Point of care

CEBU, Philippines - Acupuncture is an ancient system of treating and preventing disease, developed in China. According to acupuncturist Dr. Jefferson Huan Ong, of Point of Care Acupuncture Clinic at Winland Tower, the “practice has at least 4,000 years of history and is based on the balance of the vital energy of the body called qi (pronounced chee).”

In my health case, for example, I shared with Dr. Ong how this numbness in my right hand has been bothering me since I was on my last term of pregnancy in 2007. The tingling sensation becomes annoying because it shoots up every time I’m indulged in household chores. Add to that the fact that I’m not ambidextrous, so the health issue becomes a burden to a right-handed person. Such situation has sent me suspecting that it could be a case of “aging nerves”, if not poor to blood circulation brought about by clogged veins.

Dr. Ong then asked me about any history of hypertension; this, I couldn’t ascertain because I failed to heed my obstetrician-gynecologist’s advice to have my blood pressure managed after giving birth via CS in 2007.

I submitted to the treatment session for the sake of coverage, I must admit. Only to realize, hours later, that this turned out to be a testimonial. I am not completely healed, though, because the procedure requires more than a session. But thanks to Dr. Ong, I somehow felt relief!

He corrected me by saying that there is no such thing as aging nerves. There’s just the imbalance of the flow of qi through the body.

“It follows consistent pathways through the body, connecting the outer skin and muscles to inner organs. By inserting very thin sterile needles into the skin and underlying tissues, a well-trained acupuncturist can manipulate the flow of qi and improve the target health issue,” this was learned from him.

How does acupuncture treat disease?

Diseases are generally classified as excess or deficiency of qi. The manipulation of qi along its pathways in the body allows the physician to regulate its flow, reducing excesses and increasing the deficient. Obstructed pathways which are usually responsible for pain are also freed through manipulations. An herb called moxa from the Mugwort plant is sometimes heated over the acupoint to increase positive energy. This is especially useful in diseases where pain has been present for a long time (e.g. arthritis, spondylosis, disc diseases, etcetera).

Is it painful?

The insertion of the needle is hardly perceivable because of the very thin gauge of the needle used. When the needle contacts the acupoint, there may be one of a number of sensations around the area. Feelings such as numbness, tingling, heat or cold, heaviness or a sensation of electricity passing through the limb may be felt. This is called the “arrival of qi” and is directly related to the benefit that can be derived from the acupuncture session.

About the needles

Point of Care Acupuncture Clinic uses only the best quality, factory-sterilized, stainless steel needles which are single-use. In other words, needles are never reused or resterilized. This is in keeping with universal biological safety standards to avoid communication of infection. Further, needles are near hair-thin and very flexible. These qualities are important to minimize bleeding, decrease painful needling and avoid breakage. The lengths vary according to the area of the body where they are to be applied. Every client is advised to ask the acupuncturist to show these interesting pieces of equipment first, whose historical design goes back to the very beginning of Far East Asian civilization.

What diseases can be treated with acupuncture?

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that all diseases can be treated using acupuncture because the qi affects everything in the body. However, the World Health Organization has listed the following medical conditions approved to benefit from acupuncture: Lower back pain, neck pain/stiffness, sciatica, elbow joint problem, knee pain, periarthritis of the shoulder, sprains, facial pain, headache, dental pain, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, rheumatoid arthritis, induction of labor, correction of malposition of fetus (breech presentation), morning sickness/dizziness, nausea and vomiting, pain after surgery, stroke, essential hypertension, primary hypotension, renal colic, leukopenia, adverse reactions to radiation or chemotherapy, allergic rhenitis, including hay fever; biliary colic, depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke); acute diarrhea, primary dysmenorrhea, acute abdominal pain, peptic ulcer, and acute and chronic gastritis.

Acupuncture is the most widely accepted form of traditional medicine in the world; so much so that the WHO approved it as among the first component of its Traditional Medicine efforts which is hoped to tap into other methods of treating disease to alleviate cost of modern drugs.

How many times does a patient need to come back for the treatment?

On average, the initial phase will usually require a minimum of eight sessions though it may require more in some chronic or severe conditions. There will be a reevaluation of one’s case at the end of the initial phase so the frequency and duration of the maintenance phase can be determined. (This writer was told not to drink cold water or beverage within the four hours after the session.)

How long does a session take?

Usually a session will take 30 minutes. Some techniques employed by the acupuncturist may require only a short duration or may require a more prolonged session. The acupuncturist will inform client of his intention to use prolonged methods so the client can prepare his/her schedule ahead.

Are there any side effects?

Unlike conventional medicine, acupuncture does not involve chemicals to change the function of the body. This reduces the possibility of side effects. In general, adverse reactions from acupuncture may involve local bruising, residual sensations such as heaviness or mild numbness may be around for a few days but are easily managed by alternate warm and cold compresses to increase the blood flow to the affected area.

What are the qualifications of this clinic’s acupuncturist?

The acupuncturist is a trained physician, duly licensed by the Professional Regulations Commission to practice medicine in the Philippines. In addition, Dr. Ong has received thorough and rigid training in the principles, techniques and safety standards in the practice of Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion.

Acupuncture and electronic implants

Plain acupuncture without the use of electricity (electroacupuncture) does not in any way disturb the function of electronic medical appliances such as cardiac pacemakers. The acupuncturist will take a thorough history and avoid the use of electricity whenever it is contraindicated.

Acupuncture and surgery

While acupuncture is completely compatible with surgery especially in the management of pain, certain procedures that alter the internal anatomy drastically should be noted by the acupuncturist to avoid puncturing structures such as AV fistulae created for hemodialysis.

“Post-scription”

Acupuncture is safe to combine with most modern medicines and maintenance medications should be continued even while undergoing.