Acupuncture: Pathways for Relief

The traditional theory is that you are helping the body heal itself and restoring it to balance. - Ward Glenn Gypson, M.D.

Ø      What is Acupuncture?

Ø      What Exactly does Acupuncture do? 

What is Acupuncture?

In November of 1998 the U. S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Alternative Medicine broke new ground for acupuncture when it released a positive consensus review of hundreds of acupuncture studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).  The scientists concluded that acupuncture does work in many instances such as chronic pain and nausea.

Yet even before the NIH statement, Americans were embracing this Oriental-style therapy with enthusiasm.  In 1997, according to another 1998 study published in JAMA, Americans made more than 5 million visits to acupuncturists.  In fact, since President Nixon's visit to China in 1972, there's been a rising tide of interest in acupuncture.

Acupuncture is actually a French word that's a bit of a misnomer -- it means "to stick with something sharp."  A better translation from the Chinese for this brand of medical treatment is "energy medicine."  And in fact, acupuncture, which has flourished in China since at least 400 B.C., is a complicated system of scientific thought based on revitalizing a type of energy called qi (pronounced chee).  Traditional Chinese practitioners maintain that this energy flows through the body in defined pathways, called meridians.  Illness results when qi isn't flowing smoothly or when it gets stuck, the theory goes.

With 12 major meridians starting in the chest, traveling to the hands and back to the head, flowing from the head to the feet and back to the chest; each meridian links a number of areas of the body as well as various organs and their functions.  By activating some of the 2,000 acupuncture points on the body's meridians with thin needles, acupuncturists say they're stimulating qi and helping it to flow freely.  Helping the body heal itself and restoring it to balance.

What Exactly does Acupuncture do?

Western scientists have tried to come up with their own explanations for why acupuncture is effective, an they've had some success.  Some studies have shown that acupuncture results in the release of body chemicals called opioid peptides that control pain.  Placing acupuncture needles in the skin also seems to stimulate the immune system, alter blood flow, and cause the release of body chemicals, including hormones and neurotransmitters, resulting in a wide range of physiological effects.  These effects include feelings of relaxation and decreased swelling and pain, according to Ward Glenn Gypson, M.D., an acupuncturist and associate clinical professor in the department of orthopedics at the University of California at San Francisco. 

Acupuncture also seems to stimulate the release of neurotransmitters that affect mood and appetite, according to Michael Smith, M.D., director of the acupuncture program at Lincoln Hospital in New York.  The bottom line is that it supports the body's basic functions such as circulation, wound healing, and various immune and neurological functions promotes homeostasis--the balanced functioning of the whole person.

A National Institutes of Health (NIH) consensus panel reviewed thousands of studies for the research article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in November 1998.  The panel concluded that acupuncture was most effect and most promising for:

Always tell your doctor if you are using an alternative therapy or if you are thinking about combining an alternative therapy with your conventional medical treatment. It may not be safe to forgo your conventional medical treatment and rely only on an alternative therapy.

Additional Acupuncture Articles:

• How to Find the Best Acupuncturist!
• Safety and warnings!