Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method of relieving pain and treating disease by inserting fine metal needles into particular parts of the body. The invention of acupuncture cannot be dated. The procedure of needle insertion was practiced in the Stone Age and apparently evolved into the formal system of acupuncture over time. Ancient Chinese medical practitioners learned that certain areas of the skin showed sensitivity during illness or organ malfunction, and that the particular areas of sensitivity depended on the particular disease or dysfunction. The points were found to be part of a pattern rather than being randomly distributed. The lines linking the patterns of points were called meridians; each meridian was linked with certain body organs and physical conditions. These points of skin sensitivity were then related to Taoist philosophy, which asserts that the life force, or energy, called Qi, circulates throughout the body. Balance within the body depends on the measured interplay between two forms of energy called yin and yang. When these forces are in harmony, the body is healthy; when either force becomes dominant, disease or pain occurs. Acupuncture restores the balance between yin and yang by tapping into the body channels, or meridians, through which these energy forms flow.
The basic reference book on acupuncture is the Nei Ching, or Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, which is ascribed to the legendary Yellow Emperor, Huang Ti, believed to have lived from 2697 to 2596 b.c. The Nei Ching is divided into two parts. The first, Su Wen, explains the theoretical basis of Chinese medicine. The second, Ling Shu, tells exactly how to use acupuncture to treat and prevent every known disease, and gives detailed needle insertion points. An edition of the original Nei Ching was compiled by Wang Ping in 762 a.d. and revised around 1200 a.d. This edition is the basis for the modern Nei Ching and remains the foundation of acupuncture practice which remains an important element of Chinese medicine. It was supported by Mao Ze-dong and is often used as the only anesthetic when performing surgery.
The earliest acupuncture needles were made of stone, fish bones, and bamboo. These materials gave way to metals such as copper, brass, silver, and gold. Today, most acupuncture needles are made of stainless steel, gold, or silver, varying in length up to several inches. Acupuncture needles are inserted to various depths then twirled or vibrated. A tiny electric charge may be added. Insertion is painless or, at the most, mildly uncomfortable for a moment. Acupuncture students practice needle insertion on themselves thousands of times before perfecting their technique. The Nei Ching prescribed 365 insertion points; modern acupuncturists use 650 to 800.
Knowledge of acupuncture was brought to the West by Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century, although detailed descriptions of acupuncture theory and practice were not available for Westerners until Soulié de Morant's writings in the 1940s. Western interest in acupuncture has been growing steadily since then, and scientific explanations for the proven effectiveness of acupuncture note that the skin does, in fact, have different levels of electrical resistance at the ancient acupuncture points. Researchers speculate that acupuncture may stimulate production of the body's natural pain relievers (endorphins), or it may interrupt nervous system pain messages.
Regardless of its mechanism of action, the use of acupuncture in the U.S. has risen dramatically in the last decade. The fact that, in 1996, the federal court required insurance companies to cover treatment with acupuncture, and the National Institutes of Health began funding acupuncture research across the nation, is evidence of its effectiveness and the demand for its use.
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