Alternative Forms of Treatment: Acupuncture - Essay Example

'Alternative Forms of Treatment: Acupuncture' is a marvelous example of a paper on complementary and alternative therapies. 
The mass media coverage of health and other related conditions has empowered patients. As a result, they are willing to accept alternative forms of treatment. Acupuncture is one of the most sought after alternative treatment mechanisms for individuals suffering from chronic tension headaches (Saxhaug, Aaseth, Grande, Lundquist, and Russell 2013). The practice has baffled western medical practitioners. As a result, it is necessary to engage in a deliberate search process to determine authenticity.

The search process started when the patient asked for advice. I had to consult my peers in order to determine its effectiveness. In addition, I had to consult with specialists in acupuncture. They had to advise if the fact that my patient had taken over the counter medication would undermine her ability to be cured through the approach. The studies showed that other patients had sought the treatment regardless of taking over-the-counter medication (Endres, Bowing, Diener, Lange, Maeir, Molsberger, Zenz, Vickers and Tegenthoff 2007).

Furthermore, I had to consult online journals on the topic. I used the following keywords: “acupuncture”, tension headaches”, “evidence-based medicine”, “chronic headaches” and “acupuncture curing tension headaches”.The practice has attracted a lot of interest. I learned that both patients and doctors are willing to embrace evidence-based medicine due to its proven effectiveness (Wong, Leung and Zhang 2015, pp. 41). In addition, acupuncture helps to make a patient relax making it an effective means of treating individuals with tension headaches (Pluta, Lynm and Golub 2011).

After collecting information from the different sources, I analyzed them based on my medical knowledge and the medical history of the patient. Content analysis was an effective method because it allowed me to group the results into various themes. The process revealed that the patient was a good candidate for acupuncture treatment. She had a positive attitude towards life that could help her in the recovery process.

Acupuncture is a mechanism that holds an invisible life force. The force, referred to as qi, travels through the body imparting healing mechanisms. The mechanism uses the thinking that illness and pain are caused by blockages and irregular levels of force. The insertion of thin needles into the human body at specific points is expected to unblock any closed meridian. The approach is effective in treating many human illnesses.

The fact that 3 million adult Americans are treated through acupuncture attests to its effectiveness as a form of treatment (Vickers, Cronin, Maschino, Lewith, MacPherson, Foster, Sherman, et al 2012). In addition, the practice is mostly used to treat chronic pain. According to Lee, Crawford, Wallerstedt, York, Duncan, Smith, Sprengel, Welton, and Jonas (2012) acupuncture is effective in treating patients with headaches and chronic pain.

Acupuncture is the most commonly practiced form of evidence-based medicine for tension-type headaches (Ebneshahidi, Heshmatipour, Moghaddami and Eghtstesaidi, 2005). The practice has been used to treat both young adults and elderly adults with significant success. However, the findings are still inconclusive due to the need to convince a large number of skeptical doctors. In spite of the misgivings over the practice, the available evidence demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach in treating tension-type headaches.

The search and analysis process demonstrates the need for the patient to receive this form of treatment. Besides being a safe and effective form of treatment, it is effective in treating pain. The approach would help her to reduce her reliance on over the counter drugs. In addition, it was the best chance for reducing chronic headaches. However, she had to ensure that she believed in this form of medication. Part of the reason for its success is the placebo effect derived from a belief in its ability to help a patient return to optimal health levels.