I sometimes wonder if prescription drug companies and Acupuncturists live in parallel universes. In one universe, a patient walks into their primary care physician’s office hoping to leave with a prescription that will solve a problem. In the other, a patient walks into an Acupuncture office hoping to avoid needing another prescription! Both are looking for the same thing; they want to feel better. However, the conversations afterward can be remarkably different.
If you watch television for more than ten minutes, it is difficult to avoid seeing the prescription drug commercials. They begin with smiling people spending time doing outdoor activities such as boating, gardening, or strolling on a beach. The mirage is that their aching joints and high cholesterol have suddenly disappeared forever. You begin thinking, “Maybe I should ask my doctor about that.” Not so fast. The announcer begins reading the list of side effects at the speed of a New York auctioneer. “Side effects may include dizziness, nausea, headaches, insomnia, constipation, heart attack, stroke, death…” The possible side effects became increasingly more serious and intimidating. By the time the commercial ends, you have completely forgotten what the medication was supposed to treat. Instead, you are relieved you do not have the side effects!
Every time I hear one of those commercials, I cannot help but laugh because my conversations with my Acupuncture patients, and the ensuing “side effects” from their treatments, are quite the opposite! Patients often come in with chief complaints such as back pain, stiff neck, or migraine headaches which have become a regular part of their life. After a few Acupuncture treatments, I ask some questions to review their medical history, and ask how they are feeling? Frequently they are happy to report that the original chief complaint that brought them to my office has improved dramatically. The conversation does not end there. They say that something else happened. I have learned over the years that whenever a patient follows with this, I should simply sit back and listen. A 54 year old women originally came in with a stiff neck that felt like concrete resulting from years of sitting at a computer. After several treatments she was eager to explain that her neck is better, but that’s not the surprising part. She smiled and said, “I’ve been sleeping through the night, I forgot what that felt like.”
An 83 year old male sought treatment for chronic knee pain. After several visits he looked at me and said, “My wife told me to thank you. She says I don’t snore nearly as much anymore, I’m not falling asleep in my recliner every evening, and apparently I’m a lot more pleasant to be around.”
A 34 year old patient presented with chronic migraines. After a few weeks she walked into my office with a puzzled expression. “I think something is wrong,” she said. Those words always get my attention. “My headaches are almost gone, and my hot flashes are better too! I did not even tell you to focus on that.”
The body has an interesting way of reminding us that everything is connected. It does not separate itself into neat little compartments the way medical specialties often do. When one system begins functioning more efficiently, other systems improve as well. This is especially apparent in the mind: body connection. Acupuncture is Science based medicine, and not magic. Although many of my patients would argue that there is some magic sprinkled in it. While every patient responds differently, after many years in practice, I have stopped being surprised when patients tell me they came in for one problem and leave noticing improvements in several others. This includes: Better sleep. More energy. Less stress. Improved digestion. A calmer outlook. Even family members often notice the difference before the patient does. A spouse accompanying her husband during treatments recently told me, “Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. I have my husband back.”
The side effects from Acupuncture are the good ones. Where all systems begin improving. Where your mood is noticeably calmer. This is a far cry from what you hear during the list of prescription drug side effects during that tv commercial. I am not criticizing modern medicine. Prescription medications have saved countless lives, and there are many situations where they are absolutely necessary. I refer patients to physicians regularly, and I believe the best healthcare happens when practitioners work together. But I do find it amusing that one form of treatment often requires pages of warnings about what might go wrong, while another frequently has patients telling me about unexpected things that went right! If Acupuncture commercials were required to list side effects, perhaps they would sound something like this: “Warning. You may sleep better than you have in years. Your family may notice you are less irritable. You might wake up with more energy, have fewer headaches, digest your meals more comfortably, and rediscover what it feels like to relax and let go of that stress you have been holding forever.” I am guessing the legal department would not object too much to that disclaimer.
In my practice I encourage my patients to understand that health is not simply the absence of pain. It is waking up refreshed instead of feeling exhausted. It is enjoying dinner without having to focus on your discomfort. It is having enough energy to play with your grandchildren. It is finding yourself smiling more often without quite knowing why. Those improvements rarely make headlines, yet they make life worth living.
Every week someone leaves AcuZen Wellness Center saying, I came in for a specific pain syndrome, but I just feel better overall! As an Acupuncturist, I never grow tired of hearing those words. The best side effects are not the negative ones you fear, but the positive ones you never even expected. As opposed to the awful negative side effects of certain medications, in this parallel universe, when it comes to Acupuncture, the incredible beneficial side effects are welcome! If feeling better in more ways than just your initial chief complaint is considered a side effect, then it is time we stopped worrying about the frightening ones we see during commercial breaks and start looking forward to the incredible side effects Acupuncture has to offer.