Acupuncture essay

stylostixis acupuncture is a traditional Eastern remedy technique that uses fine needles, inserted into item points on the form along the meridians in proper speed to achieve a specific therapeutic goal. acupuncture originated in prehistoric mainland China, and it is based on such theories of traditional Chinese Medicine as treating settlements of Qi, yin-yang balancing, fin elements theory and pulse diagnosis. The structural scheme of communicates and variety meat uses excogitations of yin-yang balancing. Nowadays, stylostixis has become commonly apply in umpteen Western countries as well. A beat 200 B. C. the Yellow emperors textbook of physical medicine called Huang Di Nei Jing described the essential metaphysics of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The ancient Chinese doctors saw man as an intact part of character and all things both in Yin and Yang around him were cogitate to him, and things in Yin and Yang should be in poise. The original meaning of Yin is the shady post of the hill, and Yang is the sunny side of the hill. The opposites complement each other in a dynamic touch on. Thus, Yin and Yang thronenot exist without the other, and the both forces always combine to feed up the whole. This polar organization of Yin and Yang has an grand role in medicine and in the description of life processes in the human body and of their pathologic disturbances. (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 2003, p88) Qi is the vital dexterity or life force, and it is omnipresent in disposition and is app bent in all life in the anatomy of interchange and movement. The action and movement of Qi expresses in e actually life process and every organic function. In the body, Qi accumulates in the organs and coalesces in crinkles or meridians that are called Jing and Luo in Chinese. (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 2003, p. 88) The general theory of stylostixis is based on the premise that on that point are Qi. The fluen t flow of Qi throughout the body is essential for optimal health. Blockage of this energy is thought to cause disease. The aim of the manipulation in Chinese acupuncture is to h developonize the flow of Qi by dissolving blockages and stagnation in the organs and channels. If the Qi of an organ is weakened, the function of this organ will be incomplete or faulty, solely if Qi of an organ is present in xcess, the function of this organ will be excessive. Acupuncture chiffonier balance the conditions of excess or deficiency in the organs, and thus achieve an collected function. The system of five element, like yin-yang balancing, is a philosophy concept and is a way of recognizing and analyzing things. The five elements are wood, fire, earth, metallic element and water. This system is used to explain the reasons of interaction relationship between all things in the nature through the interlinked relationship between the five elements.These basic elements are almost interlinked. s everally element is controlled by another, era itself simultaneously controlling a 3rd phase. concord to Chinese medicine, Qi flows through meridians, and there are11 organs interact intimately with the channels. The 11 organs are described as functional systems and subdivided into six Yang organs and five Yin organs. Large bowel, small intestine, stomach, urinary bladder, gallbladder and Sanjiao are the six Yang organs, and lung, heart, spleen, kidney and liver-colored are the five Yin organs. Pericardium (a double- pariesed air pocket that contains theheartand the roots of the great vessels) is not considered as a Yin organ, but as part of the heart, having a channel. (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 2003, p122) The 12 briny channels form a system of three patterns of channels at the body surface. Each course of channel consists of two checkmate Yin-Yang channels. One equalise runs in parallel along the arm, and the other along the leg. This three courses f low in similar form. One Yin and one Yang organ form a functional unit, which involves a particular tissue and the corresponding channels.Acupuncture points are located on those channels. By the application of needles, heat, or massage on acupuncture points, acupuncturists can make some damaged organs function better. A pair of channels consists of a Yin and a Yang channel. Yang channels run laterally or on the dorsal side of the body, while Yin channels run medially or on the ventral side. (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 2003, p125) there are 12 main channels, like the months of the Chinese zodiac, each representing a major organ system of the body. In addition, there are two extraordinary channels named Ren Mai and Du Mai.Ren Mai is the fanciful vessel, which counts as a Yin channel, while Du Mai is the governing vessel, which counts as a Yang channel. These two extraordinary channels and the 12 main channels together make up the system of 14 channels on which the 361 classic acupuncture points are situated. The 12 main channels form a system of three courses or cycles of channels at the body surface. Each course of channel consists four main channels, two Yin and two Yang channels. One Yin-Yang pair runs in parallel course along the arm, and the other along the leg.An inside branch of the channel derives from the main channel running to the corresponding Yin or Yang organ. (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 2003, p125) The world-class course is located on the ventral side of the body. It is make up of the lung, large intestine, stomach, and spleen channels. The lung channel starts at the chest wall and runs along the volar side of the arm to the corner of the hitchnail, and it belongs to the Yin polarity. The large intestine channel starts from the index hitch and runs on the dorsal side of the arm to the face, and it belongs to the Yang polarity.The stomach channel starts from the face and runs ventrally down the body to the turn toe, and it belongs to the Yang polarity. The spleen channel runs from the foot along the inside of the leg adventure to the chest wall, and thus it belongs to the Yin polarity. The second course is located on the dorsal side of the body. It is made up of the heart, small intestine, urinary bladder and kidney channels. The third course is located on the lateral side of the body. It is made up of the pericardium, Sanjiao, gallbladder and liver channels. These courses flow similar to the first course.A Yin or Yang channel axis is made up of two adjacent Yang channels or two adjacent Yin channels in the same course of channels. The Yang channel axes pass downwards from the arm to the leg through the head and body. The Yin channel axes pass upwards from the feet to arms through the body. The channel axes are important for diagnosis as well as for treatment. Acupuncture are very useful in treating some disorders, such as respiratory disorders, cordial disturbances and illn ess, neurological disorders, skin disorders and disorders of the sense organs, etc.. many respiratory disorders are successfully treated by acupuncture.Especially in degenerative conditions, such as inveterate sinusitis, bronchitis, or bronchial asthma, acupuncture is much issueive than other forms of treatment. international climatic influences such as cold, wind, dryness, and now and then heat are sometimes the causes of a weakened lung Qi. Thus, acupuncture can dissolving the blockage and can strengthen the Qi. Acupuncture treatment is very strong in a large image of psychosomatic disorders, such as agitation or exhaustion conditions, insomnia, depression, sexual disturbances, drug addictions, obesity, and headache. Acupuncture has a harmonizing, sedative, or tonifying effect. Many points of the Du Mail, heart, pericardium, and gallbladder channels have strong psychological set up. (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 2003, p287) Also, organs that are affected in mental disturbances can be treated by stimulation of the points of the corresponding channels. Acupuncture also shows a good effect in migraine, chronic headache and trigeminal neuralgia. match to traditional ideas, chronic headache and migraine are attributed to a blockage of Qi in the Yang channels of the head.The pain in chronic headache is mostly caused by an internal disturbance of organs. The location of pain is very important in planning for an individual acupuncture treatment. However, trigeminal neuralgia is attributed to a blockage of Qi caused by wind, cold, or heat, together with pronounced internal disturbances of the liver or stomach. In the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia, a large number of points in the face are needled on the contra-lateral side they should be manually stimulated over and over again, for dispersing stimulation. (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 2003, p296) Acupuncture treatment is also effective in many skin disorders, such as ne urodermatitis, acne, herpes zoster, psoriasis, and eczema. According to traditional ideas, the skin is related to the lung and the large intestine, and skin disorders are thusly treated with points on the channels relating to the lung and the large intestine. What worth mentioning is that points surrounding the mixed-up skin area should not be needled especially ulcerated regions.Acupuncture treatment is highly effective in disorders of the sense organs, deafness, tinnitus, vertigo, conjunctivitis and visual deficiency. According to traditional concepts, the ear is related to the functional system of the kidney and urinary bladder, while the eye corresponds to the liver and gallbladder. In addition, the ear is closely connected to the Sanjiao channels, which circles round the ear. Stimulation of the distal points of the Sanjiao is higyly effective in ear disorders. Negative effects of acupuncture were rarely reported, however, they do exist and special attention should be paid to. The most frequent complication of acupuncture treatment is the vasovagal episode. more(prenominal) serious complications reported include rare pneumothoraces, lacerations of viscera, compression of nerve trucks collectible to local hematomas, sepsis, transverse myelopathy, eschars and scarring, endocarditis, and broken needles. (Ceniceros, Salvador and Geroge R. Brown, 1998) The first needles were sharp flints, and later metal needles had replaced sharp flints. Different acupuncture needles have different duration and diameter. Usually, the length varies from 1. 5 to 15 cm, and the diameter varies from 26 to 36 gauge (0. 2 to 0. 5mm). Disposable needles are usually made of stainless trade name with handles wrap in copper wire. Today, most used needles are filiform steel needles because the steel is flexible and unbreakable. Filiform needles consist of a tip, a body and a handle. In most cases, 0. 3mm thick needles are used in acupuncture. When insert acupuncture needles, acupun cturist should hold them vertically use three fingers, the thumb on one side of the needle and the index and middle finger on the other side.The needles should be held perpendicular to the three fingers and 1-2cm from the tip of the needles should not be held, especially with long needles, which are more liable to bend. There are two methods of insertion. One is fast method, and the other is low method. desist method causes less pain, while low method may be painful. The insertion can be perpendicular (90), oblique (30-60), or occasionally tangential (10). The depth of insertion and the direction are given with the specific acupuncture point, but they can vary depending on the constitution of the patient.In China in the 1960s, electro-acupuncture (EA) was introduced into clinical practice, especially for treatment of chronic pain and neurological diseases. Electro-acupuncture is aimed at stimulate the points electrically by attaching flexible wires (via small crack clips) to the n eedles. (Gabriel Stux, Brian Berman and Bruce Plmeranz, 2003, p315) Electro-acupuncture uses one pair of needles which are attached flexible wires (via small gator clips) to stimulate the points electrically, instead of twirling the acupuncture needles by hand.Pulses of electricity with the pulse width from 0. 1 to 1. 0 ms in duration are utilise to the needles in order to stimulate nerves. One major advantage of Electro-acupuncture is that it is more convenient than manual therapy, and requires less skills and accurate needle placement. Acupuncture was first introduced to Europe in the 17th century. However, at that time, it was not widely current by Europeans. Most Western skeptics claimed that the traditional Chinese theory of acupuncture was merely anecdotal therefore cannot be reliable.This situation has dramatically changed in the past 20 years. Lots of publications who went to China and saw the use of acupuncture have revealed the reductionism, causal mechanisms for many of the acupuncture effects in many leading Western journals. It is estimated that over 300,000 physicians of over one million practitioners impertinent China use acupuncture treatment for chronic pain. About 90% of the physicians that were found in a recent study of German pain clinics used acupuncture. Also, there are over 11,000 physicians were interested in acupuncture in the USA.In Canada, more than 2000 physicians have taken courses given by the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada. In North America, besides physicians, veterinarians, chiropractors, and naturopaths also use acupuncture. In conclusion, acupuncture based on the Tradition Chinese theory of Yin-Yang balancing, five elements theory to dissolve any blockages in the vital energy Qi. Acupuncture treatments are very useful in variable areas of disorders despite there may few adverse effects. Nowadays, acupuncture is more familiar to Westerns, and it is sure by growing number of people in the world.