Metropolitan General’s Acupuncture Clinic provides an alternative treatment approach for several conditions and diseases. The Clinic is staffed by specialized Physicians who strictly adhere to all good acupuncture practice rules. All needles are single-use only (individual).
WHAT IS MEDICAL ACUPUNCTURE?
Acupuncture is a non medicinal and bloodless therapeutic modality. Although the history of acupuncture is lost in the depths of ancient China, this therapeutic method continues to contribute to the treatment of various diseases and their symptoms, and it is both effective and complication-free. Characteristically, over the past 20 years, more than 5,000 medical studies on Acupuncture have been published in the international medical literature of the western world, demonstrating its effectiveness. A great advantage of acupuncture is the fact that it excellently combines with any other treatment, while there is synergy between acupuncture and medication.
IS ACUPUNCTURE MEDICALLY ACCEPTABLE?
Acupuncture has been established worldwide as a complete therapeutic system. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized acupuncture as a Medical treatment with a number of indications.
In 1996, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (equivalent corresponding Organization the Greek EOF in the US) classified acupuncture needles as Medical tools for general use by acupuncture specialists.
The Hellenic State, by decisions of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Social Insurance, "…accepts Acupuncture as a treatment method applied only by Physicians..." (Decision No: Ref. No. Y7/our ref./4270/25-6-96), and also that "…acupuncture should only be performed by physicians who are experienced and have been trained in acupuncture ..." (Decision No.: 574/A4/1191/21-2-1980).
HOW DOES ACUPUNCTURE WORK ON THE HUMAN BODY AND HOW IS IT APPLIED?
Medical acupuncture is a powerful therapeutic method and not a treatment to be subjected to. Needles stimulate certain nerve endings on the skin, thus transmitting a stimulus to the central nervous system that stimulates corresponding nervous centers depending on the condition we want to treat. As a result, the body produces certain substances and hormones, which are then released and transported through the bloodstream and the nervous system in the body and help it to heal itself. Substances include endorphins, enkephalins, prostaglandins, serotonins, cortisol, oxytocin, etc.
In acupuncture, special disposable sterile fine needles are placed painlessly in highly specialized points on the body, head, ears, and extremities, and are then twisted, heated or stimulated with weak electrical currents to treat reversible functional disorders, syndromes, or symptoms.
IS ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENT EFFECTIVE?
Modern medical studies show very encouraging results, and studies continue to confirm acupuncture as an extremely effective and affordable treatment system. Acupuncture is applied alone or combined with medication, always at the discretion of the Physician who is responsible throughout the treatment process. It can also be applied as an adjunct to standard treatments in other Medical specialties.
IS IT A SAFE FORM OF TREATMENT?
Acupuncture is considered extremely safe when applied by specialized physicians who adhere to the rules of good practice. The needles used are disposable and, prior to their placement, the acupuncture point is cleaned with antiseptic solution. A good number of studies on thousands of patients have confirmed its safety when properly applied; in general, acupuncture has no side effects. A misdiagnosis by a non-physician practitioner is the only risk acupuncture may pose, as the patient can be misled and stop his/her medication or any other treatment.
Chief:
Stavroula Liveranou
Anesthesiologist
Specialized in Medical Acupuncture
Contact number: +30 210 650 2000
