Acupuncture – What’s It All About?
September 8, 2008
Acupuncture is believed to be developed by Chinese over 2000 years ago, and may even date back as long as 5000 years. It is an important part of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) system.
Acupuncture is about placing fine, slender needles into the skin at certain pressure points in the body, known as acupuncture points, to help alleviate pain, relieve spasms, stimulate the immune function to promote healing, and generally improve the quality of physical, mental, and spiritual health in various ways.
The principle of acupuncture treatment is to encourage the “qi”, or the vital energy of the body, to flow smoothly in the channels, known as meridians. The Chinese believe that qi is flowing through every living thing in the universe and it has many different forms and functions. Within a person, qi has five major functions–warming, movement, protection, transportation and transformation, and supporting.
Through these functions, the human body is able to maintain its stabilization and integrity.
The qi primarily comes from three sources. Original qi is transmitted from parents to their children. This qi is mainly responsible for the inherited constitution of a person. Grain qi is nutritive qi that is generated from diet and digestion. Natural qi is the qi we acquire through breathing. Grain qi and natural qi are mainly responsible for the body constitution after birth.
In the medical sense, when qi is out of balance, blocked, or stagnated, illness and pain result. There are fourteen major meridians throughout the human body, including twelve primary meridians which are associated with the twelve major organ systems of the body and two extra meridians arising from genital area to the head at the center of the trunk, front and back.
There are more than 360 acupuncture points and most fall along the fourteen meridians. Those points that do not belong to the meridians are called extra points. Extra points usually have unique and specific healing functions.
To treat illness or pain, needles are placed into these acupuncture points which correspond with the location of the disharmony or bloackage of the qi. The stimulation from needling can restore the flow of the qi and return the balance of the body system, thereby alleviate the pain and improve the symptomatic problems. For acute cases, such as ankle sprain, a small amount of electrical current attached to the end of the acupuncture needles at certain frequency can be used to provide the points with added stimulus.
In addition to needling, the acupuncturist sometimes applies heated herbal cones or sticks above the appropriate acupuncture points , known as moxibustion, to send warmth down into the points for cold diseases. They also use small glass or plastic cups sucked on the skin of the back, known as cupping, to draw out the toxins, resolve the stagnation, and improve the circulation at the local area.
If somebody suffers a heat stroke due to the summer heat, scraping will be used at the upper back and neck area to release the heat. Acupuncture massage, known as tui-na, is a form of massage that focuses power on acupuncture points to relieve muscle tension and pain. Some times the acupuncturist will use a combination of acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, and massage as treatment protocol for individual needs.
When a patient seeks acupuncture treatment, the acupuncturist will examine him or her using four basic TCM diagnostic methods–observation, hearing, questioning, and palpation. The acupuncturist will perform pulse and tongue diagnoses to see how well the patient is at the time of visit.
The pulse and tongue diagnoses are unique to TCM. The pulse diagnosis reflects the energetics of the five vital organs, including heart, liver, lung, spleen, and kidney. The shape, texture, and color of the tongue are indications for the dysfunctions of the vital organs and the depletion of the qi in the body. Based on the information collected from the patient, the acupuncturist is then able to choose the best treatment methods and select points for acupuncture treatment.
General speaking, acupuncture treatment is either painless or of trivial discomfort since the needles are very fine and solid. The patient may experience a small twinge of pain at certain acupuncture points where the skin is more sensitive to needling or the qi is more abundant, but the feeling should subside shortly after the puncture and as the treatment continues.
Acupuncture is considered to be relatively safe with only a few side effects to the use of acupuncture reported each year. The most common side effect is bruising or soreness around the needled area.
To minimize the side effect, a trained acupuncturist will apply pressure on the needled area for 1 minute once the needle is withdrawn. Occasionally, the patient may experience a slightly sedated feeling. This situation can be caused by an empty stomach; therefore, you need to eat at least one hour before the treatment.
Another side effect is infection. To avoid infection the acupuncturist should be using disposable needles for every treatment. If the acupuncturist does not use disposable needles, make sure the sterilization procedures are appropriate.
Acupuncture can be used to treat many illness, ranging from slight local pain to ascites (fluid retention in the peritoneal cavity). Although its effectiveness is still under evaluation, acupuncture has been used in the medical field in many countries of the world.
Tags: chinese medicine
Posted in Acupuncture, Post by: g4f
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September 8th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
[...] Original g4f [...]
October 25th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Very simple, this is the most usefull post I ever read about this subject. I love acupuncture and I am vey interested about acupuncture needles and this sort of cure.
Keep it doing.Acupuncture is the most beautifull medicine art.
January 24th, 2010 at 8:40 am
Acupuncture is an art or a science that was developed in China over the last several thousand years and has now become quite popular in the West, as well, that is based on the use of needles inserted into the body as a means of unblocking or harmonizing the flow of chi, or energy, in the body, which forms the basis for both good health and ill health.
January 30th, 2010 at 2:08 pm
True, who would have ever thought that sticking a couple of pins would be so good for you’re health? it cures way more than any normal medicine could..Great innovation indeed!
January 31st, 2010 at 7:45 am
Very interesting indeed, the Chinese have contributed many things that we definitely appreciate, but acupuncture is just one amazing finding.It has cured so many and continues to do so..
February 7th, 2010 at 6:32 am
For chronic low back pain, acupuncture seems to work better than no treatment. Additional studies are needed to determine whether acupuncture works better than traditional treatments or whether it helps patients with acute low back pain.
February 7th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
The intent of acupuncture therapy is to promote health and alleviate pain and suffering. The method by which this is accomplished, though it may seem strange and mysterious to many, has been time tested over thousands of years and continues to be validated today.
The perspective from which an acupuncturist views health and sickness hinges on concepts of “vital energy,” “energetic balance” and “energetic imbalance.” Just as the Western medical doctor monitors the blood flowing through blood vessels and the messages traveling via the nervous system, the acupuncturist assesses the flow and distribution of this “vital energy” within its pathways, known as “meridians and channels”.
February 10th, 2010 at 8:09 am
After several additional treatments – some smooth and others with a very strong reaction – my practitioner and I talked in more depth about some things that had recently come to the surface for me. After she listened, she said she needed to investigate a little more but that she felt I may be experiencing a less common problem, acupuncture is actually the best method..
February 19th, 2010 at 8:34 am
i don’t think i am brave enough to try this.
February 20th, 2010 at 11:31 pm
Many children with chronic or acute health issues turn to complementary or integrative approaches after all other conventional treatment options are exhausted. Parents should be aware that integrative therapies like acupuncture can be helpful from the onset of disease and can have a tremendously positive influence on a child’s quality of life.
February 24th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
They are offering pediatric patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses acupuncture therapy to help ease the pain and negative side effects like nausea, fatigue, and vomiting caused by chronic health conditions and intensive treatments.
The effort is part of a study to analyze and document how acupuncture might help in reducing pain in children and increase quality of life
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:40 am
How can one therapy do so much? Eastern and Western medical philosophies merge when a licensed acupuncturist inserts those sterile, disposable needles into your skin. Eastern practitioners say the needles remove blockages so the body’s energy, called qi (pronounced “chee”) flows freely. Western science shows that acupuncture boosts levels of pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory chemicals called endorphins in the brain and bloodstream. That changes how your nerve impulses flow.
March 15th, 2010 at 9:09 am
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institute of Health, conducts and supports research on treatments that are considered outside of conventional western medicine. Their Web site provides detailed information on acupuncture. Many conventional physicians and dentists practice acupuncture and other clinicians are licensed by the states to practice acupuncture, usually in combination with Chinese herbal medicine.
March 23rd, 2010 at 10:29 pm
According to the Yin/Yang theory the overall balance of the Yin and Yang has to be maintained for good health. In this type of acupuncture different points are pierced with the needles all along the meridians in order to help cure and affect different illnesses in your body.
March 25th, 2010 at 6:31 am
Completely and totally fascinating information. I was always aware that we had “qi” running through our bodies, however i didn’t know that acupuncture had a direct link to these “qi” points and worked in restoring the flow of qi throughout the body.
Great information, very well researched. Thanks for sharing.
March 31st, 2010 at 1:53 am
What is medical acupuncture? Is it different from ordinary acupuncture?
March 31st, 2010 at 1:56 am
Acupuncture is a method of encouraging the all body to promote natural healing and to improve functioning. This is done by inserting needles and applying heat or electrical stimulation at very precise acupuncture points. I like method Acupuncture!
March 31st, 2010 at 2:14 am
Is this painful? I believe it is useful and health but not sure will I try it.
March 31st, 2010 at 3:13 am
During a treatment at a Acupunture or Oriental Clinic, one may experience other forms of treatment besides acupuncture and herbal medicine. Moxibustion is a procedure wherein a small amount of the herb mugwort is laid over the skin or on the head of a needle and the ignited, causing heat to stimulate acupoints in the immediate area; heat lamps may also be used for this purpose. Cupping is a technique that uses suction to improve circulation and stimulate tissues. Gua sha has a similar effect to cupping, but it is accomplished through a vigorous rubbing with a ceramic spoon. Tui na is a Chinese massage technique. Patients may experience one or more of these techniques during any given treatment.
May 5th, 2010 at 4:43 am
Acupuncture is a very successful alternative brand of medical treatment.I know load of cases where patients have been cured of chronic pains and ailments
August 3rd, 2010 at 7:18 am
Western science shows that acupuncture boosts levels of pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory chemicals called endorphins in the brain and bloodstream. That changes how your nerve impulses flow. Certainly a good sign of eastern and western medicines combining.