What Is Acupuncture? Benefits, How It Works, Side Effects

Acupuncture is a more than 2500 year old treatment therapy that originated in China. During those times, sharpened stones and bones were used to pierce the acupuncture points, which helped cure a number of diseases. The first document that described acupuncture as an organized treatment therapy was published in “Huangdi Neijing”, a classical Chinese text (White and Ernst, 2004). Acupuncture finds mention even in the ancient Vedas, as a treatment therapy to be used in Ayurveda. Thousands of books since then have been written on the subject of Chinese recovery, and its fundamental philosophies spread long ago to other Asian cultures. Virtually every one the types of Oriental medicine that are used in the West today, such as acupuncture, shiatsu, acupressure massage, and macrobiotics, are part of or have their roots in Chinese medicine. Legend has it that acupuncture developed when ancient Chinese doctors detected unpredicted effects of puncture wounds in Chinese warriors. Although acupuncture is the greatest known technique, Chinese medicine traditionally utilizes herbal remedies, dietary therapy, lifestyle changes and other means to treat patients.

Acupuncture is based on the philosophy that certain energy forces flow throughout the body, and these are very essential for good health. This energy is called as ‘qi’ or ‘chi’. Due to many factors, the energy flow gets disrupted, which then manifests in form of a disease. Acupuncture corrects this imbalanced flow by inserting needles at specific points near the skin surface. This channelizes the energy flow and treats the ailment.

Chinese medicine views the body as a little region of the world, and subject to international laws and principles of stability and balance. Chinese medicine doesn't draw a sharp point, as Western medicine does, between body and mind. The Chinese system considers that emotions and psychological conditions are every bit as powerful on disorder as purely physical mechanics, and considers factors such as function, environment, lifestyle, and relationships as essential to the total image of a patient's wellbeing. Chinese medicine also uses quite different symbols and thoughts to go over the human body and wellness. While Western medicine commonly refers to health concerning measurable physical processes composed of chemical reactions, the Chinese usage thoughts like yin and yang, chi, the manhood, along with the five components to characterize health and the human body. To comprehend the thoughts behind acupuncture, it's worthwhile to present a number of those fundamental terms.

 According to Chinese philosophy,the world and the body can be described by two different but complementary principles, that of yin and yang. For example, in temperature, yin is cold and yang is hot. In gender, yin is female and yang is man. In action, yin is lively and yang is busy. In mild, yin is dark and yang is glowing; in direction yin is inward and downward and yang is up and outward, and so on. Nothing is ever completely yin or yang, but a combination of the two. These two principles are always interacting, opposing, and influencing each other. The goal of Chinese medicine isn't to remove either yin or yang, but to permit the two to balance one another and exist together. As an example, if a person suffers from symptoms of elevated blood pressure, the Chinese system would say that the heart organ might have too much yang, and would urge methods either to decrease the yang or to grow the yin of the heart, depending on the other organs and symptoms in the body. Therefore, acupuncture therapies seek to either raise or reduce yang, or raise or reduce yin in particular areas of the body.

Acupuncture is widely used to relieve pain. Acupuncture, when carried out by trained practitioners, is a safe therapy with very few side effects. It works very well in combination with the traditional medications. In addition, this therapy is a good alternative for people who no longer respond to pain medications or do not want to take the medications. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends acupuncture as an effective remedy for more than forty medical issues, including allergies, respiratory ailments, gastrointestinal disorders, gynecological problems, nervous conditions, and infections of the eyes, throat and nose, and childhood disorders, amongst others. Acupuncture has been used in treating alcoholism and chemical abuse, headaches and chronic pain, related to issues like back arthritis and injuries. Acupuncture is generally best when utilized as prevention or prior to a health condition becomes severe, but it's been used to assist patients suffering from specific musculoskeletal conditions like fibromyalgia.

Acupuncture is primarily used to reduce pain and nausea resulting after surgery or chemotherapy. It helps to cure frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, reduces dental pain, menstrual cramps, headaches, addiction, osteoarthritis, low back pain, asthma, carpel tunnel syndrome and many other musculo-skeletal pains (NCCIH 2014)

Learn more how Acupuncture integrative therapy treatments and wellness plans can help you with the following conditions:

Acupuncture for Cancer Care

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Acupuncture for Psoriasis

In Chinese medicine, disorder as viewed as imbalances within the manhood or chi meridians, and the objective of any treatment or therapy is to help the human body in reestablishing its inherent stability. Infection may be caused by internal variables such as emotions, external variables such as the surroundings and weather, along with other variables such as accidents, injury, diet, and germs. Nevertheless, infection is regarded less primarily a issue with viruses and germs, but because of weakness at the energy of their human body that's letting a illness to happen. In Chinese medicine, no two disorders are the same, as everybody has its own qualities of symptoms and equilibrium. Acupuncture is used to start or fix the flow of chi through the member system, which will fortify the human body and prompt it to cure itself.

 This is done using a very long questionnaire and interview. Afterward the acupuncturist will inspect the individual to come across additional symptoms, looking carefully in the tongue, the heartbeat at different points within the entire body, the complexion, overall behaviour, and other indications such as coughs or pains. From this, the professional will have the ability to ascertain patterns of symptoms that indicate that organs and regions are imbalanced. 

The major precaution that the patient needs to take is to consult a competent and certified acupuncture therapist. Beware of unqualified practitioners. Also, make sure that the needles being used for the procedure are sterile and clean. Pregnant women should not undergo acupuncture on their abdomen and lower backs. Those with bleeding and clotting problems should not undergo acupuncture. Acupuncture is restricted in healing conditions or traumas that need surgery or emergency maintenance (like for broken bones).

Acupuncture can cause soreness at the points of puncture and lead to bruising. Sometimes, pushing the needle very deep can cause organ damage. However, this is a very rare occurrence, if you have consulted an experienced practitioner. Sometimes, unsterile needles lead to viral infections like hepatitis. 

Though it acknowledges the efficiency of the therapy to relieve pain, science, has not been able to predict how the acupuncture therapy works. In a significant study, the scientists were able to prove the efficacy of acupuncture, while conducting randomized clinical trials for chronic pains like osteoarthritis, back and neck pain, shoulder pain, and chronic headache (Vickers et al., 2012). It has more effect than the placebo effect. The scientists further described the technique as relatively non-invasive and very safe. 

1. Acupuncture: What You Need To Know. 2014. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). Accessed on 31 Oct 2015.

2. Vickers AJ, Cronin AM, Maschino AC, et al. 2012. Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Individual Patient Data Meta-analysis. Arch Intern Med. 172(19):1444-1453.

3. White, A. Ernst, E. 2004. A brief history of acupuncture. Rheumatology (Oxford, England) 43 (5): 662–663.