Acupuncture is an ancient healing technique, which literally means needle piercing. Practiced for over 2,500 years in China, where it originated, acupuncture is part of the holistic system of traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It is the practice of inserting very fine needles into the Skin to stimulate specific points. This stimulation balances the movement of energy in the body. Like all forms of Chinese healing traditions, acupuncture revolves around the concept of maintaining balance and harmony within the body. Even according to Hindu philosophy, the life force that governs the human body is the basis of every living and non-living entity. This force is called "Prana" and is continuously circulating along the channels of our body. This Prana, which is

called Chi in Chinese philosophy, controls both the universe and the human body. Acupuncture aims to restore health by improving the flow of this vital force. Acupuncture normalizes the functions of the body. It can therefore help the body's internal organs to correct imbalances in their digestion, absorption, and energy production activities. It can also help in the circulation of energy through the meridians. If a break occurs anywhere in this circulation, illness would be a direct consequence. An example is a Back Pain; which is viewed by the Chinese as a blockage in the "chi" circulating in the bladder meridian. The remedy was, put in the simplest terms, to insert a needle at the point of discomfort, thus encouraging flow to re-establish itself. The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulation of the body's own natural healing abilities, and in promoting physical and emotional well being.

Acupuncture has an amazing history, which has undergone many developments through the centuries. It is the world's oldest contemporary medical system, which is more than 5000 years old. It was practiced in China as early as 3,000 years before Christ. Law in China banned it, at the beginning of the Nineteenth century but it continued to be practiced as a form of folk medicine. Interest from Western doctors in acupuncture was stimulated by President Nixon's

visit to China in 1972. A number of important discoveries pointing to the effectiveness of Acupuncture increased its following world over. Acupuncture is effective in many conditions, which have often not responded to conventional approaches.

Acupuncture is now quite widely used in Europe and North America, both as a method of therapy and, in a few centers, as a method of anesthesia. Operations with acupuncture as the main anesthetic have been carried out in France and Austria, and the results have been comparable with those of the Chinese. Since its intimate contact with the Chinese in the 1950's, the USSR has also been using and researching into acupuncture, although the relationship between Russia and China could not be described as good. In 1972 a Russian researcher published work suggesting that acupuncture points were points of low electrical resistance on the body. He also found a network of low resistance points in both animals and plants. The use of acupuncture in the USSR steadily increased during the 1970's and in 1972 acupuncture clinics were planned for all the major medical centers in the Soviet Union. The Russians claim they are using acupuncture for a wide variety of conditions such as Asthma, Stomach ulcers, raised Blood pressure and Angina, as well as for pain. In the West, acupuncture has been used mainly for pain relief. This is primarily because acupuncture for pain is easy to learn, and does not require a knowledge of traditional Chinese concepts in order to obtain results. The concepts of traditional Chinese medicine can seem alien and unacceptable to Western doctors and they are therefore rejected in favor of a simpler and probably less efficient method of treatment, in spite of the value of many of the traditional concepts. Some doctors practicing acupuncture in the West are simply puncturing tender points, as this seems a rational and logical approach. Acupuncture has become very popular in North America since President Nixon reopened relationships with the Chinese. There are many research clinics evaluating the effectiveness of acupuncture, and also investigating the basic physiological mechanisms involved. The research output from North America is prolific and some excellent work has been done much of which re-emphasizes that acupuncture is an effective form of therapy for many conditions, especially pain, although it is not a guaranteed cure. Over the last twenty years the West has developed a great deal of technological hardware, which is now being applied in the field of acupuncture. China is a poor nation without enough resources and trained manpower to research and develop acupuncture adequately. Until fairly recently few useful statistics were available from the acupuncture clinics in China, and most of the research into the basic mechanism of acupuncture had come from Western research institutes. Within this context it is probable that many of the major advances in acupuncture will come from the West rather than from the East.

The Chinese have always essentially had a vitalizing approach to the body and its physiology, in keeping with many ancient systems of medicine. The ancient Chinese hypothesized, that energy circulated in the body through specific channels, which they called meridians. They considered that the balance and transmission of this energy from side to side, top to bottom and from the inside to the outside of the body was of great importance. They expressed this idea using their doctrine of Yin and Yang, which considers that everything is an amalgam of opposites (the opposite being called Yin or Yang). Yang is associated with activity, fire, the sunny side of a hill or the male principle whereas Yin is associated with the physical substance, water, and the dark side of the hill or the female principle. The balance between these two opposites is considered to be constantly fluctuating, in other words it is a dynamic balance. If one goes out of balance, in an energetic sense, the principle of treatment would be to re-establish that balance. The Chinese also believed that in addition to being in balance, the energy or life force (which the Chinese called chi) has to be able to circulate freely around the meridians. It is believed that there are 12 main meridians and 8 secondary meridians and that there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body that connect with them. Each meridian refers to a particular organ, and the energy flowing through that meridian can be taken as indicating the functional state of that organ. The acupuncture needles unblock any obstructions at the dams, and reestablish the regular flow through the meridians. Pre clinical studies have documented acupuncture's effects, but they have not been able to fully explain how acupuncture works within the framework of the Western system of medicine which is commonly practiced .The modern scientific explanation is that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the Nervous system to release chemicals in the Muscles, Spinal Cord, and Brain. These chemicals either change the experience of pain, or they trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones, which influence the body's internal regulating system. It is proposed that acupuncture produces its effects through regulating the Nervous system, thereby aiding the activity of pain-killing bio-chemicals 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 neuro-hormones, hence, 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.

Method of Application

Due to the large number of potential acupuncture points, (More than 350 acupoints on the meridians of the body) an acupuncturist carefully selects the points to be used on the basis of:

Pulse/Tongue diagnosis Observation Examination Questioning

On the first visit to an acupuncturist, the practitioner will take a thorough medical history followed by examination of three pulses on each Wrist and the Tongue. He may take note of breath and body odour, and palpate certain areas of your body. In general, visits have to be made once or twice a week over several months until therapeutic results are achieved. It all depends on the ailment.

From the information garnered, the acupuncture points are determined and an acupuncturist inserts tiny needles across the various acupuncture points (also referred to as acupoints or meridians) throughout the body in order to unblock and restore physical and mental health and balance to the human body. Acupuncturists can use as many as nine types of Acupuncture needles, though only six are commonly used today. They are used once and discarded in accordance with medical biohazard regulations and guidelines. The size of the needles is dependent on the area of the body where they are to be used. For example, longer, thicker needles are used in areas where there is more "cushioning" such as the buttocks, while small, thin needles are used where the flesh is thinner and closer to the Bone.

In either case, insertion of the needles is quick and virtually painless. In some instances the needles are simply left in place, but more commonly, while inserted, the needles are gently moved using a rotating or pumping action. This frees the blockage and restores chi flow in the meridians, ultimately returning balance and healthy functioning to body systems and organs. Different people experience different sensations from acupuncture. Some describe a tingling pins-and-needles feeling, others may feel numbness or nothing at all. Most find the sessions relaxing, and many fall asleep during or immediately after treatment. While the needles can feel uncomfortable at times, they rarely hurt. They are very thin (only about three times the thickness of a human Hair and much finer than the hypodermic needles used to give injections)

and are designed to enter the Skin with little resistance. Once the needles are inserted (generally from one to 15 are used), the acupuncturist may twist them manually or send a weak electrical current through them to increase the energy flow. . The needles may be left in for 15 to 40 minutes, depending on the ailment. Some patients notice rapid improvement after just a few sessions. In those whose conditions have taken years to develop, treatment may take longer. There are a few different precise methods by which Acupuncturists insert needles. Points can be needled anywhere in the range of 15 degrees to 90 degrees relative to the Skin surface, depending on the treatment called for. In most cases, a sensation, felt by the patient, is desired. This sensation, which is not pain, is called ‘deqi’. The following techniques are some, which may be used by an Acupuncturist immediately following insertion: Raising and Thrusting, Twirling or Rotation, Combination of Raising/Thrusting and Rotation, Plucking, Scraping (vibrations sent through the needle), and Trembling (another vibration technique). Once again, techniques are carefully chosen based on the ailment. There are a few related procedures that fall into the range of Acupuncture treatments. The first is Electro-Acupuncture. This is the using of very small electrical impulses through the Acupuncture needles. This method is generally used for analgesia (pain relief or prevention). The amount of power used is only a few microamperes, but the frequency of the current can vary from 5 to 2,000 Hz. The higher frequencies are generally used for surgery (usually abdominal), and the lower frequencies for general pain relief.

Acupuncture can be a cure, or it can act as a palliative treatment depending on the condition that is being treated. Acupuncture has been successful in treating problems ranging from Obesity to alcoholism, to drug addiction. If a chronically painful arthritic knee is treated with acupuncture then, on an average, the improvement will last about six months and the knee will again require treatment. Some acupuncture therapists treat their patients every three months or so to avoid any deterioration in their condition. The traditional Chinese approach is to attempt to maintain the patient in a state of wellness, which justifies a quarterly treatment pattern. However, many acupuncture therapists just treat patients as and when the symptoms recur. If the condition is self-limiting, such as the pain from an attack of shingles, then no further treatment is required after the pain is relieved. The most important historical effects that acupuncture have been noted for is the regulation of the functions and their normalization.

The World Health Organization recognizes the use of acupuncture in the treatment of a wide range of medical problems, like:

Digestive Disorders: Gastritis, hyperacidity, ulcer, colitis, Constipation, spastic colon, IBS, Dysentery, and Diarrhea. Respiratory Disorders: Sinusitis, Allergy, Sore throat, bronchitis, Pneumonia, Asthma, and Chest infections. Neurological and Muscular Disorders: Headache, Bell's Palsy, facial tics, Neck pain, rib neuritis, frozen Shoulder, Tennis Elbow, various forms of tendonitis, lower Back Pain, Sciatica, Osteoarthritis, and Nausea. Urinary Problems: Incontinence, enuresis, dysuria, anurea, bladder infections, Urinary tract infections, and prostate problems. Menstrual and Reproductive Problems: Infertility, PMS, menstrual cramps, cysts of Uterus and Ovary, menopause syndrome, and hot flashes. The main use is in treating chronic and painful conditions such as Arthritis, Headache and Migraine. Its effectiveness has enabled acupuncture to survive against enormous odds, post invasion of the quick-fix pills.

In the field of acupuncture few good clinical research trials have been completed, while there have been some very poor follow-up assessments of many of the conditions that have been treated by acupuncture therapists. It is therefore impossible to give a clear idea of the success of acupuncture. It is also essential to know two important facts. First of all that acupuncture, like any treatment, is not a guaranteed cure for diseases. Some diseases are more successfully treated (by acupuncture), while others are less successful, but no disease responds 100 per cent of the time to any form of treatment. Secondly, some of the suggestions that will be made to illustrate the effectiveness of acupuncture. Information about the success rate of acupuncture is not available in some areas, and there the only advice that can be given is based on the clinical experience of individual practitioners. For most common ailments, acupuncture can be used safely, but should only be administered by a qualified practitioner who follows correct hygiene and sterilization procedures or uses disposable needles. Improper needle placement, movement of the patient, or a defect in the needle can cause soreness and pain during the process of treatment or soreness afterward.

The World Health Organization recognizes acupuncture.