My partner's acupuncturist diagnosed her with a "weak liver." Treatment consisted of occasional needle therapy and instructions to consume about 60 ounces of water daily. I know there's statistically significant evidence that acupuncture can provide short-term pain relief, but I don't know how an acupuncturist could be qualified to diagnose a "weak liver," or what that term means from a clinical perspective. Now my partner wants me to visit her acupuncturist too. I feel no need to do so. I am in good health with no problems other than a sore back that responds well to exercise. What's more, I wouldn't use an acupuncturist even if I did have health problems. Am I being too narrow-minded? Is it reasonable for my partner to have faith in her acupuncturist's diagnosis?

A.

First, to answer your question about the acupuncturist's diagnosis of a "weak liver" in your partner, it is important to understand a little about the Chinese medical diagnosis system that is used in diagnosing and treating health problems with acupuncture. Chinese medicine has a different view of the body than Western medicine does. The Chinese practitioner believes that each organ ideally functions in energy balance. When the energy is not in balance, disease results. This energy imbalance may be either excess or deficient and because the energy system of one organ can affect another, more than one organ may be affected. Each of the major organs has an associated energy meridian and these energy meridians run in specific pathways throughout the body. The points where the acupuncture needles are placed are located on these meridians. The acupuncturist will determine which organs are out of balance and whether the energy is in excess or deficiency and then utilize acupuncture needles on specific meridian points to rebalance the energy. In your partner's case, the acupuncturist has determined that the energy is out of balance in her liver and it is deficient.

In general there isn't any reason to have acupuncture treatments if you are in good health. As they say, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Are you too narrow minded? I believe it is very important for each person to seek the kind of treatment that they believe in. We know that there is a certain amount of placebo effect with any kind of therapy whether it is medication, surgery, acupuncture, prayer or anything else. Having faith in your health care provider and believing in the treatment he/she prescribes is the key to maximum effectiveness. If you don't believe in acupuncture, then by all means find something else. However, if your partner believes in the acupuncture treatments and is improving, it would be very beneficial to her healing process for you to support her choice.

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