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Acupuncture The history of the practice
Acupuncture The history of the practice
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Examining the Effectiveness of Auricular Acupuncture
What is Auricular Acupuncture?
Auricular acupuncture has a variety of uses, some with more documented success than others. Auricular acupuncture is an alternative medicine with some documented success in treating anxiety, insomnia, smoking, drug addictions and obesity. Not all studies have generated conclusive positive results and more research is needed to accurately evaluate the efficacy of the procedure in treating multiple ailments. Acupuncture is an ancient medicinal practice that originated in China. The name comes from the Latin acus, or “needle”, and from pungere, or “prick,” and involves the insertion of superfine needles into specific points on the body. Once inserted, the needles can be manipulated to stimulate the body for healing effects. Auricular acupuncture is acupuncture performed on the ear. The treatment of auricular acupuncture is preformed on the ear using stimulators such as different types of needles, staple-punctures, probes, magnetic beads, fingers, or harmless electrical impulses. The most common is method is inserting needles. For auricular acupuncture, there are different type of needles that can be used such as a regular half or whole inch needle, press needles, and interdermal needles. Press and interdermal needles are pressed into an acupuncture point and tape is used to keep them in place, as well as give constant stimulation. The ear is thought to contain an innumerable amount of important and potentially therapeutic acupuncture points. This is why it is believed that by using these types of stimulators on acupuncture points in the ear, problems and/or dysfunctions will be revealed throughout the body. (Suen 135)
Why is Auricular Acupunctu...
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...this alternative medicine in reinforcing the legitimacy of their work is that there are even discrepancies between them on exactly how to achieve the desired results. “One of the many methodological problems with auricular acupuncture is that there are so many maps of the ear and little agreement exists regarding point location, lacking definite anatomic stud on the ear skin and its somatotopic correspondences” (Gori 16). In order for this alternative method of treatment to become more mainstream and accepted as legitimate, more conclusive evidence and more consistent results across multiple studies, and more consistent application of the acupuncture itself must be achieved. Until that point, auricular acupuncture will continue to help persons who have experienced its benefits, but it will not receive the attention that a more proven treatment would by the masses.
All things found in the universe are thought of as a balance of the two opposite but complementary forces yin and yang. Organs in our body can be predominantly yin or yang but the body still manages to maintain the overall balance because of the total sum of yin and yang in the body. Traditional Chinese medicine states that diseases are caused by an imbalance of yin and yang. When trying to restore the balance and the person’s health, practitioners look for the nature of the imbalance and use acupuncture as a method to correct the imbalance.“However, despite more than 3,0000 studies into acupuncture since the 1970s, there is no evidence that any force qi ( yin and yang) exists or that it flows along invisible energy lines.” ( “Why acupuncture is giving sceptists the needle”, David Derbyshire)Therefore the whole system acupuncture is based on can’t be reliable.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of tiny needles into "acupuncture points," specific nerve endings under the skin. These needles are extremely small, so small in fact that ten to fifteen acupuncture needles can fit in a regular hypodermic needle (http.//www.acupuncture.com/Acup/Acupuncture.htm).
Public Health Reports (Interagency Team at NIMH and NIDA Studies How Acupuncture Works.) (1974-) , Vol. 95, No. 5 (Sep. - Oct., 1980), pp. 503-504
...ure anesthesia, auricular needling is often used. By stimulating sensory receptors at auricular points, signals inputted into the body are transmitted through the trigeminal lemniscuses instead of the spinal cord. There were studies demonstrated anterior and posterior portions of the nucleus of spinal tract of trigeminal nerve had similar feedback effects to the gate system in the posterior horn of spinal cord, which could be used to modulate transmissions of pain impulses. This might be able to explain why auricular acupuncture has analgesia effects on surgical or painful irritation on the head and face. However, anesthesia effects of auricular acupuncture during thoracic and abdominal surgeries cannot be explained by any hypotheses about the gate control occurring at either posterior horns of the spinal cord or the nucleus of spinal tract of trigeminal nerve [27].
Chiropractors are professionals who correct health problems by performing spinal adjustments. Many people who are looking for an alternative to drugs and surgery opt to see a chiropractor. Chiropractors take a holistic approach. They believe that they can help the body heal itself by performing spinal adjustments.
I have always aspired to be a chiropractor. Chiropractors treat patients with health problems of the neuromusculoskeletal system including the nerves, bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. They use spinal adjustments as well as manipulation, usually on the neck back (“Summary”). I chose to go down the path of chiropractic practice because I have always been interested in it. It is important to understand the education and training requirements, skills and talents needed, salary and benefits offered, and the duties while making your career choice a chiropractor.
Acupuncture: The practice is the insertion of fine needles into acupuncture points (a.k.a. acupoints) just beneath the body surface. Needles varies in length between 13 to 130 mm (0.51 to 5.12 in), shorter needles for face and eyes, and longer needles for more fleshy areas; the diameters vary from 0.16 mm (0.006 in) to 0.46 mm (0.018 in), thicker needles for more robust patients. Acupuncture points are very precise locations and lie on channels of energy. The practice of acupuncture is based on the fact that the stimulation of specific areas on the skin affects the function of certain organs of the body and that health results from a balanced flow of Qi (a.k.a. ‘Chi’) which is circulated through the blood stream through 14 energy ducts called
Chinese physicians discovered over 5,000 years ago that the arousal of certain areas on the skin affect the operation of the bodies organs and organ systems (http://www.demon.co.uk). Acupuncture works to restore homeostasis to the body through the insertion of stainless steel needles into acupoints below the surface of the skin (http://www.holistic.com.). The body is made up of lines of energy called Qi, that "communicate fro...
Acupuncture is an essential part of traditional Chinese medicine, its usually used as an alternative treatment in the international medical field. Long, thin spines are put in the surface of skin on specific points to make the Qi flow free. It is organized to be a diagnosis and treatment in The Yellow Emperor 's Classic of Internal Medicine from 100 BC. In the twentieth century, it began to spread in European and gradually used by patients when western medical treatments do not work. Some people believe that the acupuncture is effective for curing pain. According to balanced yin yang and promoted blood recycling. However, some other people have a different argument that acupuncture is
There are many different uses of alternative medicine and that can be used in a variety of situations. Some people may be skeptical of alternative medicine since they are not aware of the facts and statistics. By homeopathy becoming more popular people will not be as skeptical. “Despite the successes of many alternative therapies, the phrase "alternative medicine" has not acquired a completely respectable air. To many, especially doctors trained in conventional medicine, "alternative therapies" seem unscientific and dangerous” (Badertscher). As the author shows that although alternative medicine may seem skeptical to people, there are many reasons to prove that alternative medicine is an overall better solution. Badertscher also explains the many benefits to his view of alternative medicine of seeking to work with the body 's own natural healing processes” (Badertscher). For example, a person may suffer from chronic back pain may decide to go to a chiropractor instead of using medication such as oxycodone. In this Badertscher shows the benefit that using the body’s natural healing does and that it puts the person in control of their
Acupuncture originated in China and it has been practice for more than 2000 years now. This modality is considered the main treatment within the traditional Chinese medicine. Its main concept is the conviction that the body possesses hidden channels identified as meridians. These channels allows for the flow of energy which is considered a vital life force through all the body. Acupuncture modality believes that when this energy becomes obstructed or imbalanced, sickness and symptoms can build up. It is only when this energy becomes unblocked by stimulating focal points in the meridians that health can be achieved again (Cherry & Jacob, 2010).
A feasibility study.” The purpose of this small controlled study was to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture at decreasing neuropathic pain and improving health-related quality of life. The author 's hypothesis was that acupuncture would significantly reduce pain in these types of patients. This study involved only twelve participants from a podiatry clinic dedicated to teaching students. All participants had to be over 18 years old, diagnosed with diabetes and have a history of diabetes-related neuropathic pain for at least 3 months. Participants in this study completed assessment surveys before and after they were given acupuncture. Acupuncture was given five times during a four-week period. The surveys assessed the participants’ belief in the effectiveness of acupuncture, their quality of life, and current pain level. This study concluded that acupuncture did help reduce neuropathic pain in all the participants but it was not statistically significant. The self-reported belief in acupuncture survey showed a statistical difference in belief of the effects of acupuncture before and after a course of the intervention. This might be because most of the participants in this study reported The quality of life survey assessed six domains and all showed improvement. Although the
I was born and raised primarily in Jowhar, Somalia, which is a land rich in beauty, but sadly for many of the people living there it is also a land of where poverty is a way of life. After the civil war in Somalia; education, like any other public or private institution, was consumed by the war, not much was going on; however, I am one of the few lucky ones who had the opportunity to migrate to the US. After coming to the US, I finished high school, earned university degree and acquired years of experience in the medical field within short span of time;
Acupuncture doesn’t allow people to get ahead of themselves like Victor did; the way of thinking brought about is that of a natural sense. The techniques of the alternative medicine allow people to remember how magnificent and sacred the human body is and realize that it cannot be created through lab work or perfected through medicine. With Western medicine, patients can take up to four or five medications before finding one that suits their needs and most can have many life threatening side effects. With acupuncture, it is one procedure and one attempt to heal a patient with NO major side effects. Acupuncture is a unique ancient art that is backed by thousands of years of Chinese thought and research and has been proven affective for many people and their illnesses.
Hot stone massage is a variation on classic massage therapy. Heated smooth, flat stones are placed on key points on the body. The massage therapist may also hold the stones and use them to massage certain areas of the body. The use of hot stones for healing dates back to ancient times, but it wasn't until Arizona massage therapist Mary Nelson introduced her hot stone massage technique, called LaStone Therapy, that the use of hot stones for massage caught on.