What Is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a medical practice based on the belief that ailments result from imbalances in the body. This discord in yin and yang—the forces that govern all aspects of life, including health—is caused by the disruption or blockage of energy, or chi. Acupuncturists stimulate points along energy pathways in the body using thin metal needles, massage, heat, lasers, and magnets. The size and type of needle and depth of insertion depend on which type of acupuncture is being practiced.
There are many forms of acupuncture, the most widely known of which is traditional Chinese acupuncture. Some acupuncturists are medical doctors, and some also have master's degrees in acupuncture.
Acupuncture became popular in the United States after President Richard Nixon visited China in 1972, sparking widespread interest in traditional Chinese medicine. Today, millions of Americans undergo acupuncture procedures every year using techniques that were developed in China, Japan, and Korea. In 1996, acupuncture was recognized by the Food and Drug Administration as a medical treatment when it is practiced by licensed professionals—and acupuncture needles, previously classified as "experimental devices," were bestowed the status of "medical tools." The FDA requires the use of sterile, nontoxic needles, and requires that they be used only
Is Acupuncture Right For Me?
Acupuncture can treat a wide variety of maladies. If you suffer from headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, or back pain, acupuncture may help where other treatments have failed. According to the World Health Organization, acupuncture can successfully treat allergies, dental pain, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and asthma. Acupuncture can even help to combat addiction and depression.
Research suggests that acupuncture may be particularly helpful in alleviating musculoskeletal pain, or in reducing nausea and vomiting after surgery or chemotherapy. You might consider acupuncture if you're experiencing pain but conventional medical treatments aren't working for you, or if you prefer a more natural, holistic form of healing to taking painkillers or anti-nausea medication in pill form. You should recognize that like all medical treatments, acupuncture involves risks. And people who are afraid of needles probably should not seek acupuncture treatment.
There are many different kinds of acupuncture, each with its own areas of emphasis and philosophical principles, including auricular acupuncture, five-element acupuncture, Japanese acupuncture, Korean acupuncture, Vietnamese acupuncture, and trigger-point acupuncture. All are based on traditional Chinese acupuncture, which is still the most commonly practiced form in the United States.
In clinical practice, acupuncture treatment is usually highly individualized and based on philosophical constructs rather than controlled scientific research.
How Do I Choose An Acupuncturist?
If you have a medical condition that's been diagnosed by a medical doctor, but hasn't gone away, consider asking your doctor whether acupuncture could help you. More and more medical doctors, including general practitioners, neurologists, and anesthesiologists, are becoming trained in acupuncture. Before seeing an acupuncturist, make sure he or she is licensed. There are many types of licenses and credentials in this field.
A certified acupuncturist (CA), for example, has completed between 2,000 and 3,000 hours of training and received accreditation after passing a board exam. An acupuncturist with an DiplAc or DiplCH has completed a program (usually three years) at a school accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. While a doctor of oriental medicine (DOM) degree can indicate many levels of training, and a licensed acupuncturist credential (LAc) has three years of training and a state license.
Applications of Acupuncture
Cupping
Cupping is an ancient Chinese practice that helps alleviate pain and soreness. A rounded glass cup is placed on the skin, and pressure is created within the cup. This pressure draws the skin and superficial muscle layers outward, easing acupuncture points deeper in the body.
Electroacupuncture
Like regular acupuncture, electro-acupuncture uses needles inserted by hand. The difference is that in electro-acupuncture, these needles are connected to electrodes that provide electrical stimulation. Electro-acupuncture is considered quicker than traditional acupuncture, and has a stronger effect. It also allows the acupuncturist to more finely control the amount of stimulus given to a patient. People with cardiac problems should consult their physicians before using this treatment.
Gua Sha
Gua sha is a traditional healing technique, in which a practitioner applies repeated pressurized strokes over lubricated skin using a round-edged instrument. Widely used in China and Indonesia, Gua sha is Chinese for "to scrape for cholera. The application of the strokes causes small red or purple spots to appear on the skin; these fade after two or three days. The technique is most commonly used to treat fever, heat exhaustion, asthma, muscle and tendon injuries, poor blood circulation, headaches, and other minor problems.
Heat
Heat therapy restores balance, relieves inflammation, and eases pain. Many acupuncturists apply heat via infrared lamps.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion is an analgesic technique in which moxa, a flammable substance derived from the leaves of wormwood plants, is ignited on the skin. The technique is intended to warm regions of the body, as well as stimulating blood circulation and energy toward acupuncture points. It is often used, but not exclusively, as a supplemental treatment to acupuncture.
Qigong
Qigong is a meditative technique in which breathing patterns are coordinated with body postures and movement. Part of traditional Chinese medicine, qigong directs the flow of "energy fields" vital to the body. Qi is Chinese for breath, and the technique marshals such techniques as deep breathing, concentration, and relaxation to help restore and maintain proper energy balance to the body. Qigong can be used as a therapeutic intervention, but is also considered a good preventative health option.
Tuina
Tuina, which is Chinese for "poke-pinch," is a hands-on body treatment using designed to bring the body into balance through acupressure. Tuina practitioners use their palms, fingertips, and knuckles to press, tap, and knead. Tunia is often used in conjunction with acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, Chinese herbs, tai chi, and qi gong.
Can Acupuncture Help Weight Loss?
Acupuncture treatment can affect appetite, intestinal motility, and metabolism, as well as emotional factors
such as stress.
Increases in neural activity in the ventromedial nuclei (most commonly associated with satiety) of the hypothalamus, in tone in the smooth muscle of the stomach and in levels of enkephalin, beta-endorphin, and serotonin in plasma and brain tissue have also been observed with the application of acupuncture.
It has been observed that acupuncture in obese people increases excitability of the satiety center in the ventromedial nuclei of the hypothalamus.
Acupuncture stimulates the auricular branch of the vagal nerve and raises serotonin levels.
Both of these activities have been shown to increase tone in the smooth muscle of the stomach, thus suppressing appetite.
Among other things, serotonin enhances intestinal motility. It also controls stress and depression via endorphin and dopamine production.
In addition to these effects, it is thought that the increase in plasma levels of beta-endorphin after acupuncture application can contribute to the body weight loss in obese people by mobilizing the body energy depots through lipolithic effect.
Acupuncture & Fertility
The treatment of infertility with acupuncture and Chinese Medicine dates back more than 2000 years. These ancient time-tested techniques improve fertility rates and support an unlimited potential for health.
Reserches show that acupuncture helps to:
1. Increase blood flow to the uterus, which improves the chances of embryo implanting on the uterine wall.
2. Reduce anxiety, stress during stressful situations that can significantly decrease fertility.
3. Normalize hormone and endocrine systems that regulate ovulation, especially in women with polycystic ovrian syndrome.
Types of Acupuncture
Auricular Acupuncture
Auricular (or ear) acupuncture targets points on the outer ear, using either needles or electro acupunctoscopes to help relieve the complaint. Each acupoint on the ear, when treated, triggers electrical impulses, from the ear, via the brain, to the specific area of the body that is being treated.
Five-Element Acupuncture
Five-Element Acupuncture is an ancient form of acupuncture that treats the mind, body, heart, and spirit. The five elements are fire, earth, metal, water and wood, which correspond to emotions that must remain in balance in order to maintain health. A practitioner using this technique assesses factors such as skin color, vocal sound, body odor, emotional state, and pulse, using the information gathered to diagnose and treat the imbalance.
Japanese Acupuncture
Japanese acupuncture is a form of acupuncture in which a practitioner uses touch to diagnose ailments and to find the exact location of the relevant acupuncture point. Once the correct points are located, the practitioner uses a guiding tube to shallowly insert very thin needles. Japanese acupuncture is often accompanied by direct moxibustion, the warming of acupoints by burning moxa, a substance derived from the wormwood plant.
Korean Acupuncture
Korean acupuncture is a form of acupuncture that integrates techniques from traditional Chinese acupuncture, Japanese acupuncture, and five-element acupuncture. Practitioners make a diagnosis by assessing your "basic constitution," or body type. In Korean hand acupuncture, a subtype of Korean acupuncture generally, the hand is seen as a microcosm of the body, and practitioners can assess and address conditions anywhere on a patient's body simply by applying treatment to the hands.
Traditional Chinese Acupuncture
Traditional Chinese acupuncture is the form of acupuncture in which the plurality of practitioners are trained, and it remains the most widely practiced form. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the human body is filled with lines or channels through which the energy of the body flows. These channels function as points of entry into the body, called acupuncture points. Acupuncture is the practice of inserting fine sterile stainless steel needles into these points to remove blockages and imbalances in the body's energy flow. Removing these blockages allows energy and blood to circulate smoothly throughout the body, stimulating the body to heal itself.
Trigger Point Acupuncture
Trigger point acupuncture is a form of acupuncture that targets tight or knotted muscles, also known as trigger points. The practitioner uses touch to locate muscular tightness, then inserts an ultra-thin, single-use acupuncture needle into the suspect muscle and gently probes. This produces localized involuntary twitching, which fatigues the tight muscle and reduces tightness.
Professional Credentials for Acupuncturists
AP
Acupuncture physicians. Licensed only in Florida, acupuncture physicians are practitioners who have completed a master's level program in oriental medicine approved by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. This requires a minimum of 2,700 hours of supervised instruction, including 15 hours covering safety measures on needle technique, three hours on HIV/AIDS precautions, and 20 hours on Florida state statutes and rules on medical practices. Acupuncturists then receive their accreditation after passing an exam administered by the Florida Board of Acupuncture.
CA
A certified acupuncturist usually completes between 2,000 and 3,000 hours of training through an accredited program, and receives accreditation after successfully passing a board exam.
DiplAc
The DiplAc signifies completion of a diploma program at any of various nationwide schools certified by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. This generally includes three academic years of study.
DiplCH
The DiplCH signifies completion of a diploma program at any of various nationwide schools certified by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. This generally includes three academic years of study.
DiplOM
The DiplOM signifies completion of a diploma program at any of various nationwide schools certified by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. This generally includes three academic years of study, including instruction in acupuncture and herbology.
DOM
The doctor of oriental medicine degree indicates additional training beyond state licensure to practice acupuncture, but it may also indicate a variety of training levels.
LAc
The licensed acupuncturist is certified by the state licensure board. Generally, requirements include three years of education at one of the nationwide schools certified by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and passing a state exam.
MAc
The master of acupuncture signifies completion of a master's level academic program in acupuncture. Programs generally take two to three academic years, and in most states, practitioners with the MAc degree can apply for state licensure.
MAOM
The master of acupuncture and oriental medicine is a post-graduate degree. Most such degrees offer a comprehensive curriculum, often totaling 2,500 hours of rigorous classroom and clinical experience. Many are also accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM).