Acupuncture for Tennis Elbow
& Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine is probably the most widely used alternative health care system to treat tennis elbow.  In addition to herbs and acupressure (pushing with the thumb at different points on the body), acupuncture has become extremely popular is the west in recent years.

In treating tennis elbow, acupuncture is normally used.  Thin needles inserted around your elbow facilitate your body’s own ability to heal.  While some recent studies show that acupuncture is no better than a placebo, there are still many people that have been cured my acupuncture.  Basically, right now is the in-between period, where there are studies going both ways. 

My opinion?  It’s definately worth a try, but if it doesn’t work, discard it.

The majority held view is that acupuncture works by inserting needles into the skin that manipulate the Ki or Qi (intrinsic energy) lines that run throughout the body.  By correcting Qi imbalances and making sure you have a healthy Qi circulation, you can correct your health problems.  This is all well and good, but I personally have never been convinced that intrinsic energy exists.

For all my distrust of intrinsic energy, and the religious belief of many practitioners of Chinese medicine, there is an excellently compiled book on why real Chinese medicine is a purely physical science, like western science today.  The book is The Dao of Chinese Medicine by Donald Edward Kendall, and he puts forth an eloquent argument that true, historically correct, honestly practiced Chinese medicine is a physical medicine.  Since the modern, more correct definition of the Qi character is ‘Air’, or as Kendall argues, ‘Oxygen’.

This book provides excellent data and supports my experience, that there can be well trained and effective Chinese medicine practitioners, but they are the minority.  In the west, there are far too many ex-hippies and poorly trained new age people doing acupuncture.  In addition to asking if they have read The Dao of Chinese Medicine, here are some simple questions you should ask to find out where any acupuncturist stands.  Do your best to find a competent practitioner.

1. Does your personal religious philosophy agree with, contradict, or have nothing to do with your medical practice?  Too often, religion supports the practice.  If their personal views have nothing to do with their practice, they’re probably worthwhile.

2. Do you regard Chinese Medicine as a mystical practice, a physical practice, or something else?  Physical and testable.  Anything less is no good, especially ‘ancient wisdom’.

3. Why did you get into Chinese Medicine?  If the answer has anything to do with a midlife crisis, move away fast!  Success treating an illness that gets someone into the medicine practice is one thing, a complete spiritual rebirth is a warning sign that all their marbles may not be present.

As always, be skeptical.  However, many people find relief in acupuncture.  If mainstream medicine isn’t working, find a competent practitioner and try it.  If you can avoid surgery, having to go through a few quacks to find a competent practitioner will be worth it.