Acupuncture is a healing method of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The starting point of the almost 3000-year-old technique of acupuncture is the assumption of a cosmic force “Qi”, which also flows through the human body. The modern interpretation of Qi refers to nervous and hormonal processes in the body. In this conception, diseases are disturbances in the regulation of bodily functions or the flow of vital forces. This is where acupuncture comes in.
Function, effect and goals
Acupuncture belongs to the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It is based on the life energy (Qi) of the body, which flows on so-called meridians and has a regulating influence on all bodily functions. Click to enlarge. The meridians are the pathways of these vital energies. Their course is shown as a pattern of lines on the surface of the body as it has been handed down since ancient times on the anatomical maps of acupuncture. On the meridians lie the points of acupuncture, which are assigned to individual diseases. Stimulation of the points is supposed to stimulate the power currents of the organism, through which acupuncture cures diseases. In the classical case, the effect of acupuncture is achieved by inserting special needles. Another possibility of acupuncture is the influence of heat on the healing points, the doctor then speaks of moxibustion. The source of heat is dried Japanese mugwort, which transfers temperature to the body in different ways. Either the therapist holds a moxa cigar over the indication point during acupuncture or he attaches a moxa lump to the inserted needle and ignites it during acupuncture. Another option is to apply ginger discs on which the physician lights a moxa fire. Mechanical pressure can also have an effect on indication points of acupuncture, the patient can also learn this so-called acupressure with the help of the doctor. Another variant of acupuncture is electro-acupuncture, which uses a weak current.
Risks and side effects
The most common side effect of acupuncture in the past was infection from unsterile needles. Disposable needles used in acupuncture today have minimized this risk. If the needles are to remain in the skin for a longer period of time, the risk of infection is somewhat higher. Very rarely, injuries to medium-sized blood vessels occur during acupuncture, requiring hemostatic measures on the part of the physician. As with injections, slight bruising and bruises may form on the skin during acupuncture. Lung injuries are not considered a side effect, but a treatment failure of acupuncture. Sensitive patients may experience circulatory problems and even fainting during acupuncture. Silver needles occasionally cause permanent skin discoloration. Needles coated with silicone can leave material in the puncture site, causing inflammatory nodules there as a result of acupuncture.
Acupuncture in the therapy and treatment of diseases.
According to the International Society of Chinese Medicine, acupuncture covers almost all indications of medicine. The World Health Organization, on the other hand, accepts only a limited set of indications for acupuncture, which it published in a 2003 Positive List for Acupuncture. According to this list, acupuncture can help with inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract and lungs, including asthma. The WHO also recommends acupuncture for recovery after strokes, and the list also includes other neurological diseases that justify the use of acupuncture. Regressions of the retina are treated by alternative practitioners and physicians with acupuncture, thus taking into account the official guidelines of acupuncture. Sleep disorders and addiction problems such as nicotine withdrawal are also said to be readily treatable with acupuncture, according to the top health authority. Often acupuncture is used to support other therapies of conventional western medicine. However, acupuncture is also embedded in TCM as a whole, which includes dietary measures as well as Chinese medicines. Acupuncture is especially useful in combination with Qi Gong and Tuina, a Chinese massage.
