Acupuncture Complements Physical Therapy
By Desirea D. Caucci, PT, DPT
The demand for complementary health care is growing. Some of the most common explanations for this include
dissatisfaction with conventional care, the desire of the public to be more in control of their own health,
enjoyment of and patient satisfaction with complementary techniques (Cockerham, 1998), the inability to cure
chronic diseases (Patel, 1987), demographic changes of the 21st Century, the soaring cost of conventional care,
and the positive psychological effects that complementary medicine brings (Seago & Conn, 1996).
More than ever, the public is attracted to the empowerment, control and balance that they get from participating
in the complementary therapies. These positive effects translate into quality care, which also influences the
patient’s psychological well being, and this may be the essence of mind-body care (Seago & Conn, 1996).
Attitude does influence the outcome of a variety of illnesses (Gordon, 1990) and as a Roman poet noted, “It is
part of the cure to wish to be cured” (Rosch & Kearney, 1985, p.1408).
Another important benefit that complementary medicine offers is decreased cost to the patient. This accounts
for why mostly all socioeconomic and racial groups are using these therapies (Gellert, 1994). Simply stated,
most people can not afford the cost of health care today so patients will opt for the one that is cheaper, as long
as it is effective.
Physical therapists are one of the best-suited professionals to incorporate complimentary therapies. Physical
therapists can easily extend their traditional education in touch and exercise to incorporate complementary touch
therapies. Physical therapists are prepared to prescribe exercises, along with diet, nutrition and herbal
medicine, for their patients who have diseases and impairments that affect many systems.
Mind-body approaches such as acupuncture are already being integrated by physical therapists and many other
healthcare providers. Acupuncture is an ancient Asian system of health maintenance that uses long, thin
needles to produce biological effects. This complete system of medicine has a long history; the Chinese have
been practicing it for over 3,000 years.
The effectiveness and validity of acupuncture has been proven by rigorous testing procedures. The widest
application of acupuncture in conventional medicine is in the treatment of acute and chronic pain (Gellert, 1997).
It is easy to see how this can be easily incorporated into physical therapy treatment as well as others who treat
pain. The addition of acupuncture broadens the scope of treatment to include the patient’s internal energy and a
separate perspective on physiology and illness. Acupuncture complements the conventional techniques of
physical therapy, in addition to other medical procedures, by providing an additional therapeutic tool and a
holistic approach for treatment (Davis, 1997).
By Desirea D. Caucci, PT, DPT
The demand for complementary health care is growing. Some of the most common explanations for this include
dissatisfaction with conventional care, the desire of the public to be more in control of their own health,
enjoyment of and patient satisfaction with complementary techniques (Cockerham, 1998), the inability to cure
chronic diseases (Patel, 1987), demographic changes of the 21st Century, the soaring cost of conventional care,
and the positive psychological effects that complementary medicine brings (Seago & Conn, 1996).
More than ever, the public is attracted to the empowerment, control and balance that they get from participating
in the complementary therapies. These positive effects translate into quality care, which also influences the
patient’s psychological well being, and this may be the essence of mind-body care (Seago & Conn, 1996).
Attitude does influence the outcome of a variety of illnesses (Gordon, 1990) and as a Roman poet noted, “It is
part of the cure to wish to be cured” (Rosch & Kearney, 1985, p.1408).
Another important benefit that complementary medicine offers is decreased cost to the patient. This accounts
for why mostly all socioeconomic and racial groups are using these therapies (Gellert, 1994). Simply stated,
most people can not afford the cost of health care today so patients will opt for the one that is cheaper, as long
as it is effective.
Physical therapists are one of the best-suited professionals to incorporate complimentary therapies. Physical
therapists can easily extend their traditional education in touch and exercise to incorporate complementary touch
therapies. Physical therapists are prepared to prescribe exercises, along with diet, nutrition and herbal
medicine, for their patients who have diseases and impairments that affect many systems.
Mind-body approaches such as acupuncture are already being integrated by physical therapists and many other
healthcare providers. Acupuncture is an ancient Asian system of health maintenance that uses long, thin
needles to produce biological effects. This complete system of medicine has a long history; the Chinese have
been practicing it for over 3,000 years.
The effectiveness and validity of acupuncture has been proven by rigorous testing procedures. The widest
application of acupuncture in conventional medicine is in the treatment of acute and chronic pain (Gellert, 1997).
It is easy to see how this can be easily incorporated into physical therapy treatment as well as others who treat
pain. The addition of acupuncture broadens the scope of treatment to include the patient’s internal energy and a
separate perspective on physiology and illness. Acupuncture complements the conventional techniques of
physical therapy, in addition to other medical procedures, by providing an additional therapeutic tool and a
holistic approach for treatment (Davis, 1997).
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