Acupuncture is a form of alternative treatment<\/strong> for a wide array of disorders. This popular treatment can potentially mitigate pain, enhance mood and sleep, and improve the overall health and quality of life for an individual with few adverse side effects.<\/p>\n However, despite these miraculous indications, the medical and scientific community are skeptical about how it works, and whether it is safe and effective.<\/p>\n Many clinical and mechanical studies have produced conflicting results<\/strong>, making acupuncture not only a complex treatment to study but also a controversial, active area of research.<\/p>\n This post will explore how practitioners believe acupuncture works, as well as the pros and cons of acupuncture from a scientific standpoint.<\/p>\n Acupuncture is one of the oldest practices in Traditional Chinese Medicine<\/strong> and is used to treat a variety of conditions. Acupuncture has been around for centuries and also has more recently become popular in Western countries [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n It is thought to have originated in ancient China from about 6000 BCE<\/strong> and has spread throughout the world at various times. However, there are other alternative theories about the origins of acupuncture [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine create therapeutic effects through needling, pressure, or heat for certain medical conditions [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Traditional Chinese Medicine also involves ear acupuncture<\/strong>, moxibustion<\/strong>, scraping<\/strong>, cupping therapy<\/strong>, and the use of herbs. If the patient cannot or prefers not to use needles, a tuning fork is sometimes used to stimulate acupuncture points.<\/p>\n During acupuncture, thin metal needles are inserted at acupuncture points, or acupoints [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n These thin metal needles are briefly manipulated manually<\/strong> to penetrate the skin. The needles are then left in the skin for a period of time (30 minutes – hours). Some practitioners believe that electrical stimulation of the needle can enhance the stimulation of the acupoints [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n The acupuncturists may also stimulate the points by either moving the needles up and down or rotating the needles [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Although it originated in China, acupuncture has also been incorporated into other forms of traditional medicine, with some variations in nearby countries like Korea and Japan [R<\/a>]. In Western countries, the Chinese form is generally practiced.<\/p>\n In traditional acupuncture, the practitioner examines the patient as a whole person, using cues such as complexion, body temperature, temperament, pulse, and tongue readings. Then, the practitioner treats the whole person’s pattern based on \u201cQi blockages\u201d and organs that they believe need to be supported.<\/p>\n Most practitioners describe acupuncture as unblocking \u201cQi\u201d or life energy to flow through \u201cmeridians.\u201d These acupuncture points and meridians act as special conduits or paths for electrical signals to travel [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n However, the theory that acupuncture works by moving Qi is controversial at best<\/strong>, because it does not fit within our current understanding of anatomy and physiology<\/strong>. There are many other alternatives but more sensible theories that explain why acupuncture is effective [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Traditional acupuncture has been indicated for a wide variety of conditions, including pain, infertility, hormonal problems, mood disorders, neurological disorders, skin problems, insomnia, allergies, digestive problems, and cancers [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Ear acupuncture (auricular)<\/p>\n Ear acupuncture is part of traditional acupuncture. It involves stimulation of precise points in the ear for specific therapeutic effects [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Some researchers argue that ear acupuncture stimulates the vagus nerve<\/a> and improves heart rate<\/a> variability [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n There are many theories that explain how ear acupuncture could work, including [R<\/a>]:<\/p>\n In rats, ear electroacupuncture had anti-inflammatory effects. This effect was reversed by blocking an acetylcholine<\/a> receptor, but not opioid receptors. The researchers, therefore, suggested that vagus nerve stimulation by ear acupuncture could reduce inflammation via a cholinergic pathway [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Medical acupuncture is generally practiced by other medical practitioners that are not formally trained as acupuncturists. These could be physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths, massage therapists, or medical doctors who take a short course (16 hours – 2 years) and obtain a certificate in medical acupuncture.<\/p>\n Generally, the purpose of medical acupuncture is only to relieve pain and restore functional mobility after an injury. Dry needling<\/strong> is used to lengthen shortened muscles and release trigger points [R<\/a>]. Electroacupuncture<\/strong> on the muscles or near injured joints is used to stimulate blood flow to the area, flush out inflammation, and promote the correct function of the muscles [R<\/a>]. Suction cups can also be used to bring more blood flow to the area and to release adhesions.<\/p>\n The use of needles specifically to release trigger points is not typically practiced in the context of traditional Chinese medicine.<\/p>\n Some medical acupuncture practitioners also put needles on some traditional meridian points to relieve pain and relax the patients. However, their scope of practice is typically only limited to the use of acupuncture to treat pain and not other generalized disorders that can be treated by fully-trained acupuncturists.<\/p>\n Moxibustion<\/strong> is an external treatment that involves burning moxa (mugwort) wood or sticks on different points on the body in order to stimulate circulation<\/strong> [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Moxa is burned near an acupoint to cause a warm, painless sensation. This external treatment is widely used and believed to correct abnormal fetal position in pregnant patients. However, a systematic review found limited evidence <\/strong>to support this use [R<\/a>, R<\/a>].<\/p>\n Moxibustion creates heat, which is believed to insulate the specific part of the body and stimulate acupoints. These effects induce the heat shock proteins<\/a> (HSPs) in local tissues, causing vasodilation and increased blood flow [R<\/a>].<\/p>\n The radiation effects of moxibustion allow the body to absorb energy from infrared waves and convert it to heat. This heat is believed to increase blood circulation and improve cellular and enzymatic metabolism [R<\/a>].<\/p>\nHistory of Acupuncture<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Forms of Acupuncture<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Traditional<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Ear (Auricular)<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"Ear](\"https:\/\/selfhacked.com\/app\/uploads\/2017\/08\/ear-acupuncture-auricular-320x480.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/selfhacked.com\/app\/uploads\/2017\/08\/word-image-1-480x350.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n\n
Medical<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Moxibustion<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n