Monday, April 28, 2008

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the experiential summary undergoing the long-term struggle by the Chinese people. Actually it consists of two parts: operations with needles and ones with fire, both of them are essential and correlative during curing. We will come to each respectively:

Acupuncture and massage have become more and more accepted within the medicine field of the world. What fascinates people is that fine needles and the gentle strength can make you healthy without taking lots of pills. Now these two, complementary medicines, are the major representatives of Chinese medicine in the west.

There two method in acupuncture:
Operations with Needles
Operations with Fire

History of Acupuncture

In China, the practice of acupuncture can perhaps be traced as far back as the stone age, with the Bian shi, or sharpened stones. Stone acupuncture needles dating back to 3000 B.C. have been found by archeologists in Inner Mongolia. Clearer evidence exists from the 1st millennium BCE, and archeological evidence has been identified with the period of the Han dynasty (202 BC?220 AD). Forms of it are also described in the literature of traditional Korean medicine where it is called chimsul. It is also important in Kampo, the traditional medicine system of Japan.

Recent examinations of ?tzi, a 5,000-year-old mummy found in the Alps, have identified over 50 tattoos on his body, some of which are located on acupuncture points that would today be used to treat ailments ?tzi suffered from. Some scientists believe that this is evidence that practices similar to acupuncture were practiced elsewhere in Eurasia during the early bronze age. According to an article published in The Lancet by Dorfer et al., "We hypothesised that there might have been a medical system similar to acupuncture (Chinese Zhenjiu: needling and burning) that was practiced in Central Europe 5,200 years ago... A treatment modality similar to acupuncture thus appears to have been in use long before its previously known period of use in the medical tradition of ancient China. This raises the possibility of acupuncture having originated in the Eurasian continent at least 2000 years earlier than previously recognised.", .

Acupuncture's origins in China are uncertain. The earliest Chinese medical text that first describes acupuncture is the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine (History of Acupuncture) Huangdi Neijing, which was compiled around 305?204 B.C. However, the Chinese medical texts (Ma-wang-tui graves, 68 BC) do not mention acupuncture. Some hieroglyphics have been found dating back to 1000 B.C. that may indicate an early use of acupuncture. Bian stones, sharp pointed rocks used to treat diseases in ancient times, have also been discovered in ruins; some scholars believe that the bloodletting for which these stones were likely used presages certain acupuncture techniques.

According to one legend,, acupuncture started in China when some soldiers who were wounded by arrows in battle experienced a relief of pain in other parts of the body, and consequently people started experimenting with arrows (and later needles) as therapy.

R.C. Crozier in the book Traditional medicine in modern China (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1968) says the early Chinese Communist Party expressed considerable antipathy towards classical forms of Chinese medicine, ridiculing it as superstitious, irrational and backward, and claiming that it conflicted with the Party’s dedication to science as the way of progress. Acupuncture was included in this criticism. Reversing this position, Communist Party Chairman Mao later said that "Chinese medicine and pharmacology are a great treasure house and efforts should be made to explore them and raise them to a higher level."

Representatives were sent out across China to collect information about the theories and practices of Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine is the formalized system of Chinese medicine that was created out of this effort. TCM combines the use of acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, tui na, and other modalities. After the Cultural Revolution, TCM instruction was incorporated into university medical curricula under the "Three Roads" policy, wherein TCM, biomedicine, and a synthesis of the two would all be encouraged and permitted to develop. After this time, forms of classical Chinese medicine other than TCM were outlawed, and some practitioners left China.

The first forms of acupuncture to reach the United States were brought by non-TCM practitioners -such as Chinese rail road workers- many employing styles that had been handed down in family lineages, or from master to apprentice (collectively known as "Classical Chinese Acupuncture").

In Vietnam, Dr. Van Nghi and colleagues used the classical Chinese medical texts and applied them in clinical conditions without reference to political screening. They rewrote the modern version: Trung E Hoc. Van Nghi was made the first President of the First World Congress of Chinese Medicine at Bejing in 1988 in recognition of his work.

In the 1970s, acupuncture became vogue in America after American visitors to China brought back firsthand reports of patients undergoing major surgery using acupuncture as their sole form of anesthesia. Since then, tens of thousands of treatments are now performed in this country each year for many types of conditions such as back pain, headaches, infertility, stress, and many other illnesses.

Traditional Theory of Acupuncture

Chinese medicine is based on a pre-scientific paradigm of medicine that developed over several thousand years. Its theory holds the following explanation of acupuncture:

Health is a condition of balance of yin and yang within the body. Particularly important in acupuncture is the free flow of Qi, a difficult-to-translate concept that pervades Chinese philosophy and is commonly translated as "vital energy"). Qi is immaterial and hence yang; its yin, material counterpart is Blood (capitalized to distinguish it from physiological blood, and very roughly equivalent to it). Acupuncture treatment regulates the flow of Qi and Blood, tonifying where there is deficiency, draining where there is excess, and promoting free flow where there is stagnation. An axiom of the medical literature of acupuncture is "no pain, no blockage; no blockage, no pain."

Many patients claim to experience the sensations of stimulus known in Chinese as de qi ("obtaining the Qi" or "arrival of the Qi"). This kind of sensation was historically considered to be evidence of effectively locating the desired point. (There are some electronic devices now available which will make a noise when what they have been programmed to describe as the "correct" acupuncture point is pressed).

TCM treats the human body as a whole that involves several "systems of function" generally named after anatomical organs but not directly associated with them. The Chinese term for these systems is Zang Fu, where zang is translated as "viscera" or solid organs and fu is translated as "bowels" or hollow organs. In order to distinguish systems of function from physical organs, Zang Fu are capitalized in English, thus Lung, Heart, Kidney, etc. Disease is understood as a loss of balance of Yin, Yang, Qi and Blood (which bears some resemblance to homeostasis). Treatment of disease is attempted by modifying the activity of one or more systems of function through the activity of needles, pressure, heat, etc. on sensitive parts of the body of small volume traditionally called "acupuncture points" in English, or "xue" (穴, cavities) in Chinese. This is referred to in TCM as treating "patterns of disharmony."


Acupuncture points and meridians
See also: Acupuncture points and Channel (Chinese medicine)
Needles are being inserted into patient skin.

Most of the main acupuncture points are found on the "twelve main meridians" and two of the "eight extra meridians" (Du Mai and Ren Mai) a total of "fourteen channels", which are described in classical and traditional chinese medical texts, as pathways through which Qi and "Blood" flow. There also exist "extra points" not belonging to any channel. Other tender points (known as "ashi points") may also be needled as they are believed to be where stagnation has gathered.

Treatment of acupuncture points may be performed along several layers of pathways, most commonly the twelve primary channels, or mai, located throughout the body. The first twelve channels correspond to systems of function: Lung, Large Intestine, Stomach, Spleen, Heart, Small Intestine, Bladder, Kidney, Pericardium, San Jiao (an intangible, also known as Triple Burner), Gall Bladder, and Liver. Other pathways include the Eight Extraordinary Pathways (Qi Jing Ba Mai), the Luo Vessels, the Divergents and the Sinew Channels. Ashi (tender) points are generally used for treatment of local pain.

Of the eight extraordinary pathways, only two have acupuncture points of their own: the Ren Mai and Du Mai, which are situated on the midline of the anterior and posterior aspects of the trunk and head respectively. The other six meridians are "activated" by using a master and couple point technique which involves needling the acupuncture points located on the twelve main meridians that correspond to the particular extraordinary pathway.

The twelve primary pathways run vertically, bilaterally, and symmetrically and every channel corresponds to and connects internally with one of the twelve Zang Fu ("organs"). This means that there are six yin and six yang channels. There are three yin and three yang channels on each arm, and three yin and three yang on each leg.
The three yin channels of the hand (Lung, Pericardium, and Heart) begin on the chest and travel along the inner surface (mostly the anterior portion) of the arm to the hand.
The three yang channels of the hand (Large intestine, San Jiao, and Small intestine) begin on the hand and travel along the outer surface (mostly the posterior portion) of the arm to the head.
The three yin channels of the foot (Spleen, Liver, and Kidney) begin on the foot and travel along the inner surface (mostly posterior and medial portion) of the leg to the chest or flank.
The three yang channels of the foot (Stomach, Gallbladder, and Urinary Bladder) begin on the face, in the region of the eye, and travel down the body and along the outer surface (mostly the anterior and lateral portion) of the leg to the foot.

The movement of Qi through each of the twelve channels comprises an internal and an external pathway. The external pathway is what is normally shown on an acupuncture chart and is relatively superficial. All of the acupuncture points of a channel lie on its external pathway. The internal pathways are the deep course of the channel where it enters the body cavities and related Zang Fu organs. The superficial pathways of the twelve channels describe three complete circuits of the body, chest to hands, hands to head, head to feet, feet to chest, etc.

The distribution of Qi through the pathways is said to be as follows (the based on the demarcations in TCM's Chinese Clock): Lung channel of hand taiyin to Large Intestine channel of hand yangming to Stomach channel of foot yangming to Spleen channel of foot taiyin to Heart channel of hand shaoyin to Small Intestine channel of hand taiyang to Bladder channel of foot taiyang to Kidney channel of foot shaoyin to Pericardium channel of hand jueyin to San Jiao channel of hand shaoyang to Gallbladder channel of foot shaoyang to Liver channel of foot jueyin then back to the Lung channel of hand taiyin. According to the "Chinese clock", each channel occupies two hours, beginning with the Lung, 3AM-5AM, and coming full circle with the Liver 1AM-3AM.


Traditional diagnosis

The acupuncturist decides which points to treat by observing and questioning the patient in order to make a diagnosis according to the tradition which he or she utilizes. In TCM, there are four diagnostic methods: inspection, auscultation and olfaction, inquiring, and palpation (Cheng, 1987, ch. 12).
Inspection focuses on the face and particularly on the tongue, including analysis of the tongue size, shape, tension, color and coating, and the absence or presence of teeth marks around the edge.
Auscultation and olfaction refer, respectively, to listening for particular sounds (such as wheezing) and attending to body odor.
Inquiring focuses on the "seven inquiries", which are: chills and fever; perspiration; appetite, thirst and taste; defecation and urination; pain; sleep; and menses and leukorrhea.
Palpation includes feeling the body for tender "ashi" points, and palpation of the left and right radial pulses at two levels of pressure (superficial and deep) and three positions Cun, Guan, Chi(immediately proximal to the wrist crease, and one and two fingers' breadth proximally, usually palpated with the index, middle and ring fingers).

Other forms of acupuncture employ additional diagnosic techniques. In many forms of classical Chinese acupuncture, as well as Japanese acupuncture, palpation of the muscles and the hara (abdomen) are central to diagnosis.


TCM perspective on treatment of disease

Although TCM is based on the treatment of "patterns of disharmony" rather than biomedical diagnoses, practitioners familiar with both systems have commented on relationships between the two. A given TCM pattern of disharmony may be reflected in a certain range of biomedical diagnoses: thus, the pattern called Deficiency of Spleen Qi could manifest as chronic fatigue, diarrhea or uterine prolapse. Likewise, a population of patients with a given biomedical diagnosis may have varying TCM patterns. These observations are encapsulated in the TCM aphorism "One disease, many patterns; one pattern, many diseases". (Kaptchuk, 1982)

Classically, in clinical practice, acupuncture treatment is typically highly individualized and based on philosophical constructs as well as subjective and intuitive impressions, and not on controlled scientific research.


Criticism of TCM theory

TCM theory predates use of the scientific method and has received various criticisms based on scientific reductionist thinking, since there is no physically verifiable anatomical or histological basis for the existence of acupuncture points or meridians.

Felix Mann, founder and past-president of the Medical Acupuncture Society (1959?1980), the first president of the British Medical Acupuncture Society (1980), and the author of the first comprehensive English language acupuncture textbook Acupuncture: The Ancient Chinese Art of Healing' first published in 1962, has stated in his book Reinventing Acupuncture: A New Concept of Ancient Medicine:
"The traditional acupuncture points are no more real than the black spots a drunkard sees in front of his eyes." (p. 14)

and…
"The meridians of acupuncture are no more real than the meridians of geography. If someone were to get a spade and tried to dig up the Greenwich meridian, he might end up in a lunatic asylum. Perhaps the same fate should await those doctors who believe in meridians." (p. 31)

Philosopher Robert Todd Carroll deems acupuncture a pseudoscience because it "confuse(s) metaphysical claims with empirical claims". Carroll states that:
"...no matter how it is done, scientific research can never demonstrate that unblocking chi by acupuncture or any other means is effective against any disease. Chi is defined as being undetectable by the methods of empirical science."

A report for CSICOP on pseudoscience in China written by Wallace Sampson and Barry L. Beyerstein said:
"A few Chinese scientists we met maintained that although Qi is merely a metaphor, it is still a useful physiological abstraction (e.g., that the related concepts of Yin and Yang parallel modern scientific notions of endocrinologic and metabolic feedback mechanisms). They see this as a useful way to unite Eastern and Western medicine. Their more hard-nosed colleagues quietly dismissed Qi as only a philosophy, bearing no tangible relationship to modern physiology and medicine."

George A. Ulett, MD, PhD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, University of Missouri School of Medicine states: "Devoid of metaphysical thinking, acupuncture becomes a rather simple technique that can be useful as a nondrug method of pain control." He believes that the traditional Chinese variety is primarily a placebo treatment, but electrical stimulation of about 80 acupuncture points has been proven useful for pain control.

Ted J. Kaptchuk, author of The Web That Has No Weaver, refers to acupuncture as "prescientific." Regarding TCM theory, Kaptchuk states:
"These ideas are cultural and speculative constructs that provide orientation and direction for the practical patient situation. There are few secrets of Oriental wisdom buried here. When presented outside the context of Chinese civilization, or of practical diagnosis and therapeutics, these ideas are fragmented and without great significance. The "truth" of these ideas lies in the way the physician can use them to treat real people with real complaints." (1983, pp. 34-35)

According to the NIH consensus statement on acupuncture:
"Despite considerable efforts to understand the anatomy and physiology of the "acupuncture points", the definition and characterization of these points remains controversial. Even more elusive is the basis of some of the key traditional Eastern medical concepts such as the circulation of Qi, the meridian system, and the five phases theory, which are difficult to reconcile with contemporary biomedical information but continue to play an important role in the evaluation of patients and the formulation of treatment in acupuncture."

Scientific theories and mechanisms of Acupuncture

Many hypotheses have been proposed to address the physiological mechanisms of action of acupuncture. To date, more than 10,000 scientific research studies have been published on acupuncture as cataloged by the National Library of Medicine database.


Neurohormonal theory
Modern acupuncture model.

Pain transmission can also be modulated at many other levels in the brain along the pain pathways, including the periaqueductal gray, thalamus, and the feedback pathways from the cerebral cortex back to the thalamus. Pain blockade at these brain locations is often mediated by neurohormones, especially those that bind to the opioid receptors (pain-blockade site).

Some studies suggest that the analgesic (pain-killing) action of acupuncture is associated with the release of natural endorphins in the brain. This effect can be inferred by blocking the action of endorphins (or morphine) using a drug called naloxone. When naloxone is administered to the patient, the analgesic effects of morphine can be reversed, causing the patient to feel pain again. When naloxone is administered to an acupunctured patient, the analgesic effect of acupuncture can also be reversed, causing the patient to report an increased level of pain. It should be noted, however, that studies using similar procedures, including the administration of naloxone, have suggested a role of endogenous opioids in the placebo response, demonstrating that this response is not unique to acupuncture.

One study performed on monkeys by recording the neural activity directly in the thalamus of the brain indicated that acupuncture's analgesic effect lasted more than an hour. Furthermore, there is a large overlap between the nervous system and acupuncture trigger points (points of maximum tenderness) in myofascial pain syndrome.

Evidence suggests that the sites of action of analgesia associated with acupuncture include the thalamus using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) and PET (positron emission tomography) brain imaging techniques, and via the feedback pathway from the cerebral cortex using electrophysiological recording of the nerve impulses of neurons directly in the cortex, which shows inhibitory action when acupuncture stimulus is applied. Similar effects have been observed in association with the placebo response. One study using fMRI found that placebo analgesia was associated with decreased activity in the thalamus, insula and anterior cingulate cortex.

Recently, acupuncture has been shown to increase the nitric oxide levels in treated regions, resulting in increased local blood circulation. Effects on local inflammation and ischemia have also been reported.


Histological studies

In the 1960s, Bonghan Kim (medical scientist, North Korea) proposed that meridians and acupuncture points exist in the form of distinctive anatomical structures in his Bonghan Theory.


Issues in study design

One of the major challenges in acupuncture research is in the design of an appropriate placebo control group. In trials of new drugs, double blinding is the accepted standard, but since acupuncture is a procedure rather than a pill, it is difficult to design studies in which both the acupuncturist and patient are blinded as to the treatment being given. The same problem arises in double-blinding procedures used in biomedicine, including virtually all surgical procedures, dentistry, physical therapy, etc.

Blinding of the practitioner in acupuncture remains challenging. One proposed solution to blinding patients has been the development of "sham acupuncture", i.e., needling performed superficially or at non-acupuncture sites. Controversy remains over whether, and under what conditions, sham acupuncture may function as a true placebo, particularly in studies on pain, in which insertion of needles anywhere near painful regions may elicit a beneficial response.

A study by Ted Kaptchuk et. al. showed that sham acupuncture exerted a stronger effect on pain than an inert pill did, and concluded: "Placebo effects seem to be malleable and depend on the behaviours embedded in medical rituals."

Safety and risks of Acupuncture

Because acupuncture needles penetrate the skin, many forms of acupuncture are invasive procedures, and therefore not without risk. Injuries are rare among patients treated by trained practitioners. In most jurisdictions, needles are required by law to be sterile, disposable and used only once; in some places, needles may be reused if they are first resterilized, e.g. in an autoclave.

Certain forms of acupuncture such as the Japanese Tōyōhari and Shōnishin often use non-invasive techniques, in which specially-designed needles are rubbed or pressed against the skin. These methods are common in Japanese pediatric use.


Common, minor adverse events

A survey by Ernst et al. of over 400 patients receiving over 3500 acupuncture treatments found that the most common adverse effects from acupuncture were:
Minor bleeding after removal of the needles, seen in roughly 3% of patients. (Holding a cotton ball for about one minute over the site of puncture is usually sufficient to stop the bleeding.)
Hematoma, seen in about 2% of patients, which manifests as bruises. These usually go away after a few days.
Dizziness, seen in about 1% of patients. Some patients have a conscious or unconscious fear of needles which can produce dizziness and other symptoms of anxiety. Patients are usually treated lying down in order to reduce likelihood of fainting.

The survey concluded: "Acupuncture has adverse effects, like any therapeutic approach. If it is used according to established safety rules and carefully at appropriate anatomic regions, it is a safe treatment method."


Other injury

Other risks of injury from the insertion of acupuncture needles include:
Nerve injury, resulting from the accidental puncture of any nerve.
Brain damage or stroke, which is possible with very deep needling at the base of the skull.
Pneumothorax from deep needling into the lung.
Kidney damage from deep needling in the low back.
Haemopericardium, or puncture of the protective membrane surrounding the heart, which may occur with needling over a sternal foramen (a hole in the breastbone that occurs as the result of a congenital defect.)
Risk of terminating pregnancy with the use of certain acupuncture points that have been shown to stimulate the production of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and oxytocin.

The chance of these is very small, and the risk can be further reduced through proper training of acupuncturists. Graduates of medical schools and (in the US) accredited acupuncture schools receive thorough instruction in proper technique so as to avoid these events. (Cf. Cheng, 1987)


Risks from omitting orthodox medical care

Receiving any form of alternative medical care without also receiving orthodox Western medical care can be inherently risky, since undiagnosed disease may go untreated and could worsen. For this reason many acupuncturists and doctors prefer to consider acupuncture a complementary therapy rather than an alternative therapy.

Critics also express concern that unethical or naive practitioners may induce patients to exhaust financial resources by pursuing ineffective treatment. However, many recent public health departments in modern countries have acknowledged the benefits of acupuncture by instituting regulations, ultimately raising the level of medicine practiced in these jurisdictions.


Safety compared with other treatments

Commenting on the relative safety of acupuncture compared with other treatments, the NIH consensus panel stated that "(a)dverse side effects of acupuncture are extremely low and often lower than conventional treatments." They also stated:
"the incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs or other accepted medical procedures used for the same condition. For example, musculoskeletal conditions, such as fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, and tennis elbow... are conditions for which acupuncture may be beneficial. These painful conditions are often treated with, among other things, anti-inflammatory medications (aspirin, ibuprofen, etc.) or with steroid injections. Both medical interventions have a potential for deleterious side effects but are still widely used and are considered acceptable treatments."

In a Japanese survey of 55,291 acupuncture treatments given over five years by 73 acupuncturists, 99.8% of them were performed with no significant minor adverse effects and zero major adverse incidents (Hitoshi Yamashita, Bac, Hiroshi Tsukayama, BA, Yasuo Tanno, MD, PhD. Kazushi Nishijo, PhD, JAMA). Two combined studies in the UK of 66,229 acupuncture treatments yielded only 134 minor adverse events. (British Medical Journal 2001 Sep 1). The total of 121,520 treatments with acupuncture therapy were given with no major adverse incidents (for comparison, a single such event would have indicated a 0.0008% incidence).

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture literally means 'needle piercing," the practice of inserting very fine needles into the skin to stimulate specific anatomic points in the body (called acupoints or acupuncture points) for therapeutic purposes. Along with the usual method of puncturing the skin with the fine needles, the practitioners of acupuncture also use heat, pressure, friction, suction, or impulses of electromagnetic energy to stimulate the points. The acupoints (acupuncture points) are stimulated to balance the movement of energy (qi) in the body to restore health. Acupuncture involves stimulating. In the past 40 years acupuncture has become a well-known, reasonably available treatment in developed and developing countries. Acupuncture is used to regulate or correct the flow of qi to restore health. To really understand how acupuncture works, it is necessary to become familiar with the basics of Chinese philosophy. The philosophies of the Dao or Tao, yin and yang, the eight principles, the three treasures and the five elements are all fundamental to traditional Chinese acupuncture and its specific role in helping to maintain good health and a person's well-being.

How Does Acupuncture Work

Historically, acupuncture points were believed to be holes that allow entry into channels. These holes provide us gateways to influence, redirect, increase, or decrease body's vital substance, qi, thus correcting many of the imbalances. Many studies and research were directed since to understand the mechanism of acupuncture. Effects of Acupuncture Acupuncture has been shown to stimulate the immune system. It also has affects the circulation, blood pressure, rhythm and stroke volume of the heart, secretion of the gastric acid, and production of red and white cells. It also stimulates the release of a variety of hormones that help body to respond to injury and stress. The Gate Control Theory of Pain According to this theory, pain signals must pass through a number of high-traffic "gates" as they move from the area of injury upward through the spinal cord into the brain. Like a road or highway, these nerves can handle only a limited number of nerve signals at one time. The pain signals travels very slowly. We can generate other signals which move faster. The faster signals crowd out the slower ones because of the limited capacity of the nerves. (Remember the time sitting in traffic near a construction zone, where the two lanes merge into one. The fast cars on the merging lanes go further and merge ahead of the slower ones, making it nearly impossible for the slow traffic on the lane to move forward. Now think about the pain signals are the slow ones sitting there waiting for an opening to move through. If one can produce enough fast signals, it can effectively crowd out the pain signals.) Acupuncture generates competing stimulus and effectively blocks the slow pain signals from reaching the brain. The result: we never "experience the pain". Electrical Theory of Pain The body continually generates tiny but detectable electrical discharges. This electrical field influences the growth, maturation, and functioning of some types of cells. It is known that acupuncture points are concentrated in regions of low electrical resistance. Studies have shown that there is a correlation between the electromagnetic fields in the body and the channels or meridians. So, this electrical theory of acupuncture suggests that acupuncture works by influencing the body's electromagnetic fields. Acupuncture points have certain electrical properties, and stimulating these points alters chemical neurotransmitters in the body.

Acupuncture Effective for Neck Pain

There is a fair amount of evidence that acupuncture can relieve chronic neck pain, according to a review of the most current scientific evidence on the effectiveness of acupuncture for neck pain.

Canadian researchers reported in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library (Issue 3, 2006) that acupuncture seems to work moderately well as an alternative to more traditional treatments for neck pain.

The researchers from McMaster University in Canada reviewed 10 trials that compared real acupuncture to fake or sham acupuncture, other sham or inactive treatments, or other active treatments such as massage therapy. The trials involved a total of 661 individuals with chronic neck pain lasting for at least three months.

Dr. Kien Trinh from McMaster University and colleagues found that, overall, people who received traditional Chinese acupuncture reported better pain relief immediately following acupuncture and in the short-term than those who received inactive acupuncture or other sham treatments. There were no serious side effects to acupuncture in the trials reviewed.

In a small study, people who received acupuncture had greater relief of pain than those who received massage therapy.

The research findings show that ideally there should be at least six or more acupuncture sessions for treating neck pain.

According to Reuters, between 26 percent and 71 percent of the adult population has suffered through at least one bout of neck pain or stiffness during their lifetime. For some, neck pain can last for months and negatively impact life and work.

Acupuncture Relieves Pain and Improves Function in Knee Osteoarthritis

Acupuncture provides pain relief and improves function for people with osteoarthritis of the knee and serves as an effective complement to standard care. This landmark study was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), both components of the National Institutes of Health. The findings of the study--the longest and largest randomized, controlled phase III clinical trial of acupuncture ever conducted--were published in the December 21, 2004, issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.1

The multi-site study team, including rheumatologists and licensed acupuncturists, enrolled 570 patients, aged 50 or older with osteoarthritis of the knee. Participants had significant pain in their knee the month before joining the study, but had never experienced acupuncture, had not had knee surgery in the previous 6 months, and had not used steroid or similar injections. Participants were randomly assigned to receive one of three treatments: acupuncture, sham acupuncture, or participation in a control group that followed the Arthritis Foundation's self-help course for managing their condition. Patients continued to receive standard medical care from their primary physicians, including anti-inflammatory medications, such as COX-2 selective inhibitors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and opioid pain relievers.

"For the first time, a clinical trial with sufficient rigor, size, and duration has shown that acupuncture reduces the pain and functional impairment of osteoarthritis of the knee," said Stephen E. Straus, M.D., NCCAM Director. "These results also indicate that acupuncture can serve as an effective addition to a standard regimen of care and improve quality of life for knee osteoarthritis sufferers. NCCAM has been building a portfolio of basic and clinical research that is now revealing the power and promise of applying stringent research methods to ancient practices like acupuncture."

"More than 20 million Americans have osteoarthritis. This disease is one of the most frequent causes of physical disability among adults," said Stephen I. Katz, M.D., Ph.D., NIAMS Director. "Thus, seeking an effective means of decreasing osteoarthritis pain and increasing function is of critical importance."

During the course of the study, led by Brian M. Berman, M.D., Director of the Center for Integrative Medicine and Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 190 patients received true acupuncture and 191 patients received sham acupuncture for 24 treatment sessions over 26 weeks. Sham acupuncture is a procedure designed to prevent patients from being able to detect if needles are actually inserted at treatment points. In both the sham and true acupuncture procedures, a screen prevented patients from seeing the knee treatment area and learning which treatment they received. In the education control group, 189 participants attended six, 2-hour group sessions over 12 weeks based on the Arthritis Foundation's Arthritis Self-Help Course, a proven, effective model.

On joining the study, patients' pain and knee function were assessed using standard arthritis research survey instruments and measurement tools, such as the Western Ontario McMasters Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Patients' progress was assessed at 4, 8, 14, and 26 weeks. By week 8, participants receiving acupuncture were showing a significant increase in function and by week 14 a significant decrease in pain, compared with the sham and control groups. These results, shown by declining scores on the WOMAC index, held through week 26. Overall, those who received acupuncture had a 40 percent decrease in pain and a nearly 40 percent improvement in function compared to baseline assessments.

"This trial, which builds upon our previous NCCAM-funded research, establishes that acupuncture is an effective complement to conventional arthritis treatment and can be successfully employed as part of a multidisciplinary approach to treating the symptoms of osteoarthritis," said Dr. Berman.

Acupuncture--the practice of inserting thin needles into specific body points to improve health and well-being--originated in China more than 2,000 years ago. In 2002, acupuncture was used by an estimated 2.1 million U.S. adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2002 National Health Interview Survey.2 The acupuncture technique that has been most studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation. In recent years, scientific inquiry has begun to shed more light on acupuncture's possible mechanisms and potential benefits, especially in treating painful conditions such as arthritis.

Acupuncture for Fibromyalgia

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) commissioned an expedited review of the literature on acupuncture for fibromyalgia from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). In order to expedite the review, CMS requested that the review be based on systematic reviews that are published by other groups. Therefore this review contains: a) A review of recent (1995 to present) systematic reviews on the use of acupuncture for fibromyalgia, updated with any RCTs published since the date of the last systematic review (2000 to present). b) Information available in the literature on training for persons performing this therapy and the number of physicians certified to perform this therapy.

What Disorders Can Acupuncture Treat And How Does It Work

How did acupuncture start?

During a visit to China in 1978, cardiologist Doctor Isadore Rosenfeld witnessed open-heart surgery on a patient, anaesthetised only with acupuncture. A major operation and the patient was awake! Nothing like it had ever been seen before in the west.

But acupuncture is over 5000 years old. There is evidence that it was practiced by the ancient Egyptians. South African tribesmen scratched their bodies to cure disease and the Eskimos used a simple form of acupuncture. In ancient China the Yellow Emperor's bible on internal medicine talks about the importance of acupuncture for curing disease and restoring health.

Today, in China and Taiwan there are over 232,000 traditional Chinese medical doctors practicing acupuncture. In America there are more than 8000 qualified acupuncturists, 16 acupuncture schools and 2 medical schools teaching acupuncture. As a treatment it's accepted and practiced worldwide.

What ailments can acupuncture treat?

Many people assume that acupuncture is used as a simple pain control technique. A technique where needles are inserted to interrupt the nerve pathways that send pain messages to the brain. But acupuncture is much more than this. It's designed to treat any malady and works to balance the energy of your entire body.

Based on clinical experience, it's known that acupuncture can treat a variety of respiratory, eye and mouth, gastro-intestinal, neurological and muscular disorders. It's especially effective on headaches, migraine and back pain.

Acupuncture is also used to stop smoking, lose weight, lower blood pressure, relive constipation, anxiety, insomnia, allergies, asthma and alleviate skin disorders.

How can it treat all these ailments? It works by 'unblocking' and balancing your energy 'circuits'. And unlike conventional drugs, there are only beneficial side-effects such as sleeping better, more energy, deeper breathing and many other bonuses.

How does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture means 'to puncture with a needle'. Fine, flexible needles, about the diameter of a human hair, are inserted into points along the principal meridians of your body.

Your body has a network of energy channels or 'meridians' in which your 'ki' flows. Each meridian is associated with a physiological system and internal organ.

There are 12 principal meridians that run the length of your body and each one has more than 350 acupuncture points. Acupuncture points are specific locations along the meridians. Inserting a needle into a point will 'unblock' or stimulate the energy flow through the meridian in a very predictable and measured way.

What happens during a treatment session?

Acupucture is all part of the philosophy and practice of TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine, which uses an intricate system of pulse and tongue diagnosis.

A qualified acupuncturist will also check the 'palpation' of the acupuncture points or meridians, your medical history and any other signs or symptoms of disorder.

The treatment is painless and insertion of the needles can feel like an insect bite or tiny prick. If you are sensitive you will feel warmth or energy flow and is often described as a 'buzz'.

Sometimes moxibustion is used to increase the heat effect at the insertion point. A Chinese herb, 'Moxa', is placed on the needle and lit. This can stimulate the blood flow as well as the 'chi'.

Is acupuncture safe?

Nobody can predict the changes that will occur. Your body will do what it needs to do to heal itself. But the healing process starts with skilful diagnosis and the correct stimulation of precise acupuncture points.

Acupuncture will often compliment traditional western medicine, and in the hands of a trained and properly qualified acupuncturist, you are perfectly safe. And for many people it is enjoyable too.

Although the Chinese may have enjoyed the benefits of acupuncture for many centuries, the legacy of discoveries by men such as Dr Isadore Rosenfeld means we can all benefit from this wonderful treatment.

What Disorders Can Acupuncture Treat And How Does It Work

How did acupuncture start?

During a visit to China in 1978, cardiologist Doctor Isadore Rosenfeld witnessed open-heart surgery on a patient, anaesthetised only with acupuncture. A major operation and the patient was awake! Nothing like it had ever been seen before in the west.

But acupuncture is over 5000 years old. There is evidence that it was practiced by the ancient Egyptians. South African tribesmen scratched their bodies to cure disease and the Eskimos used a simple form of acupuncture. In ancient China the Yellow Emperor's bible on internal medicine talks about the importance of acupuncture for curing disease and restoring health.

Today, in China and Taiwan there are over 232,000 traditional Chinese medical doctors practicing acupuncture. In America there are more than 8000 qualified acupuncturists, 16 acupuncture schools and 2 medical schools teaching acupuncture. As a treatment it's accepted and practiced worldwide.

What ailments can acupuncture treat?

Many people assume that acupuncture is used as a simple pain control technique. A technique where needles are inserted to interrupt the nerve pathways that send pain messages to the brain. But acupuncture is much more than this. It's designed to treat any malady and works to balance the energy of your entire body.

Based on clinical experience, it's known that acupuncture can treat a variety of respiratory, eye and mouth, gastro-intestinal, neurological and muscular disorders. It's especially effective on headaches, migraine and back pain.

Acupuncture is also used to stop smoking, lose weight, lower blood pressure, relive constipation, anxiety, insomnia, allergies, asthma and alleviate skin disorders.

How can it treat all these ailments? It works by 'unblocking' and balancing your energy 'circuits'. And unlike conventional drugs, there are only beneficial side-effects such as sleeping better, more energy, deeper breathing and many other bonuses.

How does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture means 'to puncture with a needle'. Fine, flexible needles, about the diameter of a human hair, are inserted into points along the principal meridians of your body.

Your body has a network of energy channels or 'meridians' in which your 'ki' flows. Each meridian is associated with a physiological system and internal organ.

There are 12 principal meridians that run the length of your body and each one has more than 350 acupuncture points. Acupuncture points are specific locations along the meridians. Inserting a needle into a point will 'unblock' or stimulate the energy flow through the meridian in a very predictable and measured way.

What happens during a treatment session?

Acupucture is all part of the philosophy and practice of TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine, which uses an intricate system of pulse and tongue diagnosis.

A qualified acupuncturist will also check the 'palpation' of the acupuncture points or meridians, your medical history and any other signs or symptoms of disorder.

The treatment is painless and insertion of the needles can feel like an insect bite or tiny prick. If you are sensitive you will feel warmth or energy flow and is often described as a 'buzz'.

Sometimes moxibustion is used to increase the heat effect at the insertion point. A Chinese herb, 'Moxa', is placed on the needle and lit. This can stimulate the blood flow as well as the 'chi'.

Is acupuncture safe?

Nobody can predict the changes that will occur. Your body will do what it needs to do to heal itself. But the healing process starts with skilful diagnosis and the correct stimulation of precise acupuncture points.

Acupuncture will often compliment traditional western medicine, and in the hands of a trained and properly qualified acupuncturist, you are perfectly safe. And for many people it is enjoyable too.

Although the Chinese may have enjoyed the benefits of acupuncture for many centuries, the legacy of discoveries by men such as Dr Isadore Rosenfeld means we can all benefit from this wonderful treatment.

Lowering the blood pressure with the help of acupuncture

Doctors and scientists from the Irvine university of California have recently discovered a new method of lowering blood pressure. This method is based on electroacupuncture, which seems to have a significant effect in lowering blood pressure. The method has been tested on rats, by inducing low electric stimulation at the front of their legs, and their blood's pressure after the treatment was 40 percent lower than before (their blood pressure had been artificially increased before). This opens new doors for hypertension treatment, maybe it will even replace the traditional medical treatments with this ancient method.

These are all the methods that were tested:

Needles were inserted into:

-pericardium 5-6, and they were rotated every 10 to thirty minutes. While this procedure was performed, the rats' blood pressure was being raised by doctors.

-the rats' forelimbs, without any stimulation or twist, for 30 minutes.

Also, the pericardium 5-6 was electrically stimulated with frequencies ranging from 2 to 100 hertz.

During these tests the changes in blood pressure were continuously monitored, and the results carefully recorded. The most successful in lowering blood pressure were those tests which involved manual and electrical acupuncture, which had serious effects in lowering blood pressure, lasting up to one hour, and ranging from 33 to 36 percent. The best results were recorded at the rats which had been stimulated by electroacupuncture, especially at those treated at the electroacupuncture frequency of 2 hertz.

However, the best results were recorded at the rats stimulated at the heart (6-7) and stomach (36-37). Their blood pressure was lowered up to 44 percent for the heart stimulation, and 36 percent for the stomach.

An important observation that doctors made was that this electroacupuncture treatment can only lower blood pressure for the hypertensive people, it has no effect for healthy people.

We can only that these treatments involving acupuncture will soon be available to everyone, because they represent a very good way to lower blood pressure.

Acupuncture Treatment for Acne

There are many different types of acne treatments available, and one that tends to go unnoticed is acupuncture treatment. Results can be varying when undergoing acupuncture treatment though.

Many studies have been done on the subject, and the basic results seem to show that when acupuncture treatment is used, the best results are obtained when it is combined with another type of acne treatment.

For instance, many studies have shown their highest success of acupuncture treatment for acne to be in those patients who also made lifestyle and diet changes, as well.

There are many different reasons a doctor may recommend acupuncture treatment. Some patients can't, or don't want to, take medications. Some patients do not like the idea of undergoing surgery or laser treatment.

In many of these cases, the doctor will look to acupuncture as an alternative. When they recommend this, they may have to send the patient to another doctor, or they may be licensed to perform this treatment themselves.

If acupuncture treatment is performed, it will involve electro acupuncture or auricular acupuncture. Auricular acupuncture is acupuncture applied to the ear.

The only problem with evaluating whether acupuncture treatment is generally a successful or not, is that there are far too few structured studies to average results from.

From the few studies done, acupuncture treatment has been shown to have positive results in reducing the symptoms of acne.

While it may not be guaranteed to work, the benefit of trying acupuncture, as opposed to topical creams, ingestible medicines, or surgery, is that rarely will there be any negative side effects.

The two minor drawbacks to acupuncture treatment for acne are that it can be costly (with no guarantee) and that some people fear the pain or general usage of needles.

What is Medical Acupuncture

Medical acupuncture is the term used to describe acupuncture performed by a doctor trained and licensed in Western medicine who has also had thorough training in acupuncture as a specialty practice. Such a doctor can use Western Medicine or Acupuncture, or a combination of both, as the need arises to treat an illness. Very often the combination is the most beneficial such as in case of treating cancer or managing pain.

What is Gokavi Transverse Technique (GTT Acupuncture)

GTT Acupuncture is a dry needling acupuncture technique combined with with high frequency electrical stimulation. It is said to be very useful in the treatment and management of chronic myofascial pain release. Typically, GTT Acupuncture technique involves two stages. In stage 1, acupuncture needles are inserted in a specific transverse direction to form a special circuit enclosing the area of pain. The needles are electrically stimulated at two different high frequencies. The end result of this treatment is relaxation and analgesia of the muscles involved. The high frequency electrical stimulation activates skin and muscle receptors. The propoents of the method proposes that the high frequency electrical stimulation also causes the midbrain to bypass the endorphin system and causes the release of serotonin and norepinephrine. This suppresses the transmission of pain causing an analgesic effect. In stage 2, the dry needling is done in a transverse direction. Since the muscle is already relaxed as a result of the treatment in stage 1, the therapist can lift the muscle and needle the muscle through its entire thickness releasing spasms and trigger points. Deeper layers of muscles are accessible in this two step process that is available in conventional acupuncture. The stage 2 treatment increases the mobility and reduce the pain. The transverse needling employed in GTT acupuncture is safe, reliable and effective. The soothening pain relief obtained, causes a significant improvement in patient compliance and tolerance to the dry needling. This produces dramatic and long term effects. GTT Acupuncture is especially effective in the treatment of patients suffering from fibromyalgia and chronic myofascial pain.

What are the different forms of Acupuncture practiced in the US

There are several methods of stimulating the acupoints. Some of these techniques do not use needles.

In traditional acupuncture, needles are inserted at acupoints just deep enough into the skin to keep them from falling out. This restores balance and a healthy energy flow to the body. The needles are usually left in place for a several minutes.

In Sonopuncture, an ultrasound device transmits sound waves directly to the body's acupoints. Needles are not used. Sonopuncture is sometimes combined with tuning forks and other vibration devices.

Electroacupuncture uses tiny electrical charges to stimulate the same acupoints that are used in traditional acupuncture. Sometimes needles also may be used. Electroacupuncture devices may be used for diagnosis or testing.

In acupressure, therapists press on acupoints with their fingers. No needles are used. This treatment also can be used as part of self-treatment. Sometimes, it is used as part of an entire system of manual healing such as in shiatsu.

In moxibustion, burned herbs are used to stimulate the acupoints.

There are several other variations of acupuncture in use. These involve heat, friction, suction, magnets, or laser beams directed to acupoints (eg., Electromagnetic Therapy, Cold Laser Therapy).

How widely is acupuncture used in the United States

During the past two decades, acupuncture has grown in popularity in the United States. The report from a Consensus Development Conference on Acupuncture held at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1997 stated that acupuncture is being "widely" practiced--by thousands of physicians, dentists, acupuncturists, and other practitioners--for relief or prevention of pain and for various other health conditions. According to the 2002 National Health Interview Survey, an estimated 8.2 million U.S. adults had used acupuncture at one time or other, and an estimated 2.1 million U.S. adults had used acupuncture in the previous year. They are using acupuncture to treat everything from migraine to nausea, menstrual cramps to tennis elbow, asthma to addiction.

What does acupuncture feel like

Acupuncture needles are hair-thin, metallic, and solid. People experience acupuncture differently, but most feel no or minimal pain as the needles are inserted. Some people are energized by treatment, while others feel relaxed. Improper needle placement, movement of the patient, or a defect in the needle can cause soreness and pain during treatment. This is why it is important to seek treatment from a qualified acupuncture practitioner.

What are the needles like? Can I get infected?

In 1996 US FDA approved acupuncture needles for licensed practitioners. FDA requires that the needles be sterile, nontoxic, and disposed of after a single use.

We only use FDA approved sterile, disposable needles. They are only used once. These needles are carefully manufactured under the guidance of FDA. There is no risk of infection.

Acupuncture needles are small and hair-thin. They are solid. (not hollow like the needles used by doctors in surgery.) The end of an acupuncture needle is smooth and rounded. Acupuncture needles are not designed to cut the skin. Instead, when an acupuncture needle is inserted, the round edge pushes the tissue aside without cutting it. Acupuncture needles are so thin it's as if they can glide through the spaces between the individual cells of the body.

Does it (needling or acupuncture process) hurt?

People experience needling differently. Most feel no pain. Some experience minimal pain as the needles are inserted. The needles can be quickly adjusted in the unlikely event of you feeling uncomfortable during the needling process. (Please do not hesitate to tell us if you feel uncomfortable.

Some people experience a sensation like that of a mosquito bite that disappears very quickly. Often people describe their sensations as warming, heavy, numb or tingling. Be comfortable and relax while the needles are in place. The more you can relax during an acupuncture treatment, the better the results. Some people even fall asleep during the treatment.

Some people are energized by treatment, while others feel relaxed. Following the treatment it is very common for you to feel a tremendous sense of relaxation and calm.

Is acupuncture safe?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners in 1996. The FDA requires that sterile, nontoxic needles be used and that they be labeled for single use by qualified practitioners only.

Relatively few complications from the use of acupuncture have been reported to the FDA in light of the millions of people treated each year and the number of acupuncture needles used. Occasional complications have resulted from inadequate sterilization of needles and from improper delivery of treatments. Dr. Mathew's clinic only uses FDA approved set of disposable needles taken from a sealed package for each patient.

People with cardiac pacemakers, infusion pumps, or other electrical devices should avoid electroacupuncture. Please tell us if you use one of of these devices. Acupuncture can result in complications if administered to pregnant women. Please advice us if you are pregnant or trying become pregnant.

When not delivered properly, acupuncture can cause serious adverse effects, including infections and punctured organs. So, acupuncture is not a therapy that can be done at home by yourselves or by amateurs. Acupuncture should only be performed by a fully qualified therapist.

Does acupuncture work

According to the NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture, there have been many studies on acupuncture's potential usefulness, but results have been mixed because of complexities with study design and size, as well as difficulties with choosing and using placebos or sham acupuncture. However, promising results have emerged, showing efficacy of acupuncture, for example, in adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and in postoperative dental pain. There are other situations--such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low-back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma--in which acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative or be included in a comprehensive management program. A recent study showed that acupuncture provides pain relief, improves function for people with osteoarthritis of the knee, and serves as an effective complement to standard care. Further research is likely to uncover additional areas where acupuncture interventions will be useful. WHO reports over 20 conditions that are benefited by acupuncture treatment.

Is acupuncture useful for cancer?

According to American Cancer Society, there is no evidence that acupuncture is effective as a treatment for cancer. However, clinical studies have shown that acupuncture is helpful in treating nausea caused by chemotherapy drugs and surgical anesthesia. Another clinical trial found that acupuncture was effective in reducing the number of hot flashes experienced by men after prostate cancer hormonal therapy. Acupuncture may lessen the need for pain medicines. For example, headache sufferers treated with acupuncture used less pain medicines and missed fewer work days as compared with those taking standard treatment.

Acupuncture is often used as an adjunctive therapy in anesthesia, in post-operative pain control, and in aiding and hastening recovery from the side effects of the various therapies. Acupuncture is effective for control of pain, of local swelling post-operatively, for shortening the resolution of hematoma and tissue swelling and for minimizing use of medications and their attendant side effects. Energetic acupuncture, an approach consisting of the use of needles with electricity and moxibustion imparts a sense of well being and accelerates patients' recovery. It is used routinely in cancer institutions along with nutritional support.

For many people undergoing chemotherapy, the dreaded side effect of nausea and vomiting is more sickening than the chemotherapy itself. A study conducted at the University of Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine found significant reduction of nausea and vomiting when the patients were treated with acupuncture before undergoing chemotherapy. American Cancer Society reports that acupuncture is now routinely administered before, after and in between chemotherapy treatment sessions for control of nausea and emesis. Use of acupuncture helps in minimizing the use of standard, expensive multi-drug anti-nausea regimens with their attendant side effects for chemotherapy patients.

Acupuncture is useful in managing cancer-related pain. The use of acupuncture can reduce the need for narcotic drugs. This also means that acupuncture will minimize the side effects such as confusion, disturbed mentation, behavioral changes, nausea and severe constipation, the normal result of taking narcotics.

Needling a variety of trigger and painful points, percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and osteo-puncture, along with whole body energetic acupuncture support, are approaches available to the acupuncturists.

According to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), any Such energy depletion can be ameliorated by a process known as tonification by imparting energy into the system. This is deemed necessary for more durable, successful pain control. It can also add to the patients' sense of well being and decrease the malaise associated with any chronic disease, especially cancer.

Chronic disease process depletes the energy level in the organism. Energetic acupuncture repletes energy level to the body and the diseased organs or part of the body. It also reestablishes homeostasis by re-balancing energy distribution and un-blocking energy flow. The acupuncture can provide a more durable, successful pain control and provide a sense of well being to cancer sufferers.


Energetic acupuncture is routinely used to provide healing energy to diseased organs such as liver, pancreas, kidney, and others that are ravaged by cancer. Researchers at UCLA found that when nutrition and supplements are combined with energetic acupuncture, it boosts the immune response in cancer patients, along with minimizing the immune and white blood cell suppression.

In summary, we can say that acupuncture can help in the care of the cancer patient.

Source: American Cancer Society

Doctor, can acupuncture help my condition?

It really depends. An experienced practitioner can make an educated guess; but only God knows for sure. In many cases, even when acupuncture cannot help the disease directly (such as in cancer), it can be used as an adjunct therapy to relieve the side effects of the main therapy or for tonification or strengthening of the body or to boost its immune system.

According to American Academy of Medical Acupuncture:

"I generally tell patients that if their treatment, according to a Western diagnosis with options, isn't resolving the problem, is quite expensive, or has significant side effects/hassles associated with it, then clearly acupuncture is worth a try. I include the Western diagnosis criteria because I think, as just an example, it is ridiculous to treat someone's dizziness with acupuncture if what they need is to have excessive wax cleaned out from their ear canals. On the other hand, if one is having difficulty controlling or improving one's asthma with Western treatments, a trial of acupuncture makes utmost sense."

After the acupuncture treatment, how quickly can I expect to feel better?

This depends on your condition. The time it takes to feel better after the acupuncture treatment varies from person to person. In general, you will start feeling the benefits from acupuncture in 2-3 treatments. If the problem is acute, sometimes improvement is felt after 1 treatment, and may only need 3-5 treatments to resolve. If the problem is chronic and long term, it may take many treatments.

How many treatments do I need?

This also depends on your condition. For example, for GTT Acupuncture, Dr. Gokavi says that the duration depends on
general health of the patient
chronicity and condition of the nerves and muscles.
any previous surgery the patient has had.
scar tissue
structural defects.
extent of area in the body involved e.g fibromyalgia
age
steriod use which can cause:
increased risk of infection
impaired healing.
weakened tissues.
joint destruction by avascular necrosis.
osteopenia.
localized bleeding.

How often should I come for the acupuncture treatment?

It depends on your condition. Some conditions require that you come for weekly treatments. In some cases, such as if the condition is acute and painful, you may require treatments 2-3 times per week for the first couple of weeks. For GTT therapy, the therapy is recommended on average four weeks between treatments. The benefits of acupuncture treatments tend to hold longer as you progress in your treatments. So, your need for acupuncture will decrease with time.

How might acupuncture work?

Acupuncture is one of the key components of the system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In the TCM system of medicine, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: yin and yang. The body's vital energy (qi) is carried by yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, while yang represents the hot, excited, or active principle. Among the major assumptions in TCM are that health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state" and that disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians. It is believed that acupuncture needles, when placed at the appropriate site, alleviate symptoms by restoring normal flow within the meridians.

Preclinical studies have documented acupuncture's effects, but they have not been able to fully explain how acupuncture works. It is proposed that acupuncture produces its effects through regulating the nervous system, thus aiding the activity of pain-killing biochemicals such as endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites in the body. In addition, studies have shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones and, thus, affecting the parts of the central nervous system related to sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes that regulate a person's blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature.

One widely accepted medical explanation of acupuncture's claimed efficacy is that when needles prick the skin, they cause the brain to release a variety of pain-killing neutral chemicals, such as endorphins, encephalin and other opioids. Modern imaging techniques have shown that acupuncture does stimulate certain areas within the brain and suppress others.

Other theories are also proposed on how acupuncture works especially related to its effects on pain. Two commonly cited theories are called Gate Theory of Pain, and Double Gate Control Theory. These are described elsewhere.

Does insurance cover acupuncture?

Acupuncture is one of the CAM therapies that are more commonly covered by insurance. However, you should check with your insurer before you start treatment to see whether acupuncture will be covered for your condition and, if so, to what extent. Some insurance plans may require preauthorization for acupuncture. We do not bill to the insurance company or collect from them. We expect payment from you at the time of appointment. You can use the receipt from us to obtain reimbursement from your insurance company if they do so.

The Health Benefits of Acupuncture

The Chinese Art of Acupuncture

The ancient Chinese medicinal art of Acupuncture has an important place in alternative healing even today. The proponents of acupuncture rave about the benefits and efficacy of receiving acupuncture treatment sessions. There are also many studies that have substantiated some of the positive effects of acupuncture treatments on patients.

Acupuncture involves positioning long, thin needles on various points on the body. There are different techniques to the insertion of the needles, including care for the angles at which they are inserted, different types of needles (there are nine, but most practitioners only use six types of the needles), and various ways to twirl or vibrate the needles. The needles are placed on the body depending upon the ailment of the patient. Acupuncturists believe that the body has different energy channels that help in the efficient and proper functioning of the body. Precise placement of the needles draws energy to the needed areas and makes way for positive energy flow. This is what adherents profess gives the health benefits.

Those who practice and those who receive acupuncture point to a variety of positive health benefits associated with the expert placement of the needles. When placed in the proper places, acupuncture needles are said to help cure nearly any ailment from chronic pain to diabetes to cellulite. Cancer patients report that acupuncture helps them deal with their disease by helping them achieve calm and by helping them feel more energetic after cancer treatments. Additionally, relief of the pain associated with the progression of the cancer is felt. Similar results are said to be felt by HIV/AIDS patients.

For people without specific diseases, however, there are other health benefits. Acupuncture adds energy to the day. It can also reduce anxiety and stress. People who use this treatment claim that they feel calmer, and that they feel happier. Additionally, many of them report less worry and anxiety. They feel more alert mentally and more stable emotionally. Acupuncture is also said to help prevent diseases. Because regular treatments keep the body in proper working order, and because the positive energy is uninhibited through its channels, the body is said to be less prone to sickness.

You can maintain your health and sense of well being by choosing acupuncture. There is researched evidence of the positive effects of acupuncture on the health of patients. However, most physicians and scientists recommend the use of more traditional methods of medicine for treating illnesses.

Acupuncture Eases Tension Headache Pain

The Chinese Art of Acupuncture

The ancient Chinese medicinal art of Acupuncture has an important place in alternative healing even today. The proponents of acupuncture rave about the benefits and efficacy of receiving acupuncture treatment sessions. There are also many studies that have substantiated some of the positive effects of acupuncture treatments on patients.

Acupuncture involves positioning long, thin needles on various points on the body. There are different techniques to the insertion of the needles, including care for the angles at which they are inserted, different types of needles (there are nine, but most practitioners only use six types of the needles), and various ways to twirl or vibrate the needles. The needles are placed on the body depending upon the ailment of the patient. Acupuncturists believe that the body has different energy channels that help in the efficient and proper functioning of the body. Precise placement of the needles draws enThe ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture has proven to be an effective treatment for tension headache. It not only relieves pain, but also cuts rates of recurrence by almost half, a recent study indicates.



Traditional Chinese acupuncture therapy involves insertion of needles up to 3 inches deep into the body at prescribed acupuncture points, according to licensed acupuncturist Rong Zeng of the New York Good Health Clinic in Manhattan.



However, a new, randomized blind study in Germany involving 270 patients with a similar severity of tension headache has shown that a minimal course of acupuncture works almost as well as the traditional method.



Fewer Headaches After Treatment



Researchers divided the patients into three groups. Over an eight-week period, one group was treated with traditional acupuncture, another received minimal acupuncture (needles inserted only superficially into the skin at non-acupuncture points), and the control group had neither treatment.



The subjects were monitored for four weeks after their period of treatment. Those who had received traditional acupuncture care subsequently experienced seven fewer headaches. The group that had been given minimal acupuncture therapy had surprisingly similar results -- 6.6 fewer headaches.



The control group did not fare as well, with only 1.5 fewer headaches.



Improvements in headache rates continued for months after the acupuncture treatment, though they began to rise slightly as time went on.



Results Subject to Interpretation



Such a negligible difference in results between traditional and minimal acupuncture treatments possibly indicates that the location of acupuncture points and depth of needle insertion do not make a major difference for treatment of tension headache, the authors of the study suggest.



However, they caution that the possibility of placebo effects should not be overlooked.



"Placebo effect is a factor in all types of medicine," Dr. Zeng noted. In western medicine, for example, blind tests may reveal placebo effects that are similar to responses to trial drugs, she explained.



In any case, it is clear that the patients who received acupuncture treatment experienced fewer headaches. The possibility that placebo effect plays a role in acupuncture does not detract from its efficacy.

ergy to the needed areas and makes way for positive energy flow. This is what adherents profess gives the health benefits.

Those who practice and those who receive acupuncture point to a variety of positive health benefits associated with the expert placement of the needles. When placed in the proper places, acupuncture needles are said to help cure nearly any ailment from chronic pain to diabetes to cellulite. Cancer patients report that acupuncture helps them deal with their disease by helping them achieve calm and by helping them feel more energetic after cancer treatments. Additionally, relief of the pain associated with the progression of the cancer is felt. Similar results are said to be felt by HIV/AIDS patients.

For people without specific diseases, however, there are other health benefits. Acupuncture adds energy to the day. It can also reduce anxiety and stress. People who use this treatment claim that they feel calmer, and that they feel happier. Additionally, many of them report less worry and anxiety. They feel more alert mentally and more stable emotionally. Acupuncture is also said to help prevent diseases. Because regular treatments keep the body in proper working order, and because the positive energy is uninhibited through its channels, the body is said to be less prone to sickness.

You can maintain your health and sense of well being by choosing acupuncture. There is researched evidence of the positive effects of acupuncture on the health of patients. However, most physicians and scientists recommend the use of more traditional methods of medicine for treating illnesses.

Weight Loss With Acupuncture - Can Acupuncture Help You Lose Weight?

In recent years, more and more people are trying out acupuncture to lose weight. Just what is acupuncture? How can acupuncture treatment help you lose weight?

Acupuncture is a branch of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has been around for about 5,000 years. It is the practice of inserting very thin needles to stimulate pathways or meridians in the body to treat many illnesses and diseases especially to relieve pain from chronic disorders.

Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners or TCM physicians claim that acupuncture can help you to lose body fat by making you feel full and so will eat less. This curbs excess caloric consumption in the patient treated with acupuncture and is a great help in the patient’s weight loss program.

Acupuncture treatment can also be used to raise your metabolic rate and help you to burn more calories to speed up weight loss. Some Chinese medicine practitioners say that acupuncture stimulates the production of a hormone called endorphins and this hormone helps to lower body fat, insulin and lipid levels in the bloodstream thus less insulin is converted into body fat.

Acupuncture is not a miracle cure for obesity. TCM physicians often stress that to achieve good weight loss results from your program and maintaining your weight, acupuncture treatment alone is not enough. To lose weight effectively and keep the fats off permanently, acupuncture treatment must be combined with healthy eating habits and regular exercises.

Before you begin your acupuncture treatment, your Chinese physician will conduct a medical examination on you by checking your pulse and examination of your tongue to ensure that you are suitable for acupuncture weight loss treatment. This is because TCM is a holistic branch of health care and do not just specifically target the ailment or medical complaint. So an investigation into other reasons why a patient is obese is necessary to solve the problem holistically.

If you want to lose weight naturally and without drugs, why not try TCM acupuncture for your weight loss program?

How Traditional Chinese Medicine (Acupuncture) Enhances Fertility

TCM describes the female reproductive system as a network of energy systems. Each energy system has complementary organs and hormonal responses. This network responds to stress, chemicals, lack of exercise, poor diet and excess emotions all of which can put the body ‘out of balance’. A TCM practitioner will carefully determine the state of your imbalances and prescribe an individualized program of herbs, acupuncture and diet to help you create the correct environment for fertility and pregnancy.
Stress Reduction with Acupuncture

Psychological stress can have a negative effect on couples facing fertility problems. Stress leads to the release of stress hormones and causes detrimental effects on mechanisms responsible for a normal ovulatory menstrual cycle. The success of acupuncture for reducing stress and anxiety is due to its beta-endorphin release and sympathetic calming effects. Stress causes the sympathetic nervous system of be over stimulated. Thus, the blood flow is diverted away from the ovaries and uterus to the adrenals (stress coping gland) instead. This can cause irregular cycles, lack of ovulation, and infertility. Electro acupuncture and Femoral Artery Massage redirect the blood flow back to the ovaries and uterus, enhancing fertility and regulating your cycle.
Acupuncture Strengthens The Immune System

Many women with immunological factors hostile to pregnancy have been effectively treated with TCM prescription of diet, herbs, and acupuncture. When an acupuncturist treats the root problem, the immunological markers correct themselves.
Fertility Hormone Regulation with Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been known to control pain through stimulating the release of beta-endorphin. In addition, beta-endorphin works to influence the source of women’s ovulatory and fertility hormones (the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis) and control hormones that regulate a women’s ovulation and fertility that includes gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), follicle stimulating hormone (F.S.H.), luteinizing hormone (L.H.) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
Acupuncture Regulates Hormones Creating Better Egg Quality

Acupuncture normalizes the dysfunction of the Hypothalamus- Pituitary - Ovarian Axis. This improves ovarian function creating more follicles, and better egg production. It has also been suggested that the concentrations of central opioids may regulate the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis via the central sympathetic system, and that a hyperactive sympathetic system in anovulatory patients could be normalized by ElectroAcupuncture (Chen and Yin, 1991). It has been assumed that various disorders in the autonomic nervous system, such as hormonal disturbances, may be normalized during auricular acupuncture (Gerhard and Postneck, 1992). www.acubalance.ca/res_medical_reduction.php.
Acupuncture Lessens Side Effects From Clomid

Clomid often causes the uterine lining to thin, which is detrimental to becoming pregnant. Acupuncture causes the uterine lining to thicken and become more uniform. This is a result of increased blood flow to the uterine arteries, as proven in the article referenced just below.
I.V.F. Assistance With Acupuncture Treatment

This study shows that acupuncture increases blood flow to the uterine arteries, creating a thicker and more regular lining, allowing for IVF to be more successful. Acupuncture also improves ovarian blood flow to increase ovarian response. Reduction of blood flow impedance in the uterine arteries of infertile women with Electro Acupuncture Stener-Victirin,et al., Human Reproduction, Vol 11, no6. pp. 1311-17, 1996.
Decreases Uterine Contractility at Implantation

Study: Influence of Acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo ART.
Fertility and Sterility Vol77 April 2002

"Acupuncture May Improve Success Rate of IVF Pregnancies: Patients in the acupuncture group received two acupuncture sessions - the first treatment 25 minutes before embryo transfer, the second treatment 25 minutes after. In the acupuncture group, the pregnancy rate was "considerably higher" - 34 women (42.5%) were carrying a fetal sac at the time of examination." "Relaxing the uterus with Acupuncture treatment allows for more successful IVF." www.acupuncturetoday.com/archives2002/jul/07ivf.html, www.acupuncturetoday.com/archives2002/jul/07ivf.html
Acupuncture Decreases The Chance of Miscarriage

Acupuncture relaxes the uterus, increases blood flow to the uterus, warms the uterus, increases the immune system, regulates the hormones and decreases stress, all creating less of a chance of miscarriage.
Acupuncture Improves Fertility In Men, Too

According to statistics from the National Infertility Association (an organization also known as RESOLVE), between 35 percent and 40 percent of infertility problems among couples are actually caused by male conditions. A recent trial published in Fertility and Sterility has shown just how effective acupuncture can be in the treatment of this condition, leading to significant increases in the number of normal sperm and equally significant reductions in structural defects. Thus, Acupuncture improves sperm count, motility, and morphology.

Can Acupuncture Help you Stop, and Eventually Quit Smoking?

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese healing approach that is almost 3500 years old. It is based on the belief that chi, a vital energy force flows around 12 key channels around the body. Within these channels there are 365 acupuncture points, which can sometimes become ‘blocked’ preventing the smooth flow of the vital energy, resulting in degrading health.

Acupuncture is a highly effective method for treating all manner of addictions including nicotine. The application of acupuncture to help you stop and eventually quit altogether, involves the insertion of very fine needles into special points on the skin. The needles are generally left in the skin for up to 20mins. There is virtually no pain apart from the slight pricking sensation when the needle first goes in. The technique itself results in the release of special chemicals called endorphins which will provide a ‘natural high’ at the end of the treatment.

Following the first treatment, the patient is likely to cough up phlegm during the week after treatment as the body starts to adjust to life without smoking, and the tar and phlegm in the lungs starts to loosen. It is common to schedule a follow up session about 1 week after the first to assess progress, and decide whether further therapy is required. Many heavy smokers have reported success after only 1 or 2 acupuncture sessions.

Acupuncture as a method for quitting smoking is best for those individuals that are heavily addicted to the nicotine, but have clearly made the commitment to quit. This type of therapy will dramatically reduce the side effects of nicotine withdrawal, such as the cravings, depression and anxiety. The body will also start to repair itself, particularly in improving blood circulation and de-congesting the lungs, and the patient will generally feel very positive and optimistic as a result of the release of natural anti-depressants by the brain.

Combining acupuncture with more traditional approaches to quitting smoking can be an effective strategy, especially if you have tried and failed at simply using willpower to quit in the past. If you decide acupuncture to stop smoking is for you, make sure you see a qualified and reputable practitioners.

acupuncture: A Benefit to the Well Individual?

Before we begin a discussion about the benefits of acupuncture, let’s talk about the origins of acupuncture. It was first used in China over 2000 years ago, and is one of the oldest medical procedures in the world. It is a family of procedures that stimulates the anatomy of the body and helps to balance the energy flow throughout the body. It is this kind of acupuncture that is practiced in the United Sates today, through the use of tiny, metallic needles placed in affected areas and manipulated by hand or by electrical stimulation.

Acupuncture is the basic foundation for Traditional Chinese Medicine and is based on the belief that there are two opposing and inseparable forces within our body. They are known as the Yin and Yang of the entire person. The Yin is representative of the cold, slow, or passive principle, and yang represents the hot, excited or active principle. A healthy state is achieved by maintaining a balance state of the yin and yang. This is done through vital pathways or meridians that allow for the flow of qi, or vital energy. The vital energy flow occurs along pathways known as meridians. These meridians connect over 2,000 acupuncture points along the body. There are 12 main meridians, and 8 secondary meridians. Although traditional western medicine does not completely understand how acupuncture works, the proof that it does work has been shown in several studies conducted by western medical facilities.

Now, let’s move to the question of does it work? According to the National Institute of Health, the answer would be yes. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in many areas of health care. Areas such as postoperative nausea, chemotherapy side effects, osteoarthritis, low-back pain, headache, menstrual cramps, addiction, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, just to name a few. The study revealed that acupuncture was able to provide pain relief, improve function and mobility of joints due to arthritis inflammation, and served to complement standard care.

Although there are many who would doubt the effectiveness of acupuncture, once they are a patient, they are believers. It has been proposed that acupuncture works and produces its effects through regulating the nervous system. The theory proposes that since acupuncture produces its effect through regulation of the nervous system, it induces the release of endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites on the body. There is also the theory that acupuncture alters the brain chemistry by the changing the neurotransmitters in the brain.

Without doubt acupuncture was a benefit in the study, and as a patient myself, I can vouch for the wonderful effect it has had on my back. Although acupuncture is classified as an alternative medicine therapy, and there is still much to be understood about the way it works, it is a proven aid in maintaining optimal health.

But what about the well individual, can acupuncture provide a benefit to them? Absolutely. Because acupuncture works off the belief that we must maintain balance of our vital energy flow in order to remain healthy, acupuncture serves as the tool for realignment. Our vital energy flow can be out of balance, and we still feel and appear quite healthy. It is in this capacity that acupuncture serves as a sort of preventive medicine. Checking and balancing the flow of energy on the meridian points in your body is like your car receiving a tune-up before it is in need of a repair.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Welcome to moslawi9

Welcome to moslawi9,
This is a blog of me :)