Acupuncture
The World Health Organization has cited 104 different conditions
that acupuncture may help, including the common cold, sinusitis,
gastrointestinal disorders, sciatica and tennis elbow. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is the Federal Government's lead agency for scientific research on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and has this to say about acupuncture.
What we can tell you is that acupuncture is one of the oldest
forms of alternative medicine. It is a technique in which metal
needles are used to puncture selected points of the body and induce
stimulations by various manipulation methods. The earliest success
in this therapy is recorded by a historian of the Han Dyansty (206
BC -220 AD ) where a doctor brought a patient out of coma by applying
acupuncture needles. The doctor was Pein Chueh, who later summed
up his forerunners medical experience and set forth diagnostic
methods. The story started with stone needles and later nine metal
needles (four of gold and five of silver) were discovered from graves
dating back to the second century BC.
Therapists believe that when
the body is unwell the flow of the vital energy of the body or the
Qi (pronounced Chee), as it is known, that normally flows through
14 pathways called meredians, gets blocked for some reason. Inserting
needles into points along the meredian path or twirling them or
charging them with electrical impulse unblocks the chi and restores
the health. Many doctors use acupuncture to treat specific conditions
only - such as pain (largely rheumatism and arthritis) and also
addiction. Some acupuncturists apply their techniques to virtually
any conditions presented to them by a sick or troubled patient.
Because of a holistic approach, acupuncturists are trained to look
for theonset of disease before the patient is even aware of anything
being wrong.
The theory of Channels and Collaterals in Chinese medicine maintains
that all points ( in acupuncture a point means a specific spot on
the body where needling is done to evoke certain reactions) are
capable of both reflecting functional changes of the viscera on
the body surface and passing sensations from the body surface to
the viscera.
According to Chinese traditional medical books there were 12 channels,
15 collaterals and 8 extraordinary channels interwoven into a
system of channels and collaterals linking the viscera and
the body surface, the head and limbs into one integrated whole.
The treatments involve a dozen or fewer disposable needles. While
occasionally uncomfortable, the insertions are almost never painful.
The needles used are so tiny, most patients only feel a slight impression.
Some practitioners deliver a low voltage electrical impulse through
the needles to increase pain relief; at higher frequencies, it is
a means of anesthesia. It often takes 6 to 8 sessions for symptoms
to resolve, though some difficult problems may require up to a year
of treatment.
Men in their mid-thirties have an increased risk in areas in which
acupuncture is very helpful. This is an age when men begin to experience
(high) blood pressure, prostrate inflammation, and sore backs, knees
and elbows.
Moxibustion is closely associated with acupuncture. The therapeutic
effect of moxibustion is produced by the heat of slowly burning
moxa wool sticks (moxa wool is the shredded dried leaves of Chinese
wormwood) held near the diseased area or acupuncture point, or moxa
cones placed directly on or above the area. Though acupuncture and
moxibustion are two different methods, both are applied to points
selected on the basis of the Chinese theory of Channels and Collaterals.
The Chinese Canon of Medicine states that moxibustion may be applied
when acupuncture proves ineffective, giving the rationale for the
long-term juxtaposition of the two. The aroma given off by burning
moxa has been determined by modern science to be due to the volatile
oil content in its leaves, which is effective against certain disease-producing
bacteria.
In the beginning direct moxibustion was applied, which was administered
by placing a moxa cone directly over the point on the skin. The
moxa cone is generally about the size of a half date stone and the
smallest being the size of a grain. Currently, the stick is made
by rolling the moxawool firmly in soft paper and shaping it like
a large - size cigarette. On application, the ignited stick is held
over the acupuncture point, and the duration and intensity of the
heat is controlled to produce the desired effect at the point.
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