Acupuncture

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture was developed based on a theory of energy flow. There is a delicate interplay of rhythmic energy flows in human bodies, and when one of these flows is interrupted, disease may occur. By restoring the disordered energy flow, acupuncture can cure diseases. Acupuncture is a Traditional Chinese art of medicine with a history of more than 3000 years. Today, through combining the principles of ancient Chinese medicine and modern medical knowledge and technology, acupuncture has evolved into a sophisticated, popular medical treatment.

 

Procedures of acupuncture

A disposable sterilized fine needle is carefully inserted into an acupuncture point of skin specifically chosen for each disease and individual patient. A slight pinch is usually sensed at the time of insertion. Patients usually experience minimal or no pain since the needles are solid and thin, very different from western injection needles. The needles remain in place for about 20 to 30 minutes, during which time patients are very relaxed and comfortable. Conventional acupuncture can sometimes be even more effective if combined with electric stimulation, which produces very mild pulsing vibration to the needles to stimulate the points.

Diseases and disorders that can be treated with acupuncture provided by NIH (National Institute of Health)

1. The diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture has been proved—through controlled trials—to be an effective treatment:

                1) Side effect of radiotherapy and chemotherapy

            2) Allergic rhinitis

            3) Biliary colic

            4) Depression

            5) Dysentery

            6) Dysmenorrhoea

            7) Epigastralgia

            Facial pain

            9) Headache

            10) Hypertension

            11) Hypotension

            12) Induction of labor

            13) Knee pain

            14) Leukopenia

            15) Lower back pain

            16) Malposition of fetus

            17) Morning sickness

             18) Nausea and vomiting

            19) Neck pain

            20) Pain in dentistry

            21) Periarthritis of shoulder

            22) Sciatic

            23) Sprain

            24) Stroke

          25) Tennis elbow

 

2. Disease, symptoms or conditions for which the therapeutic effect of acupuncture has been shown but for which further proof is needed:

Abdominal pain, acne vulgaris, alcohol dependence and detoxification,bell’s palsy, bronchial asthma; cancer pain, Cardiac neurosis,cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, competition stress syndrome, closed craniocerebral injury, diabetes mellitus(non-insulin-dependent), earache, epidemic haemorrhagic fever, epistaxis, Eye pain duet o subconjunctival injection, female infertility, facial spasm, female urethral syndrome, fibromyalgia dn fasciitis, gastrokinetic disturbance, gouty arthritis, hepatitis B virus carrier status, herpes zoster, hyperlipaemia, hypo-ovarianism, insomnia, labour pain, deficiency lactation, male sexual dysfunction, meniere disease, post-herpetic neuralgia, neurodermatitis, obesity, opium, cocaine and heroin dependence, Osteoarthritis, pain due to endoscopic examination, pain in thromboangiitis obliterans, polycystic ovary syndrome, postextubation in children, postoperative convalescence, premenstrual syndrome, chronic prostatitis, pruritus, readicular and pseudoradicular pain syndrome,primary raynaud syndrome, recurrent lower urinary-tract infection, reflex synpathetic dystrophy, traumatic retention of urine,schizophrenia, drug-induced sialism, sjogren syndrome, sore throat, spine pain, stiff neck, temporomandibular joint dysfunction,tietze syndrome, tobacco dependence, tourette syndrome, chronic ulcerative colitis, vasular dementia, whooping cough. Total: 63

 

3. Disease, symptoms or conditions for which there are only individual controlled trials reporting some therapeutic effects, but for which acupuncture is worth trying because treatment by conventional and other therapies is difficulty:

Chloasma, central serous choroidopathy, color blindness, deafness, hypophrenia, irritable colon syndrome, neuropathic bladder in spinal cord injury, chronic pulmonary heart disease, small airway obstruction.  Total : 9

 

4. Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture may be tried provided the practitioner has special modern medical knowledge and adequate monitoring equipment:

Breathlessness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coma, convulsions in infants, coronary heart disease, diarrhea in infants and young children, late stage viral encephalitis, progressive bulbar and pseudobulbar paralysis. Total: 7