"Zhen bian" in Mandarin, acupucture is the technicque of inserting fine needles into specific points of the body to relieve pain, and for theraputic purposes.
Practiced for thosands of years in China, acupunture has been proven to be a safe alertnative and complimentary to medication and surgery for a variety of ailments.
Similar to shiatsu, acupuncture utilizes meridians along which a person's qi flows, by inserting and manipulating the needles blockages in these meridians are removed and qi flows better.
While acupuncture does not hurt, patients frequently experience what is called "deqi". Deqi is a feeling that occurs when the needle in inserted. It can range from a feeling of distention or soreness to an electrical flash. Usually if this feeling is quick it means the results are likely to be satisfactory.
According to the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (2004), acupuncture may be considered as a complementary therapy for the conditions in the list below.
The conditions labeled with * are also included in the World Health Organization list of acupuncture indications.
- Abdominal distention/flatulence*
- Acute and chronic pain control*
- Allergic sinusitis *
- Anesthesia for high-risk patients or patients with previous adverse responses to anesthetics
- Anorexia
- Anxiety, fright, panic*
- Arthritis/arthrosis *
- Atypical chest pain (negative workup)
- Bursitis, tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome*
- Certain functional gastrointestinal disorders (nausea and vomiting, esophageal spasm, hyperacidity, irritable bowel) *
- Cervical and lumbar spine syndromes*
- Plantar fasciitis*
- Post-traumatic and post-operative ileus *
- Premenstrual syndrome[28]
- Selected dermatoses (urticaria, pruritus, eczema, psoriasis)
- Sequelae of stroke syndrome (aphasia, hemiplegia) *
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- Constipation, diarrhea *
- Cough with contraindications for narcotics
- Drug detoxification *
- Dysmenorrhea, pelvic pain *
- Frozen shoulder *
- Headache (migraine and tension-type), vertigo (Meniere disease), tinnitus *
- Seventh nerve palsy
- Severe hyperthermia
- Sleep disorders[29]
- Sprains and contusions
- Idiopathic palpitations, sinus tachycardia
- In fractures, assisting in pain control, edema, and enhancing healing process
- Muscle spasms, tremors, tics, contractures*
- Neuralgias (trigeminal, herpes zoster, postherpetic pain, other)
- Paresthesias *
- Persistent hiccups*
- Phantom pain
- Temporo-mandibular joint derangement, bruxism *
- Urinary incontinence, retention (neurogenic, spastic, adverse drug effect) *
- Weight Loss
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| From Wikipedia on Acupuncture |
The needles used in acupuncture are one use only. They are opened at the time they are used and are disposed of in a special bin.
Acupunture