The Ancient Medicine We Still Recommend

What do Cher, Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams, and Titan, the world's tallest dog, have in common? They, like more than 20 million Americans and Canadians, are on pins and needles. Acupuncture needles, that is.

This therapy involves inserting hair-thin needles into specific points on the body to treat countless problems, ranging from easing chronic pain and insomnia to reducing the side effects of cancer treatments and helping smokers quit. Acupuncture's been around longer than 60 Minutes has been airing: Archeologists have unearthed 5,000-year-old stone needles in Inner Mongolia.

But we like this popular form of energy medicine because it's backed by an impressive body of 21st-century research. Energy medicine? Yes, it seems to change the electric currents, or nerve impulses, in your body. And acupuncture can often help when drugs can't be tolerated or when conventional treatments fail. It's a team player that works well alongside other treatments -- an integrated approach used successfully for everything from sinusitis and allergies to infertility, asthma, and beyond. One of us -- Mehmet -- even uses acupuncture as an add-on treatment during open-heart surgery, and the other -- Mike -- uses it to treat chronic pain as well as pain and nausea postsurgery.

Here's what acupuncture has been clearly shown to help so far (other studies are ongoing, so expect to see this list grow):

• Peaceful sleep. Just months ago, a Hong Kong University study of 60 insomniacs showed that people who got acupuncture fell asleep faster and were more likely to stay that way (instead of waking up at 4 a.m. to worry about the stock market or Tiger Woods's marriage) than people who got a fake version of the treatment.


• Relief from arthritis. British researchers who analyzed five well-designed studies of 1,334 people with bum knees have confirmed that acupuncture relieves debilitating joint pain related to arthritis.


• Squelching pain. In a landmark German study of 1,162 back-pain sufferers, twice as many got relief from acupuncture as from conventional fixes such as drugs or physical therapy. Acupuncture has also been proven at least as effective as pain drugs not only for treating migraines but also for preventing them, making it a great choice if you can't tolerate the side effects of migraine-prevention meds like beta blockers.


• Reducing treatment side effects. Dozens of studies show that acupuncture helps quell pain, nausea, fatigue, hot flashes, and dry mouth in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation.

How can one therapy do so much? Eastern and Western medical philosophies merge when a licensed acupuncturist inserts those sterile disposable needles -- painlessly, we promise! -- into your skin. Eastern practitioners say the needles remove blockages so that the body's energy, called chi (pronounced chee) flows freely. Western science shows that acupuncture boosts levels of pain-relieving anti-inflammatory chemicals called endorphins in the brain and bloodstream. And that changes how your nerve impulses flow.

You don't even have to believe in it for acupuncture to work its magic. Case in point: Veterinarians know that acupuncture often helps ailing horses, goats, cats, and dogs (including Titan, the world's biggest Great Dane) in measurable ways, such as being able to walk and run again. With animals, there's no placebo effect. It either works or it doesn't. Same goes for people. Many skeptical consumers who've tried acupuncture as a last resort become believers when they see results.

Ready to get stuck? First, check your insurance. Some plans cover it, some don't. (We wish more did.) Then, find a certified practitioner. Acupuncture is one of the most regulated alternative healing techniques in the United States and Canada, although requirements vary by state and province. More than 16,000 licensed acupuncturists and thousands of trained physicians practice this healing art. You can find a certified acupuncturist in the United States through the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (http://www.nccaom.org). And, of course, our institutions -- the Wellness Institute of the Cleveland Clinic and the Heart Institute at New York-Presbyterian -- offer it. In Canada, find a healthcare practitioner trained in acupuncture through the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute (http://www.afcinstitute.com).