Acupuncture points are central to the practice of acupuncture. Numbered sequentially from 1 to 41 (large points), and from 1 to 33 (small points), they are studied by licensed acupuncturists to effectively treat their patients. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a system of 20 lines connecting acupoints or meridians through which qi flows. According to TCM, all diseases are a result of disruptions in the flow of this qi or life force.
These acupuncture points create an energetic river or system in the body according to TCM, similar to lakes and rivers. Using this water analogy, TCM likens a healthy body to a healthy water system. When there is a free flow of energy, the system of which it is a part is considered healthy. When there is blockage or stagnation of that energy, the system is unhealthy or diseased. By unblocking or strengthening the flow of qi at key points, acupuncture allows the body to heal itself.
One of the biggest obstacles to an acupuncture treatment for most people is their fear of the needles being inserted into their body. Fortunately, however, the insertion of these needles is almost entirely painless. In the hands of skilled, licensed acupuncturists, the insertion of these needles is in most cases painless. When discomfort is experienced, the sensation is similar to a mild ant bite. It is nowhere near as strong as the sensation one often experiences when donating blood.
Western science is still attempting to identify meridians using Western tools. The difficulty for Western scientists in this task lies in the fact that the meridians don't directly correspond to nerve or blood pathways. Some researchers have hypothesized that the meridians are actually located throughout the body's connective tissue.
In addition to the question of their actual locations throughout the body, western science is also trying to unravel the method by which acupuncture points generate their effect. Some scientists are beginning to posit that these points are actually strategic conductors of electromagnetic biological signals. The Gate Theory supposes that the pain signals of the body need to pass through "gates" or stations in their journey from the spinal cord to the brain. Like alleys or highways, the body's roads have a finite amount of traffic which they can handle.
To continue with the streets and alleys metaphor, some signals are given a higher clearance than normal signals such as pain. These higher priority/clearance are like emergency vehicles - ambulances, police cars, fire trucks - which supersede the slower, lower priority signals in their quest to reach the brain. These super signals may even bump the slower signals off the road altogether, preventing them from ever reaching the brain. Acupuncture may generate these priority signals, which crowd out pain signals because of the limited throughput of the nerves. The acupuncture signals may not only diminish the speed and severity of the pain signals, they may actually prevent them from being received by the brain at all. Acupuncture may also trigger the release of chemicals and hormones which reduce pain, and they may also alert the immune system to pay special attention to certain part of the body's roads.
Regardless of how acupuncture works, experimental and clinical studies have shown that it not only minimizes pain but also has a direct effect on many of the body's systems: circulation, blood production, blood pressure, and immune function. The stimulation of acupuncture points also causes the brain to release hormones and other neuro-chemicals which affect the muscles, spine and brain in positive ways.
Regardless of when Western science finally unravels the mystery of acupuncture and its points, there is ample evidence to show that acupuncture is effective in treating a variety of diseases. These acupuncture points stimulate the central nervous system at points along the skin with increased electrical conductivity. By balancing qi through its influence on the yin and yang forces in the body, acupuncture is capable of producing amazing medical results. - 15343
These acupuncture points create an energetic river or system in the body according to TCM, similar to lakes and rivers. Using this water analogy, TCM likens a healthy body to a healthy water system. When there is a free flow of energy, the system of which it is a part is considered healthy. When there is blockage or stagnation of that energy, the system is unhealthy or diseased. By unblocking or strengthening the flow of qi at key points, acupuncture allows the body to heal itself.
One of the biggest obstacles to an acupuncture treatment for most people is their fear of the needles being inserted into their body. Fortunately, however, the insertion of these needles is almost entirely painless. In the hands of skilled, licensed acupuncturists, the insertion of these needles is in most cases painless. When discomfort is experienced, the sensation is similar to a mild ant bite. It is nowhere near as strong as the sensation one often experiences when donating blood.
Western science is still attempting to identify meridians using Western tools. The difficulty for Western scientists in this task lies in the fact that the meridians don't directly correspond to nerve or blood pathways. Some researchers have hypothesized that the meridians are actually located throughout the body's connective tissue.
In addition to the question of their actual locations throughout the body, western science is also trying to unravel the method by which acupuncture points generate their effect. Some scientists are beginning to posit that these points are actually strategic conductors of electromagnetic biological signals. The Gate Theory supposes that the pain signals of the body need to pass through "gates" or stations in their journey from the spinal cord to the brain. Like alleys or highways, the body's roads have a finite amount of traffic which they can handle.
To continue with the streets and alleys metaphor, some signals are given a higher clearance than normal signals such as pain. These higher priority/clearance are like emergency vehicles - ambulances, police cars, fire trucks - which supersede the slower, lower priority signals in their quest to reach the brain. These super signals may even bump the slower signals off the road altogether, preventing them from ever reaching the brain. Acupuncture may generate these priority signals, which crowd out pain signals because of the limited throughput of the nerves. The acupuncture signals may not only diminish the speed and severity of the pain signals, they may actually prevent them from being received by the brain at all. Acupuncture may also trigger the release of chemicals and hormones which reduce pain, and they may also alert the immune system to pay special attention to certain part of the body's roads.
Regardless of how acupuncture works, experimental and clinical studies have shown that it not only minimizes pain but also has a direct effect on many of the body's systems: circulation, blood production, blood pressure, and immune function. The stimulation of acupuncture points also causes the brain to release hormones and other neuro-chemicals which affect the muscles, spine and brain in positive ways.
Regardless of when Western science finally unravels the mystery of acupuncture and its points, there is ample evidence to show that acupuncture is effective in treating a variety of diseases. These acupuncture points stimulate the central nervous system at points along the skin with increased electrical conductivity. By balancing qi through its influence on the yin and yang forces in the body, acupuncture is capable of producing amazing medical results. - 15343
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