About Acupuncture

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a technique in which practitioners insert fine needles into into parts of the body for therapeutic or preventative purposes. The needles may be manipulated manually or stimulated with small electrical currents (electroacupuncture).

In Chinese character 針灸 means "Acupuncture and Moxibustion". According to the World Health Organization, acupuncture is used in 103 of 129 countries that reported data. Acupuncture is most commonly used to treat pain in the West. Increasingly, it is being used for overall wellness, including stress management, digestive issues, infertility, and more.

A brief history of acupuncture

Acupuncture first developed in China at least 2,500 years ago. The most famous book about the practice of acupuncture is popularly known as the Yellow Emperor’s Canon of Internal Medicine. The Yellow Emperor’s Canon of Internal Medicine along with another text the Classic of Difficulties Nanjing (難經), compiled in the 1st centuries 2nd AD, contain the foundational theories of acupuncture. These books introduce the acupuncture points, the meridians, needle techniques, the causes of disease, and methods of diagnosis such as taking the pulse.

Acupuncture has gained popularity worldwide since the 1970s. In 1979, the WHO held a symposium on acupuncture. They created a list of 43 diseases that acupuncture can help with. In 1997, along with several National Institutes of Health, they published a Consensus Statement on acupuncture.

There are different styles of acupuncture. These can be divided into three broad categories: traditionally based systems of acupuncture, western medical acupuncture, and microsystems: eg, ear acupuncture.

Traditional Acupuncture

The Chinese word for acupuncture is zhenjiu (針灸). The first character ‘zhen’ means needle, the second character ‘jiu’ means moxibustion. Moxibustion is the burning of an herb called moxa (Chinese Mugwort, Artemisia argyi) to warm specific parts of the body, including acupuncture points. Archaeological evidence suggests that moxibustion was the most commonly practised method of stimulating the points when acupuncture first began. The use of moxibustion is perhaps one of the most obvious differences between traditional and medical acupuncture. Other techniques such as cupping, guasha and tuina massage have also been used alongside acupuncture for thousands of years. In addition, acupuncturists may make dietary recommendations or suggest specific exercises such as tai ji quan and qi gong. In short, the traditional practice of acupuncture involves more than the insertion of needles.

Traditional styles of acupuncture utilise an understanding of health and illness that has developed for over 2000 years. This theoretical knowledge guides the diagnosis, selection of points and whether to use moxibustion or needles. In traditional acupuncture there is no mind-body split. In other words, the physical, emotional and mental aspect of life are seen as interdependent. The mind-body is seen as a system and understanding the relationship between the various parts is central to making a diagnosis and treatment plan. The focus is on the whole individual rather than a particular sign or symptom in isolation. In practice this means when treating headache, for example, an acupuncturist may wish to understand whether there are any problems with the digestion. If there are problems, this will change the diagnosis and result in the selection of different acupuncture points.

Western Medical Acupuncture

Western acupuncture, also known as Medical acupuncture is an adaptation of traditional acupuncture using current knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathology, and the principles of evidence-based medicine. While Western medical acupuncture has evolved from Chinese acupuncture, the therapy is different as it does not follow the concept of qi energy, instead using fine needles to stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities. It acts mainly by stimulating the nervous system. Practitioners of Western medical acupuncture tend to pay less attention than classical acupuncturists to choosing one point over another, though they generally choose classical points as the best places to stimulate the nervous system.

Although Western acupuncture is sought by patients for a broad range of purposes, it is most commonly used for pain relief.

Auricular Acupuncture

Auricular acupuncture is a type of acupuncture that involves stimulating specific areas of the ear.

Research on auricular acupuncture for chronic back pain and cancer pain has had promising results.

In a 2019 review of 15 studies (930 participants) of auricular acupuncture or auricular acupressure (a form of auricular therapy that does not involve penetration with needles), the treatment significantly reduced pain intensity, and 80 percent of the individual studies showed favorable effects on various measures related to pain.
A 2020 review of 9 studies (783 participants) of auricular acupuncture for cancer pain showed that auricular acupuncture produced better pain relief than sham auricular acupuncture. Also, pain relief was better with a combination of auricular acupuncture and drug therapy than with drug therapy alone.

The traditional acupuncture theories of health and illness are based on the concept of Qi (氣). In Chinese, Qi has lots of different meanings depending on the context, but in it’s simplest sense, Qi is life force, vitality or energy flowing through your body. Qi flows through all of our organs, and is replenished from the air we breath and the food we eat. The proper flow and quality of Qi is fundamental to treatment and optimal health in Chinese medicine.

Through questioning and observation, acupuncturists will assess the state of a person’s Qi. This assessment can be related to the ‘organs’ or zangfu (臟腑). Normally we use biomedical names such as Lungs, Kidney and Liver for the zangfu, however, it is important to note, the Lungs, Kidneys etc. are defined differently in Chinese medicine to the biomedical lungs and kidneys, although there is some overlap. If a person feels tightness in the chest, they have a quiet voice and catch colds easily these are signs and symptoms that inform the acupuncturist about the Qi of the Lungs.

The traditional theory describes Qi flowing around the body through the channels called meridians. The Chinese word for meridian is jingluo (經絡) which relates to two concepts: Jing refers to the familiar main meridians and Luo means ‘resembling a net’ referring to smaller meridians that cover the entire body. These meridians and energy flows are accessible through 361 acupuncture points in the body. Inserting needles into these points with appropriate combinations will bring the energy flow back into balance thus being healthy.

In the traditional theory illness can be described in terms of deficiency of Qi, excess of Qi, or blockage of Qi within the meridian (jingluo) and organ (zangfu) system. Acupuncture seeks to move the Qi within this system to tonify deficiency, reduce excess and clear blockages.

Before the procedure:
To determine the type of acupuncture treatment that will help you the most, your practitioner may ask you about your symptoms, lifestyle, your medical history, read your pulse and look at your tongue using the TCM diagnostics. Your acupuncturist will decide which combination of points is right for your whole body as well as your symptoms.

During the procedure:
Acupuncture needles are inserted into various depths at strategic points on your body. The needles are very thin, so insertion usually causes little discomfort. The typical treatment uses 5 to 20 needles. Your practitioner may gently move or twirl the needles after placement or apply heat or mild electrical pulses to the needles. It is normal to feel a mild tingle or dull ache as your acupuncturist adjusts the needle. In most cases, the needles remain in place for 10 to 15 minutes while you lie still and relax. Many people feel deeply relaxed during the treatment. There is usually no discomfort when the needles are removed.

The course of treatment:
Normally, people will have a course of treatment. The number of treatments a person will need depends on their individual case. Weekly sessions are quite usual to begin with, for perhaps five or six treatments. An acute health issue typically improves after 8–12 sessions. However, if your symptoms don't begin to improve within a few weeks, acupuncture may not be right for you.

Is Acupuncture Safe?

Relatively few complications from using acupuncture have been reported. However, complications have resulted from the use of nonsterile needles and improper delivery of treatments. Acupuncture needles must be sterile, nontoxic, and labeled “for one use only” by a trained practitioner.

When not delivered properly by a trained practitioner, acupuncture can cause serious adverse effects, including infections, punctured organs, and injury to the central nervous system.

Does acupuncture therapy hurt?

If carried out by a qualified therapist, acupuncture is usually painless although a slight pricking sensation may be experienced as needles are inserted, with any slight tugging or aching sensations passing away shortly after.

It is important to let the acupuncturist know if treatment is uncomfortable. Quite often a slight change to needle position or pressure can eliminate discomfort.

Many patients report a feeling of relaxation during treatment. Some even fall asleep during a session.

What is acupuncture used for?

Acupuncture is used for a broad range of conditions:

Digestive

Gynecological

Ear-Eye-Throat

Gastritis
Irritable bowel syndrome
Hepatitis
Hemorrhoids

Menstrual pain
Infertility
Menopausal hot flushes

Rhinitis
Sinusitis
Sore throat

Neurological

Emotional

Respiratory

Headaches and Migraines
Neurogenic bladder dysfunction
Parkinson's disease
Postoperative pain
Stroke
Cancer pain

Anxiety
Depression
Insomnia
Nervousness
Neurosis

Allergic rhinitis
Sinusitis
Bronchitis
Asthma in adults

Metabolism/Cancer

Musculoskeletal

Miscellaneous

Cancer pain
Cancer-related fatigue
Hypertension
(with medication)
Nausea induced by chemotherapy
Obesity

Arthritis
Back pain
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Knee osteoarthritis
Muscle cramping
Muscle pain and weakness
Neck pain
Plantar heel pain
Postoperative pain
Post-stroke spasticity
Prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain
Sciatica
Shoulder pain

Irritable bladder
Prostatitis
Male infertility
Some forms of impotence
Addiction
Dry eye