from the foods we eat. The third (and possibly the
most important) source of ch’icomes directly from
the environment. A certain amount of ch’i is
absorbed from our surroundings and taken into the
body and the meridian system via the acupuncture
points themselves. Acupoints appear to function
like tiny energy pores in the skin that absorb this
unique environmental subtle energy directly into
the meridians, where it is then distributed to the
organs of the body.” Gerber further explains that
the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine on
illness is that ch’i becomes imbalanced, and
acupuncture is one way to rebalance the flow of
ch’i energy to whatever organ or bodily structure is
dysfunctional.
“The acupuncture points located on the skin
also seem to function like miniature electrical relay
stations along a vast power line, helping to main-
tain the flow of energy along each meridian,” Ger-
ber wrote; that concept, he believes, requires “a
great leap in thinking beyond the limited biomech-
anistic paradigm of traditional medicine.”
Although many traditional practitioners argue
that acupuncture treatment for pain, despite its
anecdotal success, has more of a placebo effect
(which can be extremely powerful) than an actual
physical repair result, an expert consensus panel of
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1997
agreed from certain studies that acupuncture treat-
ments did relieve nausea and vomiting associated
with pregnancy, chemotherapy, and anesthesia;
reduced pain after dental surgery; and helped alle-
viate pain caused by osteoarthritis, headache,
carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, asthma, and
other conditions. Acupuncture is also reported to
have positive results in the treatment of addiction
withdrawal and in the course of rehabilitation for
stroke patients. In addition, the World Health
Organization (WHO) reported that sinusitis, the
common cold, tonsillitis, eye inflammation, near-
sightedness, duodenal ulcer and other gastroin-
testinal disorders, trigeminal neuralgia, Ménière’s
disease, tennis elbow, sciatica, rheumatoid condi-
tions, menstrual cramps, radiation illness and other
types of environmental poisoning, and speech
aphasia may also be treated with acupuncture.
The book Alternative Medicine: The Definitive Guide
(Celestial Arts, Berkeley, Calif., 2002), says that in
1997, “acupuncture’s credibility as a viable medical
treatment was bolstered by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), which reclassified the
acupuncture needle from ‘experimental’ to ‘med-
ical device’ status, thereby acknowledging that the
acupuncture needle is a safe and effective medical
instrument.... The FDA estimates that Americans
make 9–12 million visits per year to acupuncturists
and spend as much as $500 million on acupuncture
treatments annually.... In the 1970s, under a
grant from the NIH, Robert O. Becker, M.D., and
the biophysicist Maria Reichmanis were able to
prove that electrical currents did indeed flow along
the ancient Chinese meridians and that 25% of the
acupuncture points existed along those scientifi-
cally measurable lines. They reasoned that these
points acted as amplifiers to boost the minute elec-
trical signals as they traveled along the body, and
that the insertion of a needle could interfere with
that flow and thus block the stimulus of pain.”
The volume also cited acupuncture as an effec-
tive treatment for neck pain, and that a study was
conducted with nearly 200 patients suffering from
chronic neck pain. Each patient received a half-
hour acupuncture treatment five times a week for
three weeks; acupuncture proved effective, espe-
cially for those who had experienced neck pain for
more than five years or who had myofascial pain
syndrome (caused by tension in the muscles).
Another study, of more than 20,000 patients at the
University of California at Los Angeles, indicated
that acupuncture lessened the frequency and
intensity of migraine and tension headaches.
In general, there are no medical conditions that
would preclude the use of acupuncture as a treat-
ment modality, and no known side effects, with the
exception of infection resulting from improperly
sterilized needles or treatment by an incompetent
practitioner. Patients may request disposable nee-
dles to eliminate the sterilization issue. For individ-
uals who have a fear of needles, there are laser
acupuncture, which uses laser beams instead of
needles; ultrasound and light-therapy acupunc-
ture, which use sound waves and light waves in
lieu of needles; and electroacupuncture, which
uses small electrical currents to stimulate acu-
points. An additional technique, called cupping,
involves the use of glass, metal, wood, or bambooacupuncture 3