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The Healing Benefits of Acupuncture
Published in Mehwish Iqbal, Complementary and Alternative Medicinal Approaches for Enhancing Immunity, 2023
The fundamental concept of health in TCM comprises the qi (vital energy of the body) unidirectionally circulating by means of the meridians (compound channels of network) just below the skin, though also flowing inside the blood vessels. It penetrates the tissues and organs and supports all physiological functions. Health is the constant and balanced flow of qi, and sickness follows when there is any disturbance in the qi flow. The components that can have an impact on the flow of qi include trauma, malnutrition, anger, anxiety, fear, hereditary factors, stress, grief, weather conditions and infections. By introducing needles, the acupuncture practitioner tries to restore the balance between spiritual, emotional and physical aspects of the person and to make the quality and flow of energy better (Zijlstra et al., 2003). Acupuncture points are particular points along the channels at which qi can be retrieved and rebalanced.
Low Back Pain
Published in Benjamin Apichai, Chinese Medicine for Lower Body Pain, 2021
Acupuncture points: SI6 養老 YanglaoSI3 後溪 HouxiDU26 人中 Renzhong
The Chinese Style of Healing: The Best Holistic Medicine and Herbal Medicine
Published in Joseph P. Hou, The Healing Power of Ginseng, 2019
In the classical system of Chinese medicine, acupuncture is used in both diagnosis and treatment. The theoretical basis is the system of acupuncture points distributed along the meridian, each linked with one or more internal organs. At least 361 acupuncture points have been identified. The fundamental concept of acupuncture is that detailed knowledge of the distribution of these points allows both diagnosis and treatment. Malfunction of an organ may be recognized by hypersensitivity of the corresponding acupuncture points and relieved by stimulation at the irritable point. In general, arthritis, neuritis, and paralysis after nerve injury or stroke are among the disorders treated most successfully. In these conditions the needles are stimulated electrically, usually with a square-wave alternating pulse at about 200 cycles per minute. The power source is a 6-volt battery. This stimulation causes obvious muscular twitching at the site of insertion of the needle but apparently no great discomfort for the patient. Acupuncture therapy has also been widely used in the treatment of angina, to relieve cardiac pain, for analgesic effect in childbirth, in migraine, and in many chronic skeletal disorders.8
Electroacupuncture Reduces Ocular Surface Neuralgia in Dry-Eyed Guinea Pigs by Inhibiting the Trigeminal Ganglion and Spinal Trigeminal Nucleus Caudalis P2X3R-PKC Signaling Pathway
Published in Current Eye Research, 2023
Tuo Jin, Xue Liu, Ying Li, Pei-Chen Li, Mi-Mi Wan, Liu-Jiao Li, Li Shi, Zhang-Yitian Fu, Wei-Ping Gao
The guinea pigs were restrained without anesthesia. Disposable sterile acupuncture needles (0.18 mm × 13 mm, Suzhou HUATUO Medical Instruments Co., Ltd., Jiangsu, China) were used to pierce the guinea pigs’ bilateral “Jingming” (BL1), “Zanzhu” (BL2), “Sizhukong” (SJ23), “Tongziliao” (GB1), and “Taiyang” (EX-HN5). The acupuncture points were placed with reference to experimental acupuncture.22 Then, an electroacupuncture instrument (Huatuo SDZ-II B-type, HUATUO Medical Instruments Co., Ltd., Jiangsu, China) was used with a pair of electrodes connected to the ipsilateral “Zanzhu” and “Taiyang,” using dilatational wave with a frequency of 4 Hz/20 Hz, pulse width of 0.2 ms, output intensity of 1 mA, and electroacupuncture for 15 min once a day. The intervention in each group was 14 days.
Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain: an exploratory review
Published in Physical Therapy Reviews, 2019
Acupuncture points are specific anatomical locations around the body, of which there are 360 traditional points [38] but whether they are specific structures is not clear. Acupuncture points have been associated with fascial tissue planes in the body, indicating that acupuncture points are found at locations where connective tissue converges between muscles and may be locations where the greatest contact with connective tissue can be made [39]. Since connective tissue forms a network through the body connecting groups of muscles and organs together, it provides a possible mechanism for the transmission of effects over a larger area. The traditional view is that sensory nerve fibres are responsible for the effects observed when stimulating acupuncture points, demonstrated in Chang et al. [40].
Effects of acupressure, gum chewing and coffee consumption on the gastrointestinal system after caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia
Published in Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2021
Derya Kanza Gül, Ayça Şolt Kırca
Another method that improves the recovery of GIS motility is acupressure. Acupuncture and acupressure, which have been widely used in China for more than 4,000 years, are one of the oldest known medical therapies (Ng et al. 2013). Acupuncture involves inserting very thin needles through a person's skin, and acupressure is a manipulative therapy art that ensures the proper functioning of the energy gates by applying pressure on the acupuncture points on the whole body with the hands, fingers, palms, elbows, and knees (Gao 1997; Lee and Frazier 2011; Moradi et al. 2014). The philosophy of this treatment is based on the self-healing feature of the human body. Stimulation of the acupuncture points activates the Qi energy required for the healing of diseases in the body, regulates blood flow, and activates the release of chemicals such as beta-endorphin, serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline into the bloodstream by supporting the release of neurotransmitters and accelerating the transmission of electromagnetic signals, thus helping the body maintain its normal functions (Tsay and Chen 2003; Tsay 2004; Moradi et al. 2014). Acupressure technique is used to reduce back pain, low back pain, neck pain, labour pain, menstrual pain, pain due to muscle and tissue trauma, anxiety, stress, and gastrointestinal tract-related complaints (Tsay and Chen 2003; Tsay 2004; Lee and Frazier 2011; Ng et al. 2013; Chao et al. 2013; Wagner, 2015; Abadi et al. 2017). According to the results of animal and human experiments in which the effect of acupuncture on the GIS was investigated, acupuncture applied to the ST-36 point increased the strength of gastric muscle structure, thus initiating the GIS motility earlier (Shiotani et al. 2004; Chen et al. 2008).