What is Acupuncture?
Written by The Blue Heron Clinic
Practiced for over 2000 years, Traditional Chinese Acupuncture is an alternative medicine which treats patients via the insertion and manipulation of acupuncture needles in various locations on the body. The earliest written record of acupuncture is found in the Huangdi Neijing (translated as The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), dated approximately 200 BC confirming acupuncture's use for the past 2 millennia although some speculate that it's origins may go back some 5000 years or more when the ancient Chinese healers would make use of bone fragments or sharp stones instead of the acupuncture needles in use today.
The use of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine has increased exponentially in private acupuncture clinics, public hospitals and medical centers the world over as the general public and medical professionals alike are coming to realize the natural health benefits which can be provided by acupuncture without the negative side effects so often seen in western biomedicine
How Acupuncture Works
How does Acupuncture work? This continues to be a subject of much research and debate amongst the medical and scientific communities. One theory put forward proposed by R. Melzack and P.D. Wall for how acupuncture affects the nervous system called "the gate theory." In this idea, impulses are transmitted through the nervous system from neuron to neuron, resulting in interpretation of the perception of pain in the brain. If a neuron is bombarded with too many 'pain signals' at once, it closes down, like closing a gate.
Practiced for over 2000 years, traditional Chinese Acupuncture is an alternative medicine which treats patients via the insertion and manipulation of acupuncture needles in various locations on the body.
The earliest written record of acupuncture is found in the Huangdi Neijing(translated as The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), dated approximately 200 BC confirming acupuncture's use for the past 2 millennia although some speculate that it's origins may go back some 5000 years or more when the ancient Chinese healers would make use of bone fragments or sharp stones instead of the acupuncture needles in use today.
The use of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine has increased exponentially in private acupuncture clinics, public hospitals and medical centers the world over as the general public and medical professionals alike are coming to realize the natural health benefits which can be provided by acupuncture without the negative side effects so often seen in western biomedicine
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, the insertion of needles into specific points along one or more of the 12 acupuncture meridians which run vertically, bilaterally and symmetrically on the body affects a persons Chi (Vital Energy). The effects of acupuncture on Chi can be determined by:
- The TCM function of the acu-point being needled
- The Synergistic effect of combining needling across several acu-points
- The Synergistic effect of acu-needling points on more than one acupuncture channel
- The dynamic energetic effect of needling acu-points at distal or local channel sections
What Acupuncture Feels Like
The sensation produced by the insertion and manipulation of acupuncture needles can vary depending on the manipulation methods employed by your acupuncturist and by needle length and thickness. However, most patients report a feeling of heaviness or numbness at the point of insertion which with manipulation of the needle can intensify to a moderate electric sensation flowing outward from the point of insertion.
After insertion and manipulation, needles are usually retained in the patient for 20 to 40 minutes depending on their health requirements, during this time patients may feel a deep relaxation or heaviness of the body which often results in people falling asleep on the treatment tables and being woken 20 to 40 minutes later by their acupuncturist.
Acupuncture Side Effects
Adverse side effects from acupuncture treatment are rare but not unknown. Patients with low blood pressure or anemia may experience some lightheadedness or be prone to fainting during needle insertion due to the dynamic effects of Chi on the body's circulation and blood flow - Your acupuncturist should be made aware of this during the initial consultation process so appropriate safety steps can be taken before treatment begins.
Other rare side effects may be immune system related e.g. if a person has an allergy to silicone (some acupuncture needles are coated in silicone for easier insertion) or the sterilization agent used on the needle during manufacturing. There may also be some patients who have allergies to certain metals - acupuncture needles can be manufactured from copper, silver, steel or gold so make sure you inform your acupuncturist of any issues you may have relating to metal allergies.
Acupuncture Needles
Acupuncture needles have come a long way sine the early days of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Most of today's quality acupuncture needles are classed as a medical device and are manufactured under strict conditions and are subject to stringent government regulation. There are many different types, sizes and thickness of acupuncture needle available on the market today and most (if not all) acupuncturists will use a high quality needle with a good safety record.
Some things to ask your acupuncturist about his / her needles:
- Are they single use / disposable acu-needles
- Are the acupuncture needles silicone or non-silicone coated?
- Do the acupuncture needles meet EU or FDA minimum requirements?
If you have any allergies to metals or chemicals it may also be a good idea to inform your acupuncturist so that extra safety precautions may be taken before your acupuncture treatment begins.
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