Relieving pain with acupuncture
Treating ailments with targeted needling - followers of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have sworn by it for over 5,000 years. But our own medicine is now also increasingly relying on acupuncture. Dr. Arnim Gleichmann, orthopaedic surgeon from Braunschweig and member of the German Orthopaedics Network DON, knows when it helps.
Interview: Dr. med. Arnim Gleichmann
What complaints can acupuncture alleviate?
"Acupuncture can be used for almost any kind of pain. We still don't know exactly why treatment with needles is successful. What is clear, however, is that it works. A large, Germany-wide study has shown that it can significantly relieve back pain and headaches as well as knee arthrosis, and reduce the number of days with tension headaches by half. However, acupuncture not only helps with pain, but also with insomnia, nervousness and digestive problems. However, it cannot cure structural changes such as a torn ligament or an underlying disease such as rheumatism."
How long does a therapy session take on average?
"A session lasts around 20 minutes. The trained practitioners usually use twelve to 16 needles per treatment, approximately every 14 days over a period of up to ten weeks. Depending on the type of pain, a refresher treatment may be necessary after a few months."
Does statutory health insurance pay for this?
"Since 2007, statutory health insurance companies in Germany have paid for acupuncture treatment as part of pain therapy, for complaints in the lumbar spine and for osteoarthritis of the knee joint - under certain conditions. For other indications, such as sleep disorders, it usually has to be paid for out of pocket."
Background - how exactly does acupuncture work?
According to TCM, acupuncture needles are used to treat and correct disturbances in the flow of energy: The release of blockages is intended to set the following mechanisms of action in motion:
- Relief of pain
- Release of muscle tension
- Effect on the immune system
- Influence on hormonal cycles
- stimulation of blood circulation
- Decongestant effect
- Effect on the autonomic nervous system
- Balancing effect on the psyche
Acupuncture should therefore not only achieve success in the physical area, but also in the psychological area.
Source: LEA