Acupuncture, as an important and unique part of traditional Chinese medicine, has played a major role in the health care of the Chinese people, occupying a significant place in the history of traditional Chinese medicine. This can be seen from the following four points:
In ancient China, three legendary characters have been regarded as the founders of Chinese medicine. The earliest is Fu Xi, also called Bao Xi, a legendary tribe leader who was believed to have made many innovations, such as the production of nine kinds of needles.
The second is Shen Nong, the Divine Husbandry Man, who was said to have taught the art of husbandry, and discovered the curative virtues of herbs by tasting a hundred different varieties.
The third is Huang Di, the Yellow Emperor, who was said to have discussed medicine, including acupuncture, with his minister Qi Bo, and was credited with having made nine kinds of needles.
With the development of the Chinese culture and civilization, from the time of the Spring-Autumn period (770-475BC) onwards, there appeared different schools of philosophical thought. It was during this period that the theories of Yin-Yang and Five Elements (Five Evolutive Phases) were applied to medicine.
The most important and influential work of this period is the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow EmperorÂ’s Internal Classic). Although it is said to have been written by the legendary Yellow Emperor, it was predominantly the work of a number of scholars and physicians living between the 5th and 1st Centuries BC. A large proportion of the Neijing deals with acupuncture and its related subjects, indicating that acupuncture had by this time developed into a special branch of Chinese medicine with its own sphere of learning.
From the 3rd Century AD onwards, acupuncture became a more specialised discipline in China with many outstanding specialists, and numerous valuable books devoted exclusively to acupuncture.
The first extant book devoted exclusively to acupuncture is the Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing (A Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion) compiled by Huangfu Mi (214-282) between 259 and 260.
In this book, the name and number of points of each Channel and their exact locations are defined and systematised, and the properties and indications of each point and the methods of needling are presented in great detail. The acupoints of the four limbs are arranged according to the Three Yin and Three Yang Channels of the feet and hands. The number of acupoints is increased from the 295 listed in the Neijing to 349.
In the early 17th Century a trend appeared among quite a few scholarly doctors whereby acupuncture, together with surgery, was regarded as an insignificant and petty skill that was inferior to herbal medicine.
In 1822 Emperor Dao Guang, in the second year after ascending his throne, issued an imperial edict stating that acupuncture and moxibustion were not suitable forms of treatment for a monarch, and should be banned forever from the Imperial Medical Academy. Although the ban was limited to the court, by the second half of the 19th Century the general study and practice of acupuncture was at a low ebb.
By this stage, however, acupuncture and moxibustion had already arrived in Europe and the West. It was first introduced through reports by Jesuits in the 17th Century. In England, James Morris Churchill began to use acupuncture for pain control and Sir William Osler recommended the use of acupuncture in the treatment of lumbago.
Over the past 50 years in China, acupuncture, together with the whole system of traditional Chinese medicine, has been designated a national cultural heritage. Since the 1950s Chinese official policy has been to encourage the study of traditional Chinese medicine and the integration of the two medical systems, traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine.
There is very good scientific evidence showing that acupuncture can help nausea and sickness. For other problems, there is little good scientific evidence that we can rely on because not enough good quality research work has been done. The commonest reason to try acupuncture is to treat painful problems. For conditions such as neck and back pain, your chances of being helped by acupuncture are probably about 80%, with some people becoming completely free of pain.
Acupuncture can be used to treat a vast range of conditions and practitioners often vary enormously in the kind of conditions they are happy to treat. So, whether acupuncture can help you can only really be decided after discussion.
As a general guide, if you are suffering from pain, acupuncture may well help to improve your pain. Results can never be guaranteed. Some people react very well to acupuncture while other people notice little change. In addition, acupuncture often improves sleep, promotes relaxation, and results in a feeling of improved well-being. Many people find that they feel better after acupuncture treatment.
Acupuncture is a method of encouraging the body to promote nature healing and to improve functioning. This is done by inserting needles and applying heat or electrical stimulation at very precise acupuncture points.
Acupuncture is a treatment which can relieve symptoms of some physical and psychological conditions and may encourage the patient's body to heal and repair itself, if it is able to do so.
Acupuncture stimulates the nerves in skin and muscle, and can produce a variety of effects. We know that it increases the body's release of natural painkillers - endorphin and serotonin - in the pain pathways of both the spinal cord and the brain. This modifies the way pain signals are received.
But acupuncture does much more than reduce pain, and has a beneficial effect on health. Patients often notice an improved sense of well-being after treatment.
Modern research shows that acupuncture can affect most of the body's systems - the nervous system, muscle tone, hormmone outputs, circulation, antibody production and allergic responses, as well as the respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems.
Each patient's case will be assessed by the practitioner and treatment will be tailored to the individual; so it is impossible to give more than a general idea of what treatment might involve. Typically, fine needles are inserted through the skin and left in position briefly, sometimes with manual or electrical stimulation. The number of needles varies but may be only two or three. Treatment might be once a week to begin with, then at longer intervals as the condition responds.
There are so many possibilities, and this list is by no means exhaustive. However, it does give a rough idea of the wide range of conditions that respond to acupuncture treatment.
The classical Chinese explanation is that channels of energy run in regular patterns through the body and over its surface. These energy channels, called meridians, are like rivers flowing through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues. An obstruction in the movement of these energy rivers is like a dam that backs up the flow in one part of the body and restricts it in others.
The meridians can be influenced by needling the acupuncture points; the acupuncture needles unblock the obstructions at the dams, and reestablish the regular flow through the meridians. Acupuncture treatments can therefore help the body's internal organs to correct imbalances in their digestion, absorption, and energy production activities, and in the circulation of their energy through the meridians.
The modern scientific explanation is that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These chemicals with either change the experience of pain, or they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones which influence the body's own internal regulating system.
The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulating the body's natural healing abilities, and in promoting physical and emotional well-being.
Drugs and surgery often cause negative side effects and can also be quite expensive. Acupuncture is a cost-effective alternative that has proven itself effective over the course of centuries. It is "holistic", meaning that the "whole" person is treated, both mind and body, not just isolated systems or parts of the body.
When the energy of the body is balanced, the body is empowered to heal itself. Treatments do not cause side effects, and when treated for a specific condition, a person often notices an overall improvement in health.
The needles are inserted quite superficially, rarely penetrating more than 1/4" to 1/2" below the skin. They may be inserted anywhere on the body and often in paradoxical places. Potentially any point on the skin can be considered as an Acupuncture point and may exert an effect; however, experience indicates that there are certain known Acupuncture points which are more effective than others and these tend to be used by preference.
The needles used are individually sterilised and disposable. They are used on one subject only before being discarded.
People experience acupuncture needling differently. Most patients feel only minimal pain as the needles are inserted; some feel no pain at all. Once the needles are in place, there is no pain felt.
Acupuncture needles are very thin and solid and made from stainless steel. The point is smooth (not hollow with cutting edges like a hypodermic needle) and insertion through the skin is not as painful as injections or blood sampling. Also, the risk of bruising and skin irritation is less than when using a hollow needle.
Acupressure is the pressing of acupoints, but Tui Na (pronounced "twee-nah") makes use of many different strokes that are applied to acupoints, channels and muscle groups. Most importantly, Tui Na is a physical expression of the flow of Qi energy from one human being to another. When done with correct intent, the strokes and techniques stimulate an exchange of Qi energy between the practitioner and the patient, and this is the secret healing power of Tui Na.
Tui Na is an Oriental Bodywork Therapy that has been used in China for 2,000 years. Tui Na uses the traditional Chinese medical theory of the flow of Qi through the meridians as its basic therapeutic orientation. Through the application of massage and manipulation techniques Tui Na seeks to establish a more harmonious flow of Qi through the system of channels and collaterals, allowing the body the naturally heal itself.
Tui Na methods include the use of hand techniques to massage the soft tissue (muscles and tendons) of the body, acupressure techniques to directly affect the flow of Qi , and manipulation techniques to realign the musculoskeletal and ligamentous relationships (bone-setting). External herbal poultices, compresses, liniments, and salves are also used to enhance the other therapeutic methods.
Tui Na has a variety of different systems that emphasize particular aspects of these therapeutic principles. The main schools in China include the rolling method school which emphasizes soft tissue techniques and specializes in joint injuries and muscle sprains, the one finger pushing method school which emphasizes techniques for acupressure and the treatment of internal diseases, and Nei Gung method school which emphasizes the use of Nei Gong Qi energy generation exercises and specific massage methods for revitalizing depleted energy systems, and the bone setting method school which emphasizes manipulation methods to realign the musculoskeletal and ligamentous relationships and specializes in joint injuries and nerve pain.
In a typical session, the client, wearing loose clothing and no shoes, lies on a table or floor mat. The practitioner examines the specific problems of the client and begins to apply a specific treatment protocol. The major focus of application is upon specific pain sites, acupressure points, energy meridians, and muscles and joints. Advanced Tui Na practitioners may also use Chinese herbs to facilitate quicker healing. Sessions last from 30 minutes to 1 hour. Depending on the specific problems of the client, they may return for additional treatments. The client usually feels relaxed but energized by the treatment.
Traditional Chinese Medicinal therapies comprise of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine treatments, Qi Gong, and Tui Na (Chinese massage).
The theories of Yin-Yang and the Five Element were the creation and development of the ancient Chinese through their long and faithful tradition of observing nature's cycles and changes. They held that wood, fire, earth, metal, and water were the basic substances constituting the material world. These five basic substances were considered an indispensable part of daily life. They also noted that the material world is in a constant state of flux due to the dynamic movement and mutual antagonism of yin and yang factors.
The ancient Chinese applied these two theories in the medical field to explain the physiological activities and pathological changes of the human body, and to serve as a guide to the clinical treatment on the basis of syndrome differentiation. These theories have become in important component of traditional Chinese medicine.
Unity Continental Acupuncture & Medical Centre (Singapore)