Acupuncture is a technique used to restore health and well-being by inserting needles into specific areas of the body and manipulating them. This method is found to be extremely helpful in the reduction of pain, and is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) which has even set definitions of acupuncture points and characteristics. Acupuncture originated in China and is tied closely to the traditional Chinese practice of medicine. Other forms of acupuncture including Korean, Japanese and classical Chinese versions are currently being practiced and taught worldwide. Traditional medicine tends to push for scientific proof before any method of treatment is used or thought of as being effective. Clinical trials and reviews have been done and are continuing to be done to determine whether acupuncture is effective or just a passing fad that some are fooled by. These trials have suggested that acupuncture is effective for pain, specifically headaches and lower back pain, as well as for nausea. The evidence is insufficient to determine how effective this method is for other medical conditions. Modern medicine and traditional medicine alike agree that more research is needed and that acupuncture is safe as long as the acupuncturist is well-trained. The history of this treatment in China goes back as far as the first millennium B.C. and perhaps further. Archaeological evidence can show acupuncture was used as early as the Han Dynasty. Literature on the traditional Korean version known as Chimsul and Japanese versions known as Kampo are also available. Differing from traditional medicine by not following scientific biomedicine, acupuncture treats the human body in systems of function that are associated with individual body organs. Some systems of function, such as the triple heater (San Jiao), are different as they are not associated with a physical organ. When body systems work together properly they are in the state of homeostasis, when these lose this state they are considered to be in a state of disease. Acupuncture is used to treat patterns of disharmony by attempting to modify activity of the systems using needles and pressure as well as heat on localized sensitive acupuncture points. Acupuncture points are not necessarily in the same area of the body as the symptoms or the targeted systems. Acupuncturists, who have been trained in Japanese forms of this treatment, as well as some of the others, depend on palpation for ashi points or tender points that are used for treatment. Their basic theory is that relief is given by working through stimulation of the meridian system to rebalance the yin, yang and qi. This theory is not based science; instead this is based on paradigm. Visit us for more information on enrolling in an acupuncture course, acupuncture and dieting and acupuncture treatment.
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