Acupuncture
In the Chinese culture, it is important for there to be a balance between 'yin' and 'yang.' Acupuncture is used as a medical technique by the Chinese to balance these opposing forces. This type of medical practice has been used by the Chinese for more than 2,000 years and is believed to penetrate 20 major pathways in the body. These pathways are known as 'meridians,' eight of which are minor and twelve are major. The main purpose of acupuncture is to maintain 'chi' in the body. Patients who undergo this treatment believe that acupuncture will restore health and remove any impurities in the body. There are different methods of acupuncture used by the Japanese, Chinese and Koreans. Acupuncture performed in America has taken traditions from all of these cultures and incorporated them into the practice used today. When a person is healthy, their chi (or vital energy) flows harmoniously throughout the body. A person who is ill has an imbalance in their chi which disrupts the stability between yin and yang.
Acupuncture is performed by placing very thin, solid needles into the anatomical points on a patient's body. Everyone experiences the treatment differently, but most people find no discomfort with the procedure. The hair-like needles assist in releasing specific chemicals and hormones that allow the body to rejuvenate. There are six commonly used needles for acupuncture. Any practitioner of acupuncture uses disposable, sterilized needles which are then placed into an autoclave after use. The acupuncture practitioner inserts the needles at 15 to 90 degree points which allow different forms of sensation and stimulation to the skins surface. Depending on what the patient is being treated for, doctors may try different techniques for needle placement and can keep the needles in a specific part of the body for up to twenty minutes.
There are many reasons why people obtain acupuncture treatments. Acupuncture it not a way to cure a specific ailment, but used alongside other treatments to make recovery and the treatment process go smoothly. However, it has been shown that acupuncture does serve a use for treating chronic pain, osteoarthritis, lower back, neck and menstrual pain. Overall, acupuncture has been researched to improve a person's overall immune system. With severe diseases, such as cancer, acupuncture is often combined with treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation to sooth the healing process and allow treatment to become more effective.
When acupuncture is performed by a professional practitioner with clean, sterile needles, it is 100% safe. Unlike other treatments, acupuncture has little or no adverse reactions to patients and complications are less likely to arise. There is no set amount of treatments that a person can receive due to the varying of conditions. It is important to discuss this type of treatment with a physician regarding how it will affect your health.
