The procedure
involves the insertion of needles into various parts of the body.
What can Acupuncture treat
Acupuncture has been
used to treat conditions such as:
- asthma,
- deafness,
- migraines,
- ulcers,
- eye diseases, and
- some types of mental illness.
According to Chinese philosophy, disease and pain occur because of an imbalance between two principal forces of nature —Yin and Yang.Acupuncture is thought to restore this balance.
Many Chinese and other people believe acupuncture influences a life force that flows along 12 paired and 2 unpaired meridians, channels of energy that run longitudinally in the body.
Therapists called
acupuncturists insert sharp needles at one or more of hundreds of specific
points along the meridian. Insertion of the needles produces a sharp pinching
feeling. This feeling quickly disappears and is replaced by an occasional
tingling or a sense of numbness, heaviness, or soreness while the needles are
in place.
The patient is
conscious throughout treatment.
Scientists have
proposed three major theories of how acupuncture works.
One theory suggests
that the meridians actually exist and connect the body's organs in a special
manner. According to this theory, acupuncture increases activity along the
meridians and thus influences organ function.
Scientists have also
theorized that acupuncture works, at least in part, by increasing the brain's
production of natural painkillers called endorphins. These substances are
morphine-like chemicals that influence the body's awareness of pain.
Scientists also
theorize that acupuncture may work through the nervous system by triggering
signals that interrupt pain messages sent to the brain. This hypothesis is
known as the "gate theory" of pain.
Since the late 1950's,
Chinese doctors have performed surgery using acupuncture as a local anesthetic;
the patient remains fully conscious during the operation. Acupuncture's
practitioners say the anesthetic is effective for complicated operations on the
stomach, chest, neck, and head.
Acupuncture is
frequently used in the Far East and Southeast Asia. In the United States and
other Western countries, it has not yet been totally accepted as a form of
medical treatment.
