What are the principles of acupuncture and which are diseases that respond to this?

 

Oriental medicine, under which acupuncture is classified, has a long standing history of trial and error.  However, unlike western medicine, oriental medicine evolves around the Taoist theory of harmony and life being in balance and looks to more tranquil and homeopathic means of treatment.  Oriental medicine evolves around a system of assessment, diagnosis, prescription and treatment which relate to a person’s Ying and Yang. Ying and Yang is the concept of the division of all things in the universe. A person’s Ying and Yang must be in harmony.  The principles behind oriental medicine coincides with the principles of acupuncture.  The principles include the five essential elements in nature; metal, water, wood, fire, and earth.  The QI and blood are also part of the principles that speculate that a person has pathways that circulate throughout the body and when one pathway is disrupted the body no longer works well and organs or other parts are affected.  In keeping with this theory, acupuncture is based on the person’s pathways and the insertion of thing needles into the body at different pathway locations throughout the body depending on the person’s pain or illness.

Acupuncture in the orient is often use in combination with nutritional treatment and natural herbs.  It is more clinical when used in western countries. 

Acupuncture works by blocking pain impulses to the spinal chord which relays messages to the brain.  The insertion of needles into certain pathways is believed to activate the endorphins in the brain which serve as the brains response to pain.  In addition, the movement of the needles causes a distraction from the central point of a person’s discomfort.  The specific placing of needles in the skin causes blood vessels to swell and release chemicals that repair tissue.

Diseases that have been known to respond to acupuncture include but are not limited to: arthritis, anxiety and depression, common colds, disk disorders, migraines, hypertension, cardiac palpitations, asthma, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and obesity.  In addition, it has been used to treat alcoholism, Neurogenic bladder dysfunction, Cervicobrachial syndrome, and Gastro intestinal disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  The rate of success of treatment depends on the severity of the person’s symptoms and may also include the person’s belief in the success of the treatment.  The Western world is still learning more about acupuncture and now credits it as a viable treatment for many diseases and medical problems.