Healing Through Acupuncture
For many, the idea of being poked by numerous needles is hardly appealing even if it is beneficial. In fact, it is downright terrifying for those with belonephobia i.e. an abnormal fear of sharply pointed objects, especially needles. However, imagined fears rarely present the real picture and the only antidote to those fears is through knowledge and familiarisation.
Is the Pain as Bad as It Looks?
Acupuncture is based on ancient Chinese medical philosophy, which interprets human physiology and its illness quite differently than contemporary science. Back then, there were no concepts of the existence of cells, modern physiology, biochemistry, nutrition or mechanisms of healing. Instead, it is premised upon the understanding that energy flows within the human body and this energy can be channeled to create balance and health. This energy flow is called “Qi” (and pronounced “chee”) and Qi moves throughout the body along 12 main channels known as meridians. In essence, the meridians represent the major organs and functions of the body but these meridians do not follow the exact pathways of nerves or blood flow as mapped out by western medical practice.
The point of acupuncture is to correct the imbalances of the Qi and restore health through stimulation. Thus, fine needles are inserted through the skin at points along the meridians of the body. It is site-specific for specific diseases and disorders. However, contrary to popular misconception, it does not involve painfully deep poking. Acupuncture merely entails the stimulation of certain points on or near the surface of the skin. In general, there is very little pain associated with acupuncture treatment and most will only experience either a mild tingling sensation or a little dull ache. Some have likened it to very slight pinpricks or discomfort of normal ant bites.
Resiliency of Acupuncture
The origins of acupuncture remain hazy in view of the lack of records. It is widely accepted that the theory and practice of acupuncture originated in China. However, the discovery of tattoo incisions on the acupuncture meridians of Otzi, the mummified Iceman, prompted a revisit of such beliefs. Some scientists went on to suggest that those tattoos are evidence that acupuncture actually predates the Asian acupuncture tradition by at least 2,000 years. In any event, the earliest existing documentation relating to acupuncture are the ancient scriptures found in 198 BC sealed within the “Ma-Wang-Dui� tomb in China.
The scriptures did not spell out the details of acupuncture procedures but contained certain references to the meridian system. The earliest ancient documentation in existence specifically relating to acupuncture procedures is “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine” from China, dating back to around 100 BC. This book captures the exchanges between the Chinese Emperor and his learned minister, Chhi-Po, regarding acupuncture. It primarily sets out the details and explanations about the meridians, Qi flows and pressure points. The details of precise sites of acupuncture points were not specifically addressed. Such acupuncture points were only documented much later. The bronze statues with acupuncture points that are still in use today were developed in the 15th Century for teaching and examination purposes.
From the 14th Century and all throughout the Ming Dynasty, the practice of acupuncture flourished and culminated in the use of massage, diet, various herbs and heat therapy or “moxibustion” to enhance the effectiveness of acupuncture treatments. It was during this golden period that “The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion”, a leading text on acupuncture was published. This book sets out the principles of acupuncture on which modern practices of this tradition rest. The 17 th Century was a dark time for acupuncture as it acquired a reputation for being a superstitious and irrational practice. Having become tangled in politics, things deteriorated to the point that the Emperor issued a decree in 1822 to exclude the practice of acupuncture from the Imperial Medical Institute. Despite this exclusion, some rural healers and scholars steadfastly held on to the knowledge of this practice.
Acupuncture practitioners did not face official persecution (as it was not strictly illegal to do so at that time) but they were heavily stigmatised. Then, with the advent of Western medicine in the 20th Century, acupuncture practice fell further into disrepute. 1929 was the final nail on the coffin as the practice of acupuncture was outlawed in China along with other forms of traditional medicine.Fortunately, 1949 was a huge turning point which marked the revival of acupuncture. The communist government had a change of heart and made a huge effort to restore the practices of traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, to their former glory. With governmental support, acupuncture research institutes mushroomed across China contributing to the development and growth of this practice.
Acupuncture was even introduced and incorporated into selected hospitals around China. Since then, interest in this ancient healing practice kept growing.
Modern Relevancy
From its turbulent past, acupuncture developed over the next few centuries and gradually became part of the standard suite of alternative healing therapies across the world. A versatile treatment method, it has been used for pain management and to treat conditions of varying degree, from minor aches to life threatening illnesses.The following narratives from PIEWK, a professionally trained Chinese physician who graduated from China’s Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, serves to better illustrate the workings of acupuncture as an alternative healing method.
Acupuncture Helps to Revive Minor Stroke Patients A few years ago, I had an emergency request to treat a patient with minor stroke. She was a 52-year-old lady who suddenly noticed that her speech was slurred and her gait unsteady. She was referred to me by her friend. As a traditional Chinese medicine (“TCM�) physician, I read her pulse and checked her tongue. Her tongue appeared greyish in colour and her face was pale. Her pulse was tense and irregular.
I asked her to lie down on the clinic bed and I performed acupuncture on her scalp, neck, hand and legs, coupled with electrical stimulation and moxibustion. The whole session took about 45 minutes. The patient felt immediate relief during and after the acupuncture session. After treatment, her tongue colour became red, which indicated good blood circulation to the heart and brain. She was also able to speak clearly.
When acupuncture is performed on a patient who has stroke-related symptoms such as an unsteady gait, slurred speech, numbness on one side of the body, weakness, dizziness, etc., the application of needles to the relevant meridian points help to enhance the Qi and blood circulation. The patient may feel a slight prickling pain, soreness, numbness, or a pulling or “current� flowing sensation, due to the manipulation of Qi during the treatment. After the acupuncture needles are removed, the above sensations will eventually subside.
After treating the patient, I advised her to go to the hospital the very next day for a CT scan and any other necessary check-ups to ensure she was fine. To her and her cardiac doctor’s surprise, there was nothing significantly alarming about her test results despite her earlier stroke-related symptoms.
My youngest stroke patient was a 23-year-old young man and my oldest was a 92-year-old bed-ridden woman. Both of them came regularly for acupuncture treatment. Through observing their rate of recovery, it became apparent that the golden period for acupuncture treatment is the first three months (from the stroke). Those who immediately start acupuncture during that period tend to have quicker recovery of limb movement, are more likely able to stand on their own feet and also go back to their normal daily routine. In contrast, those who fail to get acupuncture during that period tend to recover with limited limb movement and usually require the assistance of a wheelchair or walking stick for mobility.
Acupuncture is safe for those with heart disease as well as stroke patients who are on anti-coagulants as it is a non-invasive treatment. The needles are applied onto meridian points without pricking the veins or nerves. The only side effect is the antbite pain sensation which is usually tolerable.
Acupuncture Relieves Neck and Shoulder Stiffness A businessman walked into my clinic with difficulty turning his head. He was unable to look to the left or right and also could not look up or down. He was puzzled as to why he had such bad neck stiffness, as he had started using a special pillow many years ago. I checked his pulse, asked a few questions and checked his neck as well as his shoulder by pressing a few meridian points. He confessed that he had eaten quite a lot of durians a couple of days ago. He also admitted to being a hot-tempered person. I found his pulse to be quite tense and his tongue appeared dark red which indicated he was “heaty”. The excess heat was not severe enough to cause a fever but it exhausted his body fluids (the “Yin”) thereby causing stiffness of his muscles.
I performed acupuncture on his neck and shoulder area. After half an hour of treatment, he could happily turn his head in all directions with ease. Acupuncture not only restored his neck and shoulder movement but also cleared away the excess body heat and improved the circulation of Qi and blood to the relevant meridian points.Neck and shoulder stiffness is a common problem with office workers, youngsters and IT folks. In addition to working long hours on the computer, they also spend a lot of time tilting their heads to look down at their cell phones. This results in bad Qi and poor blood circulation which easily causes stiffness to the head, neck and shoulders. This prolonged bad circulation caused by unhealthy posture can even lead to numbness of the arms, fingers and even headaches and dizziness.
Acupuncture on the neck and shoulder meridians will help to improve circulation of Qi and blood to the area, thus relieving muscle stiffness and pain. Immediate relief can usually be felt after a session of acupuncture treatment. In some severe cases, more sessions of acupuncture are required. In any event, if the stiffness or pain persists after ten sessions of acupuncture, then it is advisable for the patient to do an x-ray examination of the cervical (neck) bone to rule out any other diseases or changes, for example bone spurs or degeneration.
Acupuncture Relieves Muscle Pains
I often have patients who complain of body aches and want to know if acupuncture can help. Most of them are afraid of “pain” as acupuncture is related to the use of needles. However, the pain is actually minimal and tolerable. In fact, the needles are actually applied on meridian points nearer to the surface of the skin. However, as the meridians are very close to micro blood vessels and nerves, one will experience a sensation of pricking pain, soreness, numbness, or even itchiness around the area.
An acupuncture session normally lasts about 20 to 30 minutes and usually done using disposable needles for hygiene purposes. After treatment, some immediately stop feeling any discomfort. Even those with severe conditions who require more sessions reportedly feel a reduction of the muscle pain by half after the first treatment. When a patient feels immediate relief, they tend to ignore follow-up treatments. In reality, follow-up treatments are very important as body aches are just symptoms and the cause of such symptoms need to be treated.
For example, leg or knee pain is usually related to the spine. Thus, the only way to really cure leg or knee pain is to address the problematic condition of the spine. For acute sprains, one can apply an ice pack on the painful area which relieves the pain and swelling. But if after a few days, the swelling persists and movements become limited, it is advisable to seek acupuncture treatment and physiotherapy. After acupuncture, it is advisable for the patient to abstain from consuming cold or iced drinks as well as hot and spicy foods which will delay the recovery process.
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