>> Six months ago, my 78 year old grandmother was quickly losing her independence. Severe arthritis in both knees hampered her ability to take care of herself. Shopping, getting around the neighborhood, even walking down her front steps was becoming almost impossible. Pain medications helped somewhat, but the side effects created their own problems. Then her doctor suggested acupuncture. My grandmother was skeptical at first, but she was willing to try just about anything. She did, and the results were miraculous. After six weeks, her pain and stiffness were significantly reduced. She was able to take care of her apartment again. She could get out on her own to go shopping, to visit friends and family, and to do the other things that her arthritis had prevented in the past. Acupuncture restored her quality of life as her independence. My grandmother's story is not unique. Performed for well over 2,000 years in China and other parts of Asia, acupuncture is becoming more and more popular in the US and other Western countries for one simple reason, it works. Impressed by my grandmother's experience, I began acupuncture treatments for my migraine headaches, and now my headaches are completely gone. Not surprisingly, I wanted to learn more about this treatment that produced such miraculous results for both my grandmother and myself. Today I will share part of what I learned by explaining what happens when you receive an acupuncture treatment, how acupuncture works, the kinds of medical conditions that can be treated by acupuncture, and the growing use of acupuncture in combination with Western medical techniques. Let's start by looking at a typical acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture is the insertion of needles into the skin to achieve a balanced flow of energy. Which in turn restores and reserves health. To prevent a chance of contamination from one person to another, acupuncturists in the US use sterilized needles that are individually packaged and are disposed of after a single use. I realize that the notion of having needles stuck into you may seem frightening, but the needles are so thin that the process is painless. Acupuncture needles are much smaller than the needles used for drawing blood or getting shots. Here are some needles that I received from my acupuncturist. After my speech, I'll pass them around so you can see how incredibly light and small they are. They are so thin, about the thickness of a human hair that you can hardly tell when they're inserted. And there's usually no sensation, other than pain relief, once they have been inserted. After being left in for 20 or 30 minutes while you lie in a darkened room, the needles are removed and the treatment is over. Now that you know what happens when you're treated by an acupuncturist, you're probably wondering how acupuncture works. The process is explained by Dr. Felix Mann, President of the Medical Acupuncture Society in his book, Acupuncture, the Ancient Chinese Art of Healing and How it Works Scientifically. According to traditional Chinese medicine, every life process is based on the flow of vital energy through the body. This energy is known in Chinese as chi. And flows along channels or pathways called meridians. These meridians are shown in this visual aid. As you can see, they cover the entire body running from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet and down both arms. When the free flow of energy through these meridians is blocked, the result is pain, illness, disease or other physical problems. The aim of acupuncture is to restore the open flow of energy through these meridians. This is done by placing needles at specific points on the meridians. Altogether there are more than 1,000 acupuncture points on the meridians. These points have been mapped out over the centuries with scientific precision. In China there is a saying, there is no pain if there is free flow. If there is pain, there is no free flow. Although acupuncture is based on a different view of the body from that held by western doctors, the evidence is clear that it works in treating a wide range of medical conditions. The World Health Organization lists more than 40 conditions that can be effectively treated with acupuncture, including ear, nose and throat ailments, asthma and other respiratory problems, and nervous system and muscular disorders. A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine confirms that acupuncture can relieve low back pain. While the American Cancer Society reports that acupuncture may even help smokers kick the habit. People also use acupuncture to build immune systems, to control allergies, and to combat depression and anxiety. Of course you can't use acupuncture to heal a broken arm, but people in Asia often use acupuncture during surgery instead of Western anesthesia. And it can speed recovery time after surgery. In light of all of this, it is not surprising that a number of clinics and hospitals are combining acupuncture with western medicine in an effort to provide the patients the benefits of both. For example, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, the third oldest hospital in the US, has added acupuncture to its Wellness Center. Positive results have also been seen at the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA. Dr. Lonnie Zeltzer, Director of the Hospital's Pediatric Pain Program confirms that acupuncture really does help. Most children accept acupuncture, and in fact, really feel good about it. Another example of the integration of acupuncture with Western medicine is at the Wasser Pain Management Centre at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada. Neurologist Alan Gordon, Director of the Center says that introducing acupuncture into the hospital expands the treatment available to chronic pain sufferers and provides multiple options of care to our patients. The National Institutes for Health reports that more than eight million Americans have tried acupuncture. And its use throughout the rest of the Western world is growing fast. Today we've learned what happens during an acupuncture treatment, how acupuncture works, some of the illnesses that can be treated with acupuncture, and the growing integration of acupuncture with Western approaches to medicine. I hope that you now know more about this ancient medical practice and the benefits that it can provide. After years of skepticism about acupuncture, the West if finally beginning to recognize that acupuncture is a highly effective way to improve health and reduce pain and suffering. Just ask my grandmother.