Where Does Acupuncture Originate From?

Where Does Acupuncture Originate From?
by: Kerris Samson


Acupuncture originates from the Latin words for Needle (acus) and Prick (pungere) or Zhen jiu (Standard Mandarin) and is the technique of inserting and manipulating needles into the various acupuncture points found on our bodies. According to the teachings of acupuncture the use of these techniques will help to restore a person’s health and well being as well as particularly very good for treating pain.

It is thought that acupuncture originates from China and it is certainly most commonly associated in today’s society with Traditional Chinese medicine. However there are other forms of acupuncture such as Japanese, Korean as well as the classical Chinese Acupuncture which are taught and practiced around the globe.

Whether the use of acupuncture is an effective remedy or that patients think it is effective seems to be subject to scientific research. However scientists who have already conducted reviews according to the rules of evidence based medicine on clinical trials already carried out have that it has some benefits in treating headaches, lower back pain and nausea, but in respect of most other conditions they feel that there is insufficient evidence to say whether it is effective or not. You will also find not only the World Health Organisation (WHO), American Medical Association (AMA), National Institute of Health (NIH) as well as various governments have commented on the use of acupuncture but that further research is required. However, the one that all can seem to agree on is that the use of acupuncture is safe as long as it is administered by a well trained and qualified practitioner.

When looking back on the history of acupuncture it can be traced back in China as far back as the 1st Millennium BC and there is archaeological evidence where it was used during the Han Dynasty (202 BC to 220AD). There have also been forms of it described in Korean literature called Chimsul and is also an important part of the traditional medicine system in Japan and is called Kampo.

During the recent examination of a 5,000 year old mummy (Otzi) found in the Alps it was discovered that the mummy had over 50 tattoos on its body and some of these were located on various acupuncture points that would now days be used to treat certain ailments that Otzi seemed to suffer from. Some scientists even believe that this provides us with evidence that practices were carried out similar to acupuncture elsewhere in Eurasia during the Bronze Age period. But unfortunately there is no evidence to prove that the tattoos on Otzi’s body were used as acupuncture points or they were just a decoration.

It is uncertain that acupuncture originates in China as the earliest medical texts found (68BC) do not have any mention of this form of treatment. The first real Chinese medical text to mention acupuncture comes from the Yellow Emperor’s “Classic of Internal Medicine (History of Acupuncture)” which compiled around the period 305-204BC. There has also been the discovery of hieroglyphics dating back to around 1,000BC which may indicate the use of acupuncture also.

Another thing which seems to suggest that the Chinese were not the first to use acupuncture is the discovery of sharp pointed stones (Bian stones) in ruins which were used to treat diseases in ancient times. Some people (scholars) believe that the use of these stones for bloodletting was a precursor to certain acupuncture techniques.

In fact in a book written by R C Crozier (Traditional Medicine in Modern China) it says that the early Chinese Communist Party had expressed considerable aversion towards many classical forms of Chinese medicine, deriding it as mumbo jumbo, irrational and backwards and that it conflicted with the Party’s reliance on science as a way of progress. Acupuncture was certainly included in the Party’s criticism of all such practices. But later on the Communist Party Chairman Mao then reversed what the party had been saying by saying that “Chinese medicine and pharmacology are the greatest treasure house and efforts should be made to explore them and raise them to a higher level”. Following this reversal representatives were sent out across China from the party to collect information on the theories and practices of Chinese medicine, thus the TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) system of Chinese medicine was created and includes the use of Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, tuina and other forms. However, after the Cultural Revolution the instruction of TCM was incorporated in to the University medical curricula throughout China under the “Three Roads” policy. This is where TCM, biomedicine and a synthesis of the two would be encouraged and development permitted. But unfortunately after this time some forms of classical Chinese medicine other than TCM where outlawed and because of this a number of practitioners of these methods left China.

It is thought that the first forms of acupuncture to reach the USA were brought into the country by non-TCM practitioners and many employed styles of acupuncture that they had been handed down through the family or from master to apprentice, and is collectively known as Classical Chinese Acupuncture.


About The Author
Kerris Samson a work from home mum now living in Spain who has spent a large amount of time researching the subject of acupuncture and its benefits as an alternative treatment to modern western medicine. If you would like to learn more please visit http://www.oneohone.info/acupuncture.

Can Acupuncture Help Weight Loss?

Can Acupuncture Help Weight Loss?

Successful long term weight loss is incredibly difficult for most people to achieve. Many people have tried diets that may cause some weight loss and then they gain back the weight they lost plus some additional pounds.

This is why more and more, people are turning to acupuncture weight loss treatments to try to handle their weight problem once and for all.

Acupuncture is a practice that is more than 5,000 years old, significantly older than Western medicinal therapies and practices.

Acupuncture weight loss treatment involves what most people think of when they think about acupuncture. Inserting hair-thin needles into particular spots on the skin that are believed to help the body function properly.

Acupuncture stimulates the body to release endorphins, the body's own "feel-good" pain-relieving chemicals. It may be that one way acupuncture weight loss treatments help control appetite is by releasing endorphins.

In the case of overweight patients, the acupuncture specialist will first ask a variety of questions and perform an examination. The purpose is to understand the main causes of the person's excess weight. Perhaps it is merely behavioral, or there could be a physiological reason as well.

Once the root causes of the problem are identified, the acupuncture specialist will then insert needles into different areas of the body in order to help improve the body's functioning in a way that will promote weight loss.

For example, an acupuncture specialist who is doing acupuncture weight loss treatment for a patient will probably use a multi-targeted approach. They may attempt to lower the body's weight by increasing the output of the pituitary gland.

They would also probably work on reducing cravings for certain foods or they would attempt to encourage a decrease in natural appetite. Certain needle placements are even thought to lower insulin levels or lipid levels in the blood.

A benefit of acupuncture weight loss treatment is that unlike certain medications, there are no harmful side effects and no chance for addiction. It is a perfectly natural means of boosting the patient's weight loss efforts.

Acupuncture weight loss treatments need to be repeated on a rather regular basis in order to maintain the effects. However, the acupuncture specialist will instruct the patient that the treatment on its own is not likely to be enough to result in long term, permanent weight loss.

Attention should also be paid to diet and exercise. The acupuncture specialist may provide the patient with certain guidelines as to what to avoid eating in order to promote the regular flow of energy throughout the body as well.

If you've been struggling with a stubborn weight problem, consider acupuncture weight loss treatment to give your weight loss efforts a boost.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture
by: Scott Cansdell


Traditional Chinese Medicine…

or TCM for short is a coherent and independent system of medical thought and practice that utilizes the techniques of acupuncture, moxibustion, nutrition, herbs, exercise and massage in its therapy.

It has evolved over thousands of years and because TCM is rooted in a philosophy and culture entirely foreign to the West it has developed it’s own unique perception and language concerning the body and disease.

Ancient Chinese healers studied the external rhyme and season of nature and applied those laws and language in their observations of human bodily functions. Wind, heat, cold, fire, dryness and damp are words that apply not only to nature but to the body. For example in TCM an acute sore throat is not considered a viral infection but rather an attack of wind heat.

This uniqueness does not make Chinese medicine primitive or magical. Nor does it make the mystical and ultimate truth. It simply means that TCM is a complete, though different system than Western medicine.

Chinese physiology is also different from the West…

It is not so much the physical organ that is being described, but rather its functions and those functions in relationship to other organs. For example, the liver according to TCM physiology has the function of nourishing the eyes, muscles and tendons, which are not liver functions recognized in Western medical science. If it is not functioning adequately a person may suffer stiff, aching, twitching, or cramping muscles or dry itchy eyes. The liver also has many other functions.

Some of the TCM physiology is radically different from a Western medical approach. For example, one of the Heart’s functions is circulating the blood, however it is also the consciousness –awareness centre of the body. In Western terms though, this is considered a brain function.

Even though the two physiologies may be different, if each system is viewed in it’s entirety, their theoretical framework becomes logical and complete.

The Meridian System…

For each organ in TCM there is a corresponding meridian (energy pathway) that has functions relating to the parent organ. For example, the Liver meridian is related to the liver organ. Each meridian also has it’s own meridian functions. There are twelve main meridians, and they run all over the body from the toes, to the fingertips, to the top of the head. Along these meridians are found the acupuncture points. The points can be activated with very fine acupuncture needles or through massage.

What is Qi?

One of the most important concepts in Traditional Chinese Medicine is that of “Qi” (pronounced chee) which is the Chinese word for energy. Disease occurs when a person’s Qi is out of balance and therefore Chinese Medicine is about balancing Qi. This means that if there is too much Qi, the excess is reduced; too little and the deficiency is enhanced; uneven, and the Qi is more evenly distributed.

There are several kinds of Qi to be considered in TCM:

Firstly, there is the energy you were born with which is called “inherited Qi”. This is the product of the energy of the sperm and ova and the quality of this inherited Qi relates to the health of the parents at conception. This Qi mainly acts like a catalyst in the body. It gets things going, like the ignition in a car. When this Qi is used up, we die.

Secondly, there is our “acquired Qi”. This is the raw energy that we take in every day in the form of food, water and air. These raw products are transformed into energy that the body can use. Acquired Qi supplements our inherited Qi and protects it from being used up too quickly. It fills up the meridians, nourishes the organs, produces blood and protects the body form external attack. It can be likened to the petrol in a car.

If the acquired Qi is in good quality and quantity, less inherited Qi is needed and we can live a long life. The inherited Qi is like a bank, so that when the acquired Qi is insufficient, the body must take from the inherited Qi account to keep it functioning. Therefore the Chinese pay much attention to diet and consider a strong stomach to be of major importance.

Applications for Acupuncture…

Muscular-skeletal & neurological:

Back/neck/shoulder pain, sciatica, arthritis and rheumatism, muscle strain, joint pain, headache, migraine, dizziness, ringing in the ears, post-stroke, spasms, sports injuries…

Circulation problems:

Cold hands and feet, felling cold all over, aversion to cold/wind, numbness and tingling of limbs, edema swelling, retention of urine, fluid retention…

Stress symptoms…

Sleep disorders, stiff neck/shoulders, teeth grinding, impotence, mood swings, obsessive thinking, fiery temper, mild depression, anxiety attack, allergies…

Respiratory system:

Common cold and flu, tonsillitis, sinus, asthma, bronchitis, shortness of breath, congested throat, hoarseness, allergies…

Digestive and intestinal illness:

Ulcers, diarrhoea, constipation, anorexia, lack of appetite, indigestion, over-eating, hemorrhoids, lack of energy, gastric, dysentery, irritable bowel…

Women’s health:

PMT, menstrual pain, menopause, irregularities of cycle, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, post-natal problems, lactation…

Disorders of the mouth and eyes:

Toothache, bleeding gums, bad breath, mouth ulcers, sore tongue, cold sores, eye infections, blurred vision…

Diagnosis & treatment by an acupuncturist…

Most people will visit an acupuncturist because of one or two specific symptoms. Since Traditional Chinese Medicine treats the entire body, and not just the single symptom in isolation, the acupuncturist will ask pertinent questions concerning: health history, pain, energy level, sleep, appetite, bowels, urine, menstruation, family history, stress levels and so on. This is because the symptom must first be understood in relationship to the body’s other signs and characteristics. Taking the pulse and looking at the tongue also play a major role in helping the practitioner formulate a diagnosis.

Consequently, each patient’s treatment is an individual as there personal characteristics.

The number of treatments that are required varies. A general rule of thumb is that the more chronic the disease/symptom, the more treatments are required. This is why it is important to maintain good health at all times. And when ill, seek treatment immediately to prevent illness from moving into deeper more serious levels.


About The Author
Scott Cansdell's interest in Traditional Chinese Medicine was sparked at a young age and by the age of 25 he took it upon himself to travel southeast asia learning the ancient skills from various teachers. Today he works in Macquarie Street Sydney treating people from all walks of life.