Top Acupuncture Clinics In Singapore

Yikes! Needles! No! 

I can understand where you’re coming from. Unlike what you think of injection, acupuncture isn’t as painful as it appears! Instead, this ancient form of treatment could help you to alleviate various pains around your body! According to a Straits Times article, there are presently 4 public hospitals in Singapore that offer acupuncture for pain management!  

What is Acupuncture? 

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the disruption of one of our body’s several energetic centres or meridians is the leading cause of our body’s unease. Each centre is connected to a specific organ or limb. Through the use of needles on various meridians, the brain will send chemicals, such as endorphins, down to its related organ or limb and start the pain-relieving process.

Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine believe that acupuncture can relieve pain from the entire body. Yes, that includes toothaches and skin issues!  

From a western medical perspective, acupuncture helps to stimulate blood flow around your system, bringing about balance to your body.  

Contrary to what you may fear, these needles are sterilised, disposable and ultra-fine, which means you’d hardly feel the sting of it! 

There are also several benefits of acupuncture you may not know of. So, let’s dive in! 

Signs It’s Time to Give Acupuncture a Try

• Your Back Pain isn’t Going Away After Surgery and Physiotherapy 

If you’re still feeling the same amount of pain and have exhausted all sorts of other options. You can consider visiting an acupuncturist.

The American Pain Society and American College of Physicians recommend acupuncture as an option for patients with chronic lower back pain when the conventional approach is not working out.  

• Your Anxiety and Mood Swings isn’t Going Away Even After Therapy 

A Georgetown University research has shown that acupuncture can lower your body’s level of stress hormones. The lead researcher, Ladan Eshkevari, PhD, CRNA, LAc, added that acupuncture could allow your body to take back control from your anxiety triggers. 

Acupuncture also produces mood-regulating chemicals, such as dopamine and serotonin, which makes you feel better.    

• You’re Experiencing Insomnia

Besides relieving anxiety, acupuncture helps to stimulate the various points around your body, calm your brain and give you a good night’s sleep. 

A 2004 preliminary report also discovered that people with anxiety receive an increase of melatonin secretion at night after being administered with acupuncture for 5 weeks. In the same findings, their sleep time and efficiency also improved.  

• You have Digestion Problems 

Experiencing constipation or irritable bowel syndrome? Tried all other treatment options without seeing any visible signs of improvement? Maybe it’s time to look at acupuncture.

An article by Halin Wu of the Acupuncture and Massage College states that acupuncture can nourish the digestive organs, speed up your metabolism and improve your overall digestive functions.

• You’re Experiencing Menstrual Pain 

A study led by Dr Mike Armour of the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NCIM) at Western University Sydney, has seen a reduction in the intensity and duration of the menstrual pain after three months of acupuncture treatment.

What Happens During Your First Visit to an Acupuncturist? 

It’s perfectly normal to feel anxious about trying something new for the first time, especially when you’ll be dealing with a bunch of needles in your body. Rest assured that these needles are extremely fine and you won’t be experiencing any sharp pain! 

• Be Prepared to Answer Lots of Questions…Related to Your Health!

Just like typical physicians, acupuncturists will be asking you lots of questions about your health and lifestyle. You may be asked to describe the graphic details such as your bowel movements and the colour of your stool! Rest assured that these acupuncturists are here to help you, not judge you or your lifestyle. Don’t be afraid to share with them so that they have a clearer idea of how to help you alleviate your pain! 

• The Medical Examination   

Unlike typical doctors who use a stethoscope and other modern western medical devices, the Traditional Chinese Medicine school of thought starts by taking your pulse check. Through pulse diagnosis, your acupuncturist can discover potential problems in your various organs. 

Another diagnosis method that your acupuncturist will use is through looking at your tongue. In TCM literature, the tongue has several connections to various energy centres and organs around your body. Each part of the tongue represents a different organ or part of a body. 

Your abdomen may also be palpated to identify any potential issues or energetic deficiencies around your organs or meridians. 

• Treatment

The first acupuncture session will last for about 30 to 60 minutes. 

Your acupuncturist will swab the targeted acupuncture points with alcohol, before inserting the ultra-fine needles into your body. 

The experience of the session will vary from patient to patient. It’s rarely common to feel the needles, though it may still be possible to feel a tingling sensation. Even if you feel pain during the treatment, it may be a good thing! According to an article written by TCM physician, Xiao Yan Ling, the sensations of the needles could be an indication that the physician has applied the right technique on the exact points. This pain could help escalate your healing process! 

Regardless, you should try your best to lie as still as possible to avoid any post-treatment side effect. Thankfully, that might be easy for you as acupuncture needles may stimulate points of your body, causing you to feel relaxed. 

Regardless, if you feel any discomfort that’s preventing you from getting a total relaxation, you should alert your acupuncturist immediately. 

• Post Treatment 

Depending on your condition, your acupuncturist may ask you to return for a few more times to heal your symptom completely. He/she may also prescribe some herbal medication to aid your recovery. 

Unlike conventional western medicine, which comes in a ready-to-consume form, some herbal medication may require preparation. Pay great attention to the preparation and storage method, as any missed step may dim the effectiveness of the herbal formula. 

Things to Note Before You Visit an Acupuncturist

• Licenses 

According to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board (TCMPB), a statutory board of the Ministry of Health (MOH), a licensed acupuncturist in Singapore must either be a registered TCM physician, a locally registered doctor, or dentist who must also go through a board-recognised acupuncture training.

Any acupuncturist that doesn’t meet the above requirements should be avoided at all times. 

• Insurance 

Based on research, some insurance policies in Singapore do cover acupuncture treatments. However, they may be subjected to terms and conditions, such as accident-only coverage. 

Before you visit an acupuncturist, check with your agent to find out if your policy can cover your treatment. 

• Remember to Eat Something Before Your Session

Going to an acupuncture session with an empty stomach isn’t a good idea, as you may end up feeling weak or even faint! 

Experts recommend eating something at least 2 hours before your acupuncture appointment. Go easy on your meal and don’t overeat. To reap the full benefits of the treatment, avoid caffeine and alcohol at all costs!  

• Alternative to Western Medicinal Approach 

While it can usually work hand-in-hand with western practices, acupuncture is not a miracle dose for all symptoms. For example, though acupuncture can alleviate cancer symptoms, as well as nausea and fatigue from chemotherapy, there’s still no official medical evidence that acupuncture can cure cancer.

Check with your doctor before approaching an acupuncturist. 

Editors Note:

Disclaimer: While every precaution has been made to ensure the accuracy and fairness of this listing, we acknowledge that they may be inaccuracies. Therefore, we urge you to contact the service provider above for the correct information and/or contact us with the correct information. If you have a medical condition, it is always better to consult with a certified health care professional directly instead of relying on any material in this website or any other literature.

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Author Bio

Tom Koh is widely recognised as a leading SEO consultant in Asia who has worked to transform the online visibility of the leading organisations such as SingTel, Capitaland, Maybank, P&G, WWF, etc. Recently he was instrumental in consulting for a New York-based US$30B fund in an US$4Bn acquisition. Tom is a Computational Science graduate of the National University of Singapore. In his free time he performs pro-bono community work and traveling.
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