Acupuncture more widely accepted in medicine
By Sophia Fischer

sfischer@theacorn.com

BILL SPARKES\Acorn Newspapers GENTLY NOW – A slight tap from a finger is all it takes to insert an acupuncture needle into the target area on the body in a painless procedure that many people hardly feel.

Acupuncture may conjure up images of torture, but those needles are actually a painless and natural therapy that is used increasing to treat a variety of conditions from acne to infertility.

Marcia Nogueira, a licensed acupuncturist who lives in Simi Valley and works in Moorpark, has noticed an increase in the number of people coming in for acupuncture.

“Most of my patients come in as a last alternative,” Nogueira said. “They’ve tried everything else but haven’t gotten any treatment for their pain.”

According to the 2002 National Health Interview Survey which evaluates alternative medicines in America, about 8.2 million adults have used acupuncture and an estimated 2.1 million adults underwent acupuncture in the previous year.

The World Health Organization lists 40 conditions that can be treated with acupuncture, including heart problems, migraines, high blood pressure, insomnia, knee pain, menopause, arthritis, allergies and asthma.

In addition, more doctors are prescribing acupuncture treatment, more insurance companies are providing coverage for the therapy and more Western medical schools are incorporating alternative medicine, including acupuncture, into their curriculums, Nogueira said.

“Schools want Western doctors to at least be familiar with these practices,” Nogueira said. “I think it’s gaining in popularity as people become more aware of the possibilities.”

Although it is becoming more common, acupuncture is not a new therapy. It is actually an ancient and holistic form of Chinese medicine that has been used for more than 3,000 years to diagnose and treat illness, prevent disease and improve well-being, said Nogueira.

The idea behind acupuncture is to maintain balance within the body. Illness occurs when the flow of energy in the body is disrupted. By inserting needles into acupuncture points on the body based on the ailment, energy is restored. The needles break up the blockage to allow energy to flow once again.

“One of the things I love about acupuncture is that it gets to the root of what’s causing the pain, the allergies, the infertility, whatever the problem is,” Nogueira said.

Nogueira’s family is Chinese, so she was familiar with acupuncture, which she says is part of Chinese culture and heritage. But it wasn’t until she was a pre-med student at UCLA that she became interested in the therapy as a profession.

“I got sick and Western medicine reached the limits of what it could do for me. I didn’t know where else to turn,” Nogueira said.

She tried acupuncture and it worked. She then decided to change her studies to Eastern medicine. After earning her undergraduate degree from UCLA in psychobiology, Nogueira earned a master’s in Oriental medicine from Samra University School of Oriental Medicine in Los Angeles. She spent time in China studying Eastern medicine and completed an internship at the International Acupuncture Training Center for the World Health Organization in Beijing.

Nogueira and her husband moved to Simi Valley in October. Around the same time she joined Moorpark Chiropractic where she practices both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

“I really like this area,” Nogueira said. “It has a real small town, community feel.”

For more information and appointments, please call Nogueira at (805) 523-7146.