With the globalization of our world, Eastern and Western medicine are beginning to mesh in certain areas. Acupuncture is one of the Eastern techniques quickly gaining a footing in Western medicine.
Acupuncture is believed to be over 2,000 years old as a medical practice. Although many countries in Asia have their particular version of the practice, it originated in China. Alas, the person that created it has been lost to time. It is a pity since acupuncture has become both one of the most popular and longest lasting medical technique in the world.
So, just what is acupuncture? At its core, the treatment is about the manipulation of energy in the body. Much of Chinese medicine is based on the idea that energy, called Qi, flows through the body in two currents. These currents are known as Yan and Ying. When the body gets out of whack, one current becomes dominant. This leads to disease, pain and poor health.
Unlike Western medicine, acupuncture does not focus on the symptoms. Instead, the focus is on the underlying cause of the discomfort. After 2,000 years of practice, there are detailed anatomical maps that help a practitioner isolate those areas that could be causing the poor health of a patient. These areas are then manipulated through the use of needles placed through the skin.
Needles! Many people are afraid of needles. One need only think of the large needles in a doctor's office to develop the fear. Acupuncture needles are different. They are the width of approximately one human hair. When placed through the skin, most patients will not even feel the penetration. It is the rare individual who will feel even the slightest bit of discomfort.
A bit more on the needles. An acupuncture needle is a one use medical device. They come in a sterile package and are used on one patient. At the end of the treatment, the needle is removed and thrown away. This approach eliminates concerns of infections and the transfer of any disease, to wit, the needles are safe.
When it comes to health care, there are a lot of people selling snake oil these days. Said snake oil, of course, cures everything. Acupuncture comes with no such fluff, and need not. It has been shown to be an excellent treatment for some health problems, but less so for others.
The number one area where acupuncture has proven to be a boon is in pain management. Chronic pain is a nightmare. The solution in Western medicine is to medicate the patient. The problem, of course, is the medications soon cause more problems than the pain. In this case, we are talking about the addictive qualities of Oxycotin, Vicodin and other pain killers.
Acupuncture, in turn, is not addictive and has shown amazing results when it comes to helping patients manage chronic pain. To this end, acupuncture is now a standard treatment course prescribed by primary care doctors for back pain, tennis elbow, nausea from chemotherapy and many other situations. If your current course of treatment is not working out, ask your medical professional whether acupuncture is an option.