Acupunture Healing

Acupuncture, a practice based in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), involves the insertion of fine needles into the body at strategic areas, called "points," to stimulate a natural healing response. According to TCM, the body has channels, also called "meridians," along which energy or "chi" flows. When channels become blocked due to physical barriers, like those caused by strain or injury, or energetic barriers, like those caused by negative emotion, chi stagnates and can lead to disease. Acupuncture needles stimulate the flow of chi along the blocked meridians, clearing away any stagnation. Acupuncture is a complement to conventional medical therapies, but not a replacement.

History

The history of healing through acupuncture is traceable in Chinese medical literature as far back as the Chou period, or approximately 600 BC, according to Joseph Needham, Vivienne Lo and Gwei-Djen Lu, authors of "Celestial Lancets: A History and Rationale of Acupuncture and Moxa." Lu, Needham and Lu note that the oldest mentions of acupuncture occurred after the discovery of iron and steel making techniques that made acupuncture needles easier to manufacture. They speculate that needles of beaten bronze, copper, gold or silver, as well as perishable needles made of bamboo, bone or horn, might have been available long before that time.

Types

Traditional acupuncture techniques involve the gentle insertion of needles, which the practitioner uses to stimulate the flow of chi. "Electroacupuncture" uses a mild electrical charge on the inserted needle to further stimulate a healing response. According to Jacqueline Filshie and Adrian White, authors of "Medical Acupuncture: A Western Scientific Approach," recent explorations of non-needle "acupuncture" include the use of lasers to stimulate acupuncture points, or applying electric stimulation to points through surface electrodes instead of needles. Non-needle approaches might be helpful for you if you are afraid of needles or if you are on anti-coagulant drugs.

Benefits

Acupuncture is a widely used and regulated complementary medical practice. An online article from The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine on acupuncture notes that many people use acupuncture for pain relief, as well as a host of other conditions. There are low risks associated with acupuncture. Research into the benefits of acupuncture and the mechanisms that make it work is ongoing.

How Acupuncture Feels

Because the needles used in acupuncture are extremely fine, most people do not experience pain when they are inserted, according to Harriet Beinfield and Efram Korngold, authors of "Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine." Pressure, heaviness, tingling and soreness around the area of the needle are all good signs during a treatment, since they mean that the chi is moving. Some people feel they need extra rest after a treatment, so set aside some time for a nap or relaxation after an acupuncture appointment.

Considerations

If you decide to pursue acupuncture, remember that it is part of a medical model that seeks to treat the whole person, not just symptoms. Leon Hammer, a psychiatrist who has studied Chinese medicine since 1971, writes in his book "The Patient-Practitioner Relationship in Acupuncture" that practitioners strive to help their patients change the conditions that underlie symptoms.The more you work to take control of your own health, the more benefit you'll receive from acupuncture. Exercise or meditation practices like tai chi or yoga will help you maintain and extend the benefits of your acupuncture treatments long after they are over.