Acupuncture is one of the components of the health care system evolved in China at least 2,500 years ago. Acupuncture literally means ‘needle piercing’ – the practice of inserting very fine needles into the skin to stimulate specific anatomic points in the body (known as acupoints or acupuncture points) for therapeutic purposes.
The general theory of acupuncture is based on the assumption that there are patterns of energy flow (Qi) through the body that are essential for health. The disturbances or disruptions in this flow are responsible for health diseases. Acupuncture, as theorized, is meant to correct the imbalances of flow at identifiable points close to the skin.
Acupuncture involves stimulating. Apart from 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 use of acupuncture to treat diseases in American medicine was quite rare until President Nixon visited China in 1972. This effectively opened the door from East to West, connecting America to the Orient. Acupuncture has since come out as a strong substitute or augmentation for contemporary medical treatment methods.
To really understand how acupuncture works, it is necessary to become familiar with the basics of Chinese philosophy that underlines the essence of the theory of acupuncture. The way it has gained popularity in the developing and developed countries in the past forty years, it may ultimately prove to be a very important vehicle for maintaining good health and well-being.
Related Articles of Interest :
-
Acupuncture To Treat Allergies
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Allergy is a condition when the body becomes hypersensitive to an external object. The symptoms of allergies vary from person to person. Symptoms may include watery- red eyes, skin irritation or skin rashes, breathing problems and weakness. Once diagnosed, the best treatment for any kind...
-
Acupuncture And Chinese Medicine
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Chinese medicine, often known as Oriental medicine or traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), encompasses a vast array of folk medical practices based on mysticism. It holds the belief that the body’s vital energy (Qi) circulates in the body through channels known as meridians, with branches connected...
-
Acupuncture and Weight Loss
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Obesity is a state of being obese, or overweight due to excessive accumulation of fat. The love for junk food and lethargy has played a great part in spreading this disease. Nowadays, not only adults but also children are suffering from the problem of excessive...
-
Acupuncture Schools
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Slowly and steadily the use of Chinese medicine and acupuncture is gaining popularity in all parts of the world. Since President Nixon made his historical visit to China in 1972 and effectively opened the door from East to West, America has been undergoing an acupuncture...
-
Cancer Alternative Medicine
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
There are many reasons why people stricken with cancer turn to complementary alternative medicine for solutions. Some people are unable to cope with the side effects caused by cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. Conventional treatments are often extremely difficult to handle. They entail a great...
-
Alternative Medicine Massage
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Did you know that there are various practices in alternative medicine that make use of body manipulation and other techniques based on working on certain parts of the body? Massage is the method by which skin tissues are manipulated with the use of hands or...
-
Does Natural Pain Relief Really Exist?
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Everyone will suffer pain at some point in their lives. Grim as this may sound, some pain is necessary – it’s a signal from our brain that something is wrong in our body, something we need to address to protect our health and well-being. It...
-
Aromatherapy Gifts
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
If you are planning to give someone aromatherapy products as a gift, read on to find out the history of this practice of applying essential oils to the body. Did you know that the greatest ancient civilizations, namely the Egyptians, Chinese, Greeks and Romans already...
-
Mesotherapy Products
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
Mesotherapy Products include a variety of substances that are injected during treatment, and injection devices used to deliver these substances to target areas. Substances used for treatment may be allopathic drugs, homeopathic compounds, vitamins, herbal extracts, or other compounds. For cellulite treatment and localized fat...
-
Alternative Homeopathic Medicine
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
No Comments
What are the various types of alternative medicines? The first classification of alternative medical system is based on complete systems of both practice and theory. These systems may have either evolved separately or earlier than their conventional medical counterparts. Examples of these alternative medical practices...