Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical procedure
involving insertion and manipulation of needles at more than 360 points in the
human body. Applied to relieve pain during surgery or in rheumatic conditions,
and to treat many other illnesses, acupuncture is used today in most hospitals
in China and by some private practitioners in Japan, Europe, and the United States.
Acupressure, a variant in which the
practitioner uses manipulation rather than penetration to alleviate pain or other
symptoms, is in widespread use in Japan and has begun to find adherents in the
United States and elsewhere. Also known as shiatsu, acupressure is administered
by pressing with the fingertips-and sometimes the elbows or knees-along a complex
network of trigger points in the patient's body.
In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed
an energy called chi flows along invisible energy channels called 'meridians'
which are believed to be linked to internal organs. Sticking needles at particular
points along those meridians is believed to increase or decrease that flow of
energy.
Chinese traditional medicine sees that a
balance has to be kept between two opposing yet complementary natural forces called
'yin' (female) and 'yang' (male). Yin force is seen as being passive, tranquil,
and represents darkness, coldness, moisture and swelling. Yang force is seen a
being aggressive and stimulating, and represents light, heat, dryness and contraction.
History
Acupuncture needles dating from 4,000 years
ago have been found in China. The first needles were made of stone; later, bronze,
gold, or silver were used, and, today, needles are usually made of steel. Initially,
needles were used only to prick boils and ulcers. Acupuncture was developed in
response to the theory that there are special "meridian points" on the
body connected to the internal organs, and that "vital energy" flows
along the meridian lines. According to this theory, diseases are caused by interrupted
energy flow, and inserting and twirling needles restores normal flow.
Treatment
The primary use of acupuncture in China
today is for surgical analgesia (pain relief). Chinese surgeons estimate
that 30 per cent of surgical patients obtain adequate analgesia with acupuncture,
which is now done by sending an electrical current through the needles rather
than by twirling them. American doctors who have observed surgery done under acupuncture
have verified that it is effective in some patients, but put the figure closer
to 10 per cent. Brain surgery is especially amenable to this form of analgesia.
Chinese surgeons claim that acupuncture is superior to Western, drug-induced analgesia
in that it does not disturb normal body physiology, and, therefore, does not make
the patient vulnerable to shock (acute fall in blood pressure).
Chinese doctors also treat some forms of
heart disease with acupuncture. As part of an attempt to put the practice on a
more scientific basis, they studied the effects of acupuncture treatment on more
than 600 people with chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart. They
claimed that almost all the patients greatly reduced their use of medicine, and
that most were able to resume work. Other physiological conditions treated with
acupuncture are peptic ulcers, hypertension (high blood pressure), appendicitis,
and asthma.
In 1979, the World Health Organisation listed
some 40 diseases that could be successfully treated with acupuncture, including
breathing difficulties, digestive problems, disorders of the nervous system and
painful menstruation
Click here for a list of practitioners, schools and
associations.
Useful Organisations:
Send an email to info@chisuk.org.uk
if you would like to have your school or association listed on this page.
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