Here are 15 factoids you may not know about acupuncture:

1. Originally acupuncture needles were not made of stainless steel but of stone, bamboo, and bone.
2. Studies have shown that acupuncture points have significantly more electrical conductivity than areas of skin without acupuncture points.
3. Acupuncture can increase the success rate of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) up to 65%.
4. The word acupuncture comes from the Latin acus, “needle” and pungere, “to prick.”
5. Acupuncture needles are single use, sterilized and pre-packaged.
6. Acupuncture is over 5,000 years old and is one of the oldest practicing forms of medicine known to date.
7. When performed by a properly trained and licensed practitioner, acupuncture is safe and effective, free from negative side effects.
8. Even though a needle is being inserted into the skin, acupuncture is virtually painless.
9. Acupuncture needles are a lot smaller than standard hypodermic needles, and they do not draw blood and are not hollow.
10. Acupuncturists feel your pulse and look at your tongue to gain a better understanding of what is going on inside the body.
11. Acupuncture is highly individualized – for example, if 50 people with a cough got acupuncture, all 50 people could have different acupuncture points in their treatments.
12. The benefits of acupuncture are sometimes difficult to measure when using western research because western research depends on a constant variable to measure all data against…something that goes against acupuncture treatment plans.
13. Licensed acupuncturists attend an in-depth four year program and obtain over 400 clinical hours.
14. Acupuncture is just one form of therapy used within the medical system known as Traditional Chinese Medicine, which also consists of other modalities such as herbal medicine, nutrition, cupping, moxabustion, tui na and special exercises such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong.
15. Licensed acupuncturists in Ireland are fully insured and are registered with either the Acupuncture Foundation Professional Association or the Acupuncture Council of Ireland

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about what acupuncture can do, please contact me on 086-8163130 or email me at helena_barker@hotmail.com.

I practice in 3 locations, Navan and Slane in Co. Meath and Ongar in Dublin 15.