Many people have turned to acupuncture for health and wellness.
Three people explain to SYLVIA THOMPSON how acupuncture has helped them cope better with health conditions
IN THE past 10 years or so, acupuncture has become one of the most popular and widely accepted treatment approaches outside the conventional medical model in Europe and the United States.
In her book, Alternative Medicine? (Oxford University Press), Roberta Bivins writes that “although acupuncture’s mechanism remained mysterious to Western medicine – and is unexplained in biomedical terms today – it was not deemed as quackery”. She describes waves of popularity from the 1820s to the 1960s.
Recent scientific studies comparing acupuncture to Western medical treatments for various medical conditions (eg post-operative pain, migraine) have also heightened its profile.
And, in Ireland, the recent amalgamation of several professional associations to form two main bodies representing acupuncturists – the Acupuncture Council of Ireland (www.acupuncturecouncil.ie) and the Acupuncture Foundation Professional Association (www.acupro.ie) – has helped give the therapy better professional status.
This month, both organisations are holding public talks, demonstrations and promotions on the use of acupuncture for weight loss and smoking cessation and other conditions (see websites for details).
Below, we talk to three people who use acupuncture as part of their treatment approach for back pain, multiple sclerosis/arthritis and general health maintenance.
Joan Casey (45) is a former engineer who now works as a teacher of English as a second language.
Casey first went to an acupuncturist about 12 years ago after she stopped working in a well paid but highly pressurised job in the corporate sector.
“I was burnt out at the time and going for acupuncture helped me get some clarity about what to do next,” she explains.
“At first, the sessions helped with the exhaustion but then I realised that they also helped me deal with emotional stuff that I hadn’t recognised before. I felt lightened and energised afterwards.”
Over the next five years or so, Casey ran her own organic wine business and turned to acupuncture for support. “It’s easy to drift off track of your own well-being and I found that my acupuncturist, Anna Mary Luttrel, could read where I was at health-wise. I would go to her when things were off balance and then not go again for a few years,” she explains.
In September of last year, Casey returned to her acupuncturist when she felt run down. “I also wanted to give up cigarettes so firstly we worked together to build up my energy levels. I gave up cigarettes four weeks ago and I continue to go for acupuncture once a week to help me adjust to that,” she explains.
Working now as a teacher of English as a second language, Casey is planning to go to Japan for a four-month teaching post.
“Basically, I use acupuncture for health maintenance. I haven’t been to a GP since I started having acupuncture.”
John Brennan (54) works as a farrier in Co Limerick.
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