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Acupuncture
is an ancient Chinese method of relieving pain and treating a variety
of diseases by inserting needles into various parts of the body. According
to Chinese philosophy, disease and pain occur because of an imbalance
between two principal forces of nature called yin and yang. The Chinese
believe acupuncture restores this balance. Many Chinese believe acupuncture
influences a life force that flows along 12 paired and 2 unpaired meridians,
channels of energy that run longitudinally in the body. Specialists called
acupuncturists insert sharp needles at one point or any of hundreds of
specific points along the meridians. Insertion of the needles produces
a sharp pinching feeling. This feeling quickly disappears and is replaced
by occasional tingling or a sense of numbness, heaviness, or soreness
while the needles are in place. Acupuncture is used to relieve pain and
to treat various conditions, including arthritis, asthma, migraine, ulcers,
eye diseases, and some mental illnesses. Since the late 1950's, Chinese
doctors have used this procedure to relieve pain during major surgery.
The patient is conscious and apparently feels little or no pain. Scientists
have proposed three major theories for how acupuncture works. One theory
suggests that the meridians actually exist and connect the body's organs
in a special manner. According to this theory, acupuncture increases activity
along the meridians and thus influences organ function. Scientists also
believe that acupuncture works, at least in part, by increasing the brain's
production of natural painkillers called endorphins. These substances
are morphinelike chemicals that influence the body's awareness of pain.
Finally, scientists theorize that acupuncture may work through the nervous
system, by triggering signals that interrupt pain messages sent to the
brain. Acupuncture is used in the Far East and Southeast Asia and, to
a lesser degree, in many other countries.
(Source: World Book) |
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