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(ăk´yoopungcher) , technique of traditional Chinese medicine, in which a
number of very fine metal needles are inserted into the skin at specially
designated points. For thousands of years acupuncture has been used, along
with herbal medicine, for pain relief and treatment of various ailments. It
has often been combined with moxabustion, the burning of leaves of moxa, the
Chinese wormwood tree. Today it is widely used in China in the treatment of
hay fever, headaches, and ulcers, and some types of blindness, arthritis,
diarrhea, and hypertension. Acupuncture is also used, especially in China,
as a general anesthetic during childbirth and some types of surgery. Unlike
conventional anesthesia, acupuncture does not reduce blood pressure or
depress breathing; in addition, the patient stays fully conscious and there
is no postoperative hangover or nausea. Generally, in the practice of
acupuncture, needles varying in length from 12 in. (1.27 cm) to several
inches are inserted in appropriate points of the body, not necessarily near
the affected organ. The needles are twirled and vibrated in specific ways;
the depth of insertion also affects the treatment. Modern technique
sometimes adds electrical stimulation applied through the needles. The
traditional acupuncture points (there are about 800) are arranged along 14
lines, or meridians, running the length of the body from head to foot.
The traditional Chinese explanation of the effectiveness of acupuncture is
based on the Taoist philosophy (see Taoism ), according to which good health
depends on a free circulation of chi ( qi ), or life-force energy,
throughout all the organs of the body. The chi, in turn, depends upon a
balance of the two opposing energies of yin (negative, dark, feminine) and
yang (positive, bright, masculine). The meridians are the main channels of
flow. When energy flow is impeded at any point, e.g., because of a diseased
organ or stress, illness in other organs may result. Piercing the channels
at the proper points is believed to correct the imbalances.
Western researchers have found that the acupuncture points correspond to
points on the skin having less electrical resistance than other skin areas.
It has been suggested that acupuncture works by stimulating or repressing
the autonomic nervous system in various ways, and there is some evidence
that stimulation of the skin can affect internal organs by means of nerve
reflex pathways. One theory is that acupuncture stimulates the release of
natural pain-relieving chemicals called endorphins . Another is that it
stimulates the pituitary gland, which in turn stimulates the adrenal gland
to release anti-inflammatory chemicals.
Since the early 1970s, acupuncture has gradually become more accepted in the
United States. Many states now accredit schools of acupuncture and
administer licensing examinations for nonphysicians. Some physicians are
studying and using acupuncture as an adjunct treatment. In the United States
acupuncture has been used most often for pain control and drug and alcohol
addiction. One impediment to total acceptance is the difficulty of fitting a
traditional technique from another culture into the strict methods of
scientific clinical trials customary in Western medicine.
Information resource:
http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/a1/acupunct.asp |
