History
Acupuncture forms part of the traditional medicine of China which also includes herbal medicine,
massage, exercise and diet. The earliest texts on Acupuncture date from around 2500 BC and
already present a complex knowledge of both the body's physiology and the pathology of disease.
This implies that Acupuncture is well over 3000 years old. In fact there is evidence to suggest that
people of the Stone Age first used stone and bone needles to scrape the skin or lance abscesses,
and to stimulate certain parts of the body. Although we can only speculate as to how Acupuncture
developed in those early days, we can assume that they eventually noticed that these points seemed
to lie on definite pathways, that the sensation of the needle was felt to pass along a certain line and that
the points had a distinct therapeutic effect. As time went on and knowledge of basic anatomy was acquired,
they were able to develop theories on "channels of energy" in the body.
Research and Development
Although it is one of the oldest systems of medicine still in use today, it has not remained static,
but has developed on the basis of experience and research. Since the creation of the People's
Republic of China in 1949 many studies have been made of the efficacy of traditional medicine
in the light of modern medical experiments. Hundreds of papers reporting experiments and clinical
trials were published and on the basis of this work, traditional and modern medicine were given
equal status. Acupuncture is currently used in hospitals throughout China, some of which are
devoted to the treatment of patients primarily by traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture forms
part of the primary health care of more than a quarter of the world's population and is increasingly
becoming accepted as a medicine in it's own right in Britain and other Western countries.
It is practised now in many hospitals both for anaesthesia and pain relief. Besides, the World Health
Organisation recognises the effectiveness of' Acupuncture in the treatment of 300 different diseases.
Treating the Whole Person
Western medicine and Chinese medicine approach disease in fundamentally different ways which is a
reflection of the different history, philosophy and sociology 0+ the cultures which produced them. Western
medicine seeks an external cause or agent of a specific disease which it isolates and controls or destroys
with surgery or drugs. Chinese medicine takes into consideration not only the symptoms of the disease
but also the life-style, diet, age, physical and emotional traits of a particular individual, and attempts to put
together an overall picture of the patient and so evaluate any patterns of disharmony that may have arisen.
Health in Chinese medicine is seen as a state of total harmony between the physical, emotional, mental
and spiritual aspects of a person. Illness or "dis-ease" expresses a disharmony that manifests as certain
symptoms. Often the symptoms on their own are unimportant as they form only a part of the pattern of
disharmony of a given individual.
The Concept of Energy
Fundamental to Chinese philosophy and Acupuncture is the concept of energy.
The Chinese believed all phenomena in the universe, including human beings, to be part of an energy
field. Energy was seen as preceding and permeating all matter: matter itself being a concentration
of energy. (This has now, of course, been confirmed by modern physics.) The human body is also
permeated by energy (called Qi by the Chinese) which circulates continuously throughout the body.
This "vital energy" keeps the blood circulating, warms the body, and fights disease. Qi flows along
certain pathways, called meridians or channels, forming a network within the entire body and linking
all parts and functions together so that they work as one entity. There are 12 main channels, each
connected to an internal organ, and many subsidiary channels, all of which follow a set pathway in t
he body.
Acupuncture is a method of using fine needles to stimulate the Qi of the body thereby affecting
the energy balance of a person. If the flow of Qi is disturbed; if the Qi does not move smoothly through
the channels; if the Qi is blocked, too weak or too strong, then disease will sooner or later occur. The aim
of Acupuncture treatment is to correct the flow of Qi by inserting needles into particular points along the
channels thereby bringing about a change in a part or function of the body. There are hundreds of
Acupuncture points and each will affect the Qi in a somewhat different way. Change in the energy
balance of the body precedes physical change so that Acupuncture can be used preventatively,
encouraging the body to heal itself by correcting the Qi before a serious illness can develop.
Causes of Disease
Chinese medicine sees the following as causes of disease as they can upset the balance of
the body and so disrupt the flow of Qi:-
- Emotional states - each of the emotions, such as anger, fear, worry, etc. or stress can affect the Qi of the body.
- Climatic conditions - cold, damp, wind, heat, etc. or sudden changes in weather.
- Diet - poor nutrition, overeating, excess salt or fat or irregular meals.
- Drugs - alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, wrongly prescribed drugs, side effects of drugs, "soft" and "hard" drugs.
- Trauma - accidents, falls, operations
- Hereditary factors
- Exercise / rest - i.e. too little or too much of either
- Poisons
- Epidemics - includes infectious disease, viruses, etc.
Diagnosis
An Acupuncturist will need to take a detailed case history which takes into account the patient's
life-style, diet, emotional state, medical history, as well as their presenting symptoms. Formulating
a diagnosis is based on questioning, observation, and an examination of the pulse and tongue,
which are highly developed diagnostic techniques in Acupuncture. The pulse is felt at the radial
artery at the wrist, and the quality, strength and rhythm of the pulse can indicate the type of disease
and the energy balance of the body. By looking at the tongue's colour, shape, movement and coating,
the progression and degree of the disease can be ascertained.
Treatment
Not all diseases lend themselves equally well to Acupuncture. For instance, some diseases,
such as wasting diseases, are very difficult to treat with Acupuncture, especially if they have
progressed to the point where the body has become very thin. This is because Acupuncture works by
restoring an energetic balance to the body and encouraging it's own healing powers. If the body is very
depleted there are no reserves to call on and healing is very slow.
Apart from treating chronic disorders, for which Acupuncture is primarily used in this country,
it is especially effective in treating acute and painful disorders as well as infectious diseases.
Anyone can receive treatment, from babies to octogenarians. In the case of young children massage
of the points may be used rather than needles
Acupuncturists also use a technique called Moxibustion which is the stimulation of energy using
burning herbs which may accompany treatment depending on the symptoms
Acupuncture can be combined with Western drug therapy or it can reduce dependence on drugs ranging
from heroin and valium to nicotine. In the latter case, the drugs will be gradually reduced as the effect of
Acupuncture builds up.
What can Acupuncture treat?
The following list contains some of the diseases more commonly treated by Acupuncture,
based on information from Chinese sources and the experience of practitioners here. It is not
an exhaustive list but serves to illustrate the scope of Acupuncture.
Infectious Diseases
Bacterial Dysentry
Bronchitis
Common Cold
Cough
Diarrhoea/Vomiting
Infectious Hepatitis
Influenza
Malaria
Pneumonia
Ringworm
Shingles
Tetanus
Internal Diseases
Allergies
Arthritis
Asthma
Back Pain
Boils
Catarrh
Colitis
Conjunctivitis
Constipation
Dental Pain
Depression
Dizziness
Eczema
Gall Stones
Gastric Pain
Haemorrhoids
Hay Fever
Hiccough
Hypertension
Hysteria
Incontinence
Indigestion
Insomnia
Jaundice
Kidney Stones
Migraine
Nervous Disorders
Oedema
Otitis Media
Palpitations
Paralysis
Rheumatism
Schizophrenia
Sciatica
Shock
Sinusitis
Stomach Ulcers
Styes
Tennis Elbow
Tenosynovitis
Thyroid Problems
Tinnitis
Tonsillitis
Tugeminal Neuralgia
Urine Retention
Uro-Genital
Infections
Varicose Veins
Vertigo
Women's Diseases
Amenorrhoea
Anaemia
Cystitis
Discharge
Dysmenorrhoea
Habitual Miscarriage
Hot Flushes
Infertility
Irregular Periods
Labour Pains
Lactation Problems
Mastitis
Morning Sickness
Pre-Menstrual Tension
Prolonged Labour
Men's Diseases
Hernias
Impotence
Prostatitis
Children's Diseases
Bed-wetting
Diarrhoea
Mumps
Convulsions
Infantile Paralysis
Whooping Cough
Addictions
Alcohol
Food
Tobacco
Barbiturates
Heroin
Tranquillisers
Information supplied by
The Brighton Natural Health Centre
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