Acupuncture is a treatment tool within the practice of Traditional Oriental Medicine. It has
been used for thousands years in Asian countries with great success and has been
gaining popularity worldwide in recent years.
Fourteen major channels called “meridians” course through the human body. A subtle
energy called Qi (pronounced ‘chi’) circulates via the meridians to all parts of the body,
even the most remote cells. Qi is a vital force, the presence of which separates the living
from the dead. Its balanced flow is crucial to maintaining good health. Any misdirection,
blockage, or other condition diverting the amount of flow or balance of Qi may result in pain,
dysfunction, or ill health. Through the use of acupuncture the practitioner of Traditional
Oriental Medicine stimulates certain points along the meridians. This stimulation helps to
restore the balance and flow of Qi so that the organs and other bodily systems can work
together in harmony. This sets the stage for the body to repair itself and maintain its own
health.
There are currently two favored theories to explaining the effectiveness of acupuncture.
One is called the “gate control” theory and the other is called “neuro-endocrine” theory. In
the gate control theory, thin nerve fibers transmit the sensation of pain while thick nerve
fibers carry the sensation of touch. It has been found through experimentation that if
impulses in the thick fibers are increased, conduction in the thin fibers are selectively
decreased; thus the analogy of opening and closing a gate. By closing certain gates a
method of controlling pain is introduced, which is to say that by increasing transmission in
the thick fibers it reduces the impulses in the thin fibers thereby relieving pain.
Acupuncture has been found to increase transmission in the thick fibers markedly. Neuro-
endocrine theory has recently been discovered in which using acupuncture to stimulate
certain points along the meridians; the body itself releases its own natural painkiller called
endorphins. Endorphins are released by many parts of the nervous system and is related
to the glandular or endocrine system, hence the term neuro-endocrine.
The needles used in acupuncture are sometimes surprisingly thin; so thin that many
patients cannot feel their insertion. There are also thicker needles varying in length and
diameter for conditions requiring their use. The types of needles used vary depending on
the patient and the illness, as well as the treatment style of the practitioner. All the needles
that are used for treatment have been thoroughly sterilized and usually come in pre-sealed
containers to maintain their sterility. They are used once and then discarded to maintain
the safety of the patients as well as the practitioner.