Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a method of treatment that has been practiced for thousands of years in China and other Asian countries. Used as a means of treating and preventing disease through the application of needles to the body, the practice was introduced to the Western world about three centuries ago. Only in the past few decades has it gained momentum as an acceptable form medical treatment in the United States? While the debate over the theories and usefulness of the treatment continues among medical scientists, the popularity of acupuncture therapy has continued to grow and it is now practiced throughout the world. Acupuncture’s many benefits include its effectiveness in healing a wide range of problems with few side effects, including use as an anesthesia. Both individuals and large health-care organizations also find its low cost of administration attractive.

Acupuncture is a method of treatment that has been practiced for thousands of years in China and other Asian countries. Used as a means of treating and preventing disease through the application of needles to the body, the practice was introduced to the Western world about three centuries ago. Only in the past few decades has it gained momentum as an acceptable form medical treatment in the United States? While the debate over the theories and usefulness of the treatment continues among medical scientists, the popularity of acupuncture therapy has continued to grow and it is now practiced throughout the world. Acupuncture’s many benefits include its effectiveness in healing a wide range of problems with few side effects, including use as an anesthesia. Both individuals and large health-care organizations also find its low cost of administration attractive.

The earliest known acupuncture instruments date to the Stone Age and included “bian,” stones with sharp edges. Science and technology have furthered the quality of the acupuncture instruments from stone, bone and bamboo needles to bronze and iron, even gold and silver.

Now, disposable sterile stainless steel needles are most commonly used. As the structure of needles has been refined, so have application methods. A more recent development is “electro acupuncture” where electrodes are attached to the needles in order to conduct small, increasing amounts of electric current in to the body at key location, thus stimulating the effect of the treatment.

Over the centuries, the number of points on the body where acupuncture can be applied has also multiplied. Specific disciplines have developed within acupuncture so in addition to body acupuncture a wide range of acupuncture therapies is now practiced in many parts of the world, and include ear needling, scalp acupuncture and hand acupuncture.

What Is Acupuncture? What Are The Benefits Of Acupuncture?

Acupuncture originates from China and has been practiced there for thousands of years. Although there are records of acupuncture being used hundreds of years ago in Europe, it was during the second half of the twentieth century it began to spread rapidly in Western Europe, the United States and Canada. Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through the patient’s skin at specific points on the body – the needles are inserted to various depths. We are not sure how acupuncture works scientifically. However, we do know that it does have some therapeutic benefits, including pain relief and alleviation from nausea caused by chemotherapy.

According to traditional Chinese medical theory, acupuncture points are located on meridians through which gi vital energy runs. There is no histological, anatomical or scientific proof that these meridians or acupuncture points exist. Acupuncture remains controversial among Western medical doctors and scientists. Creating case studies that use proper scientific controls is difficult because of the invasive nature of acupuncture – a clinical study involves a placebo (sham product) compared to the targeted treatment. It is very hard to devise a sham acupuncture control that one can compare to proper acupuncture. While some studies have concluded that acupuncture offers similar benefits to a patient as a placebo, others have indicated that there are some real benefits. This article in a peer-reviewed British Medical Journal explains that the principles of acupuncture are firmly grounded in science, and you don’t need Chinese philosophy either to make it work, or to practice it.

According to WHO (World Health Organization) acupuncture is effective for treating 28 conditions, while evidence indicates it may have an effective therapeutic value for many more. People with tension headaches and/or migraines may find acupuncture to be very effective in alleviating their symptoms, according to a study carried out at the Technical University of Munich, Germany. Another study at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center found that twice weekly acupuncture treatments relieve debilitating symptoms of xerostomia – severe dry mouth – among patients treated with radiation for head and neck cancer.

How did acupuncture become popular in the USA?

James Reston, who worked for the New York Times had his appendix removed (appendectomy) during a visit to China in 1971. After surgery he experienced some discomfort and was treated for this with acupuncture. He was surprised to find that the acupuncture treatment helped his discomfort tremendously. He subsequently wrote an article that year titled “Now, About My Operation in Peking”. Many believe this article triggered intense interest in acupuncture in the USA. Reston wrote that the acupuncturist “inserted three long, thin needles into the outer part of my right elbow and below my knees and manipulated them…That sent ripples of pain racing through my limbs and, at least, had the effect of diverting my attention from the distress in my stomach. Meanwhile, Doctor Li lit two pieces of an herb called ai, which looked like the burning stumps of a broken cheap cigar, and held them close to myVabdomen while occasionally twirling the needles into action. All of this took about 20 minutes, during which I remembered thinking that it was rather a complicated way to get rid of gas… but there was a noticeable relaxation of the pressure and distension within an hour and no recurrence of the problem thereafter.”

Acupuncture from East to West

Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of healing in the world, beginning in China thousands of years ago. It remains the primary source of treatment in Asia. Acupuncture has rapidly become an accepted treatment alternative in America.

People in the U.S. started to hear more about acupuncture after Mr. James Reston, a New York Times reporter, reported his own experience with acupuncture and how he benefited from acupuncture treatment for his severe pain after acute appendititis, while he was in China with President Nixon in 1972. After that M.D.s from western countries rushed to other side of the world to find out whether a tiny needle curing disease is a fairy tale or a real thing. To their surprise, they witnessed that the needle treatment, one of the ancient arts, not only cures many chronic diseases, but also its analgistic power demonstrated in open heart surgeries is completely beyond their imagination. Seeing is believing. Many of them attended training courses in China and came back to the west to practice acupuncture. Another wave of interest in acupuncture came after the National Institute of Health Consensus in Acupuncture in 1997, which concluded that acupuncture is effective for certain conditions and calls upon more attention from mainstream medical field and public. Since then, NIH formed a new center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the fund used to support acupuncture research is more than tripled in past 5 years.

Nowadays, in seeking an alternative way to cure disease, to avoid side effect of conventional medicine, to obtain a better life or to maintain an optimal health, people start to choose acupuncture. As NIH consensus indicated: “One of the advantage of acupuncture is that the incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs or other accepted medical procedures used for the same condition”. Recent reports indicated acupuncture and Chinese medicine is becoming more aned more popular in this country. For more information please go here.

How does acupuncture work?

In the eastern view of traditional Chinese medicine, an energy or life force called “Chi” flows through the body along 14 channels. When “Chi” is blocked, people may become sick. Placing needles at various points along the channels to remove the blockage, allowing “Chi” to flow and restoring harmony between the bodyÂ’s opposing forces of “Yin” and “Yang”. While Western science does not yet understand the concept of “Chi”, studies have found that acupuncture somehow stimulate the bodyÂ’s natural protective and pain-fighting systems. Studies show that brain activity is increased, the immune system is boosted and pain-fighting endorphins and peptides are released during acupuncture.

The effectiveness of Acupuncture has been repeatedly verified through various reports from the National Institute of Health, the World Health Organization and others. Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration has approved acupuncture needles as medical devices.

Acupuncture, sometimes referred to as Traditional Chinese Medicine, comprises a full range of services. The acupuncturist provides a complete physical examination with occasional subsequent examinations as needed. The primary treatment is acupuncture: the placement of fine hair-like needles into specific points of the body. An acupuncturist may also include Chinese-based adjunctive therapeutic procedures such as cupping, moxibustion or acupuncture. Additionally, Chinese herbal supplements may be recommended.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is the gentle insertion of very fine needles into specific points on the body. This process enhances the movement of energy within the body, stimulating the body’s ability to heal itself.

Acupuncturists completed highly specialized training that teaches the selection of points and the design of treatment protocols that are tailored to each individual’s unique condition. The use of acupuncture to address the body’s imbalances is based on over 3,000 years of experience in China. Acupuncture is a part of the holistic system of healing known as Traditional Chinese Medicine (“TCM”).

The classical Chinese explanation is that energy/Qi flows in channels (meridians) throughout and just below the surface of the body. When the body is in harmony, Qi is plentiful and flows smoothly through the meridians. If the body’s Qi is insufficient, or if the flow of Qi is interrupted, the body’s innate balance is disrupted and illness or pain or emotional distress result.

Acupuncture treatments focus on restoring the smooth and abundant flow of Qi.

Acupuncture helps to prevent illness by improving the overall functioning of the body’s immune and organ systems. Acupuncture is helpful for:

•  Treating existing illnesses and injuries.
•  Preventing both recurrence of illnesses and new illness.
•  Improving overall health.

How does Acupuncture work?

Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory
Acupuncture points are the specific points on the meridians where the Qi is both concentrated and accessible. Acupuncture engages the Qi by inserting needles at these specific points. Engaging and directing the Qi restores the proper flow of Qi. As the body regains its natural balance, well-being returns.

Acupuncture and Modern Science
To the human body, acupuncture needles are a physical stimulus. In Western science, a stimulus is defined as a detectable change in either the external environment or within the body itself. When the body detects change, it produces a response. Although acupuncture is not yet fully understood by Western science, with modern technology scientists can now actually begin to “see” the body’s response to acupuncture. For example, using MRI, researchers have shown that when a needle is inserted at specific acupuncture points on the body, corresponding changes occur in the brain.

Acupuncture points are now believed to stimulate the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) to release pain-relieving chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord and brain. Acupuncture may also stimulate other chemicals to be released by the brain, including hormones that influence the self-regulating system of the body. Recent studies have identified that acupuncture results in stimulation of the thalamus and hypothalamus, activating the areas of the brain the govern regulation of the body.

Summary
Oriental medicine has been around for thousands of years, and has provided us with a unique and holistic approach to help prevent and treat disease. Western science and Traditional Chinese Medicine ultimately rely on the body’s natural healing ability to maintain health and protect against disease. Both have the same goal of helping a person stay healthy. A combination of both systems creates an ideal environment of health and healing.