Acupuncture
Get to know about Acupuncture
Acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), while Traditional Chinese Medicine carried its philosophy all the way till today since more than 2,500 years ago, although it is difficult to understand Qi or meridian, but luckily people find a word to pronounce it, it is just a matter of translation from Chinese word. Qi can be described as Energy, but more than energy, Jing Luo can be translated as Meridian,
No matter it is scientifically approved or not, the fact is that it's really hard for TCM practitioners or TCM students from all over the world to avoid accepting this ancient Chinese Medicine concept, otherwise we would have to throw away not only Acupuncture but Chinese Medicine. Under the principle of ZangFu , Jing Luo (Meridian), Yin Yang, Wu Xing (five elements) theory, acupuncture needles can be insert through the skin at strategic points on the body to help restore the flow of energy force called Qi (Chinese Pin Yin). Therefore, acupuncture can be used to balance Yin and Yang, and promote positive energy inside body.​​
Acupuncture made its grand entrance to the modern world by means of James Reston, arguably the most powerful reporter of the world in 1971, after his appendectomy done in Beijing, he reported on the front page of the New York Times, described how dose acupuncture act during his operation in a humorous way. Now acupuncture is still being practiced by a growing numbers of practitioners in the world, and more and more students in university atending TCM program, and certainly there are more and more people got help with it.
Benefit of acupuncture
WHO published a report about clinical trials researching the effectiveness of acupuncture 15 years ago, in 2003, the effectiveness of acupuncture has been proved to achieve a certain level of good result by the category of body system, conditions involve Nervous System,Gynecology issue, Bone and Joints, Endocrine System, Respiratory system, Reproductive and Urinary System, symptoms not limited to as below:
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Side effect of Chemotherapy-induced and postoperative nausea and vomiting
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Dental pain
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Insomnia
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Infertility
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Fibromyalgia
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Headaches, including tension and migraine headaches
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Low back pain
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Neck pain
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Osteoarthritis
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Menstrual cramps
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Bell palsy
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Discomfort Symptoms of Cancer
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Asthma
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Other systematic conditions
Well prepared before Acupuncture
To determine treatment plan, TCM acupuncturist may ask you about your symptoms, history, behaviors and lifestyle, examination may involve:
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The parts of your body that are painful
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The shape, coating and color of your tongue
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The color of your face and palm
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The strength, rhythm and quality of the pulse.
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Smell of your breathing
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And other more
Single used fine needles will be used to perform the treatment. Initial assessment may take up to 20-30 minutes, one treatment may take 30-60 minutes. Treatment schedule for single complaint possibly administrate 1- 2 treatments per week. Total numbers of treatment may vary, it depends on the individual body reaction and expectation, 1-10 treatments are most common seen in the clinic.
After acupuncture
Needle sensation could be existing for a while after needle removed for somebody, it is fine to exercise or keep routine activity.
Usually, improvement can be seen right after one or two treatment. Some conditions may need few more sessions before feeling better.
Side effects of acupuncture
Since single used disposable needles are used in the treatment in the modern time, the risk of infection is extremely low. But you might experience:
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Soreness, tingling and bruise after acupuncture, minor bleeding or bruising on the needle sites.
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Some acupuncture points may stimulate womb contraction, which could result in a premature delivery. however, a well trained TCM acupuncturist would be able to avoid using these points.