Acupuncture

Zahraa AlDabbagh; 1702110

Introduction:
• Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles
through your skin at strategic points on your body. A key
component of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is
most commonly used to treat pain. Increasingly, it is being
used for overall wellness, including stress management.
• Traditional Chinese medicine explains acupuncture as a
technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force —
known as chi or qi (chee) — believed to flow through
pathways (meridians) in your body. By inserting needles
into specific points along these meridians, acupuncture
practitioners believe that your energy flow will re-balance.
• In contrast, many Western practitioners view the
acupuncture points as places to stimulate nerves, muscles
and connective tissue. Some believe that this stimulation
boosts your body's natural painkillers.
 Meridian
• The simplest definition is that a meridian is an energetic highway
in the human body.
• Meridians allow for the flow of energy, known as Qi (pronounced
“chee”), to circulate throughout the body.
• Meridians exist in corresponding pairs and each meridian has
multiple acupuncture points along the pathway.
• All together there are fourteen main meridians throughout the
body. One that runs up the center of the body on the front, another
that runs along the spine and the other 12 run from head to toe
along the rest of the body. Each limb is traversed by six channels,
three that are considered yin in nature and three that are
considered yang in nature.  Yin channels are located on the inside
surfaces and the yang channels are located on the outside
surfaces. Each meridian is a yin yang pair, meaning that each yin
organ (lung, heart, kidney, liver, spleen) is paired with its
corresponding yang organ (large intestine, stomach, small
intestine, bladder, gallbladder). In every living thing, there is yin
and yang. Yin corresponds to water, darkness and cold, while
yang corresponds to fire, daylight and heat. For the body to
function properly, there must be balance between the yin and
yang.
• When the Qi flows freely, the body remains healthy. However,
due to outside causes like stress, the body’s meridians can
become clogged or stagnant. When a blockage occurs along the
meridians, illness can take hold.
Uses of Acupuncture
Low Back Pain
One large study found that
both actual and "fake"
acupuncture worked better
than conventional treatments
for back pain that had lasted
more than three months.
Headaches Fibromyalgia
Some studies showed that it
Acupuncture may help relieve
provided temporary pain relief, but
migraines or tension headaches.
others did not. A small study by
Two large studies found that
the Mayo Clinic suggested that
people receiving acupuncture had
acupuncture may reduce two
fewer days with tension headaches
other problems of fibromyalgia:
than those receiving conventional
fatigue and anxiety.
care.
 Arthritis Pain
Acupuncture can be a helpful
addition to conventional treatment
for osteoarthritis, says the National
Institute of Arthritis and
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
And some of the most promising,
early research has shown
acupuncture eased arthritis pain in
the knee.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Acupuncture was tested and
compared with steroid pills for the
hand and arm pain of carpal
tunnel syndrome. Researchers in
Taiwan gave one group eight
acupuncture treatments, over
about a month, and those patients
reported more relief, for a longer
time, than the group taking
medicine.
Dental Pain
Acupuncture provides relief from the
pain of tooth extraction or dental
surgery, but so does fake acupuncture,
some studies show. Still, dental pain is
considered by many to be one of the
conditions that responds to
acupuncture.
 Acupuncture and Fertility
Celebrities such as singers Celine Acupuncture to Quit Smoking?
Nausea
Acupuncture at the pericardium (P6) Dion and Mariah Carey credited
acupuncture -- used along with Acupuncture has been used for a
acupuncture point on the wrist can
infertility treatments -- with variety of other conditions, including
reduce the symptoms of nausea and
helping them get pregnant. A smoking cessation, insomnia, fatigue,
vomiting, even after cancer drug
review of medical studies backs up depression, and allergies. The
treatments or surgery. Studies
this view, suggesting that evidence is mixed at best for some
compared 10 different acupuncture
acupuncture may boost the uses of acupuncture. For example,
methods -- including needles,
effectiveness of fertility acupuncture needles placed in the
electrical stimulation, and acupressure
treatments. One theory holds that outer ear to help people stop smoking
-- to drugs that block nausea or
acupuncture helps by reducing do not work, studies found.
vomiting and found the acupuncture
treatments worked. stress and increasing blood flow to
the ovaries.
 Method of Needle insertion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5iD1bllZXY

How to manipulate an acupuncture needle (no date) Needling.

Available at: http://needling.org/acupuncture-manipulations/
(Accessed: January 14, 2023). 

General acupuncture needle techniques, Tai Acupuncture. Available at:

https://taiacupuncture.com/general-acupuncture-needle-techniques/
(Accessed: January 14, 2023). 
 References

Acupuncture (2021) Acupuncture | Johns Hopkins Medicine. Available at:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/acupuncture (Accessed: January 14, 2023).

Center point healing (2020) Center Point Healing. Available at: https://www.centerpointhealing.com/hyattsville/traveling-the-

energetic-highway-what-are-meridians/ (Accessed: January 14, 2023).

Acupuncture (2021) Acupuncture | Johns Hopkins Medicine. Available at:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/acupuncture (Accessed: January 14, 2023).

(no date) NHS choices. NHS. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/acupuncture/ (Accessed: January 14, 2023).
How to manipulate an acupuncture needle (no date) Needling. Available at: http://needling.org/acupuncture-manipulations/
(Accessed: January 14, 2023).

General acupuncture needle techniques, Tai Acupuncture. Available at: https://taiacupuncture.com/general-acupuncture-

needle-techniques/ (Accessed: January 14, 2023).