserting hair-thin needles through the skin at key body points and in various combinations. The goal is to achieve medical benefits such as pain relief or pain reduction without medications. Needles stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue at selected points, which may boost the body's natural painkillers and increase blood circulation.

Research suggests that acupuncture may work by regulating the body's nervous system, encouraging the release of endorphins (chemicals that act as natural painkillers) and adjusting immune cell function. Acupuncture also may alter brain chemicals and hormones that control blood pressure, blood flow and body temperature regulation.

When performed properly, acupuncture is safe and has few side effects. The therapy can help control certain types of pain and is a potential alternative when a patient does not respond to pain medications or prefers not to take them.

Research indicates that acupuncture may help alleviate:

• Neck and back pain
• Headache
• Fibromyalgia
• Depression
• Migraine headaches
• Infertility
• Osteoarthritis

In the United States, more than 3,000 physicians and 11,000 acupuncturists perform acupuncture.

Read more about acupuncture at MayoClinic.com.