Fundamentals Of Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an important part of Chinese traditional medicine. It has more than two thousand years history and plays an important role on human health in China. In Tang dynasty, it spreads to Japan, Indian and other southeast Asia countries. In the past two decades, acupuncture has grown in popularity in the United States. Millions U.S. adults have ever used it. Now acupuncture is one of the oldest and most commonly used medical procedures in the world.

The term acupuncture involves positioning long, thin needles on various points on the body. There are different techniques to the insertion of the needles, including care for the angles at which they are inserted, different types of needles (there are nine, but most practitioners only use six types of the needles), and various ways to twirl or vibrate the needles. The needles are placed on the body depending upon the ailment of the patient.

Acupuncture has good effect on many diseases, even including some strange diseases. There are two main effects of acupuncture.

The first main effect of acupuncture is pain relief. This is the prominent characteristic of acupuncture and it is often used on all sorts of acute and chronic pain, such as headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis and back pain. According to the theory of Chinese traditional medicine, health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state" and pain is caused by disruptions in the energy flow patterns (Qi) in the body. By acupuncture therapy, these imbalances are corrected through puncturing identifiable points and pain is alleviated.

The second main effect of acupuncture is adjustment of organism functions. Treatment scope of acupuncture is very wide because it doesn't treat diseases through medicine, but it adjusts organism functions. It is proposed that acupuncture produces its effects through regulating the nervous system, thus aiding the activity of pain-killing biochemicals such as endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites in the body. In addition, studies have shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones and, thus, affecting the parts of the central nervous system related to sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes that regulate a person's blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature. With the adjustment effect of acupuncture, it can be used on many chronic diseases, such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation and asthma.

Acupuncture is safe and side effects are minor, but since acupuncture involves puncturing the skin with needles, the potential does exist for harmful effects to occur, such as accidental puncture of lung that can lead to pneumothorax and bacterial infection from acupuncture needles. a qualified acupuncturist can avoid such side effects.

Health and sense of well being can be maintained with acupuncture, research and thousands of years practice verifies its positive effects. Patients can try it and benefit from this wonderful treatment.

Michaele Lee

Do People Still Use Acupuncture?

Acupuncture; the most widely known alternative medicine treatment, has been the primary method of treatment in China for over 5000 years. Other countries are slowly catching on and are applying this technique, like China, for the treatment of almost all medical ailments known to mankind. Acupuncture treatment ranges from relieving pain to giving anesthesia to patients. It is probably the best treatment known till this day without any side effects to our bodies.

People following Chinese method of treatment, especially acupuncture, guarantees a long and healthy life. The older and probably one of the first few acupuncture transcripts was found back in 200 BC. The collection of these medical transcripts forms the most comprehensive medical text books used today.

Acupuncture needles were introduced by Pien Chueh in the fourth century. He used stone acupuncture needles, moxibustion and herbs to bring a prince out of coma. The Chinese still celebrate this day every year on April 28th.

Acupuncture is basically a treatment that accelerates the body’s natural healing process and improves biological functioning. There are numerous nerve endings in our body. Acupuncture is the practice of stimulating these points via acupuncture needles and electric current in extreme cases. These nerve endings are also called acupuncture points.

Functionality and success of acupuncture is something not known to many people. In our body, many channels of energies flow in regular patterns. These channels like the river irrigate the muscles and tissues of our bodies. Any pain or disorder in our health influences these channels. Acupuncture regulates them back to their courses through needles. With the use of special herbs applied to the tips of needles, acupuncture stimulates the body when touched at the correct points. Any obstruction in the energy channels is then removed and the process starts again normally.

Acupuncture creates a remarkable biochemical balance in our body and stimulates the natural healing process of our body. This promotes physical and emotional well being.

Acupuncture is often associated with the treatment and relief of pain, however many experienced practitioners are capable of using acupuncture in a much wider area of health curing many other biological disorders. It treats all sorts of digestive, respiratory, urinary, neurological, muscular and reproductive malfunctions.

Acupuncture treatment is given in a number of sessions to the patients. The number of sessions depends upon the severity of the cause. The number of session may range from 1-2 per week for a few months or even over a number of months. One must keep in mind that acupuncture is a natural treatment and thus the effects are slow but long lasting. Patience and relaxation is the key to long term cure in acupuncture.

Eric Cho

What Exactly Is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture originated in China more than 2,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest and most commonly used medical procedures in the world.

Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used medical procedures in the world. Originating in China more than 2,000 years ago, acupuncture began to become better known in the United States in 1971, when New York Times reporter James Reston wrote about how doctors in China used needles to ease his pain after surgery. The acupuncture technique that has been most studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation.

The classical Chinese explanation is that channels of energy run in regular patterns through the body and over its surface. These energy channels, called meridians, are like rivers flowing through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues. An obstruction in the movement of these energy rivers is like a dam that backs up in others.

The meridians can be influenced by needling the acupuncture points; the acupuncture needles unblock the obstructions at the dams, and reestablish the regular flow through the meridians. Acupuncture treatments can therefore help the body's internal organs to correct imbalances in their digestion, absorption, and energy production activities, and in the circulation of their energy through the meridians.

Acupuncture needles are metallic, solid, and hair-thin. People experience acupuncture differently, but most feel no or minimal pain as the needles are inserted. Some people are energized by treatment, while others feel relaxed. Improper needle placement, movement of the patient, or a defect in the needle can cause soreness and pain during treatment. This is why it is important to seek treatment from a qualified acupuncture practitioner.

According to the NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture, there have been many studies on acupuncture's potential usefulness, but results have been mixed because of complexities with study design and size, as well as difficulties with choosing and using placebos or sham acupuncture. However, promising results have emerged, showing efficacy of acupuncture, for example, in adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and in postoperative dental pain.

There are other situations--such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low-back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma--in which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program. An NCCAM-funded study recently showed that acupuncture provides pain relief, improves function for people with osteoarthritis of the knee, and serves as an effective complement to standard care.

The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulating the body's natural healing abilities, and in promoting physical and emotional well-being.

Jerry Hall