Although acupuncture, a method of treatment involving puncturing the body with needles, does not arouse such emotions as it used to be, there are still many superstitions about it. Which of the theorems about acupuncture are true and which are myths?
True. Its origins date back to the Neolithic age, i.e. around 4000 BC. Even then, in China, people were treated by puncturing their skin with sharpened rock fragments. The Tcha-Tchin method, from which today'sacupunctureis derived, was established in the third millennium BC. Initially, "needles" made of stone, bone or bamboo were used for the treatments. After the invention of bronze, needles made of this alloy appeared. Then they were replaced with iron and finally steel. From the 5th century BC gold needles were produced, and 200 years later - also silver. Only the emperor and his family had the privilege of using this valuable equipment.
False. The effectiveness of this therapy depends, among others, on on the duration and severity of the disease. However, in the case of severe, chronic diseases, she can be powerless. The puncture does not work, for example, when the patient has advanced hypertension or hearing loss associated with damage to the middle ear. When used in AIDS patients, it improves their body's immunity and extends their life, but does not reverse the disease process. Acupuncture brings a marked improvement in some neuroses (e.g. hysteria), but less so in anxiety neurosis and depression. It is also ineffective in treating phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and mental illnesses such as schizophrenia.
True. According to the Chinese, the vital energy of Qi (aka qi) circulates in the human body. It flows through energy channels (or meridians) and blood vessels and reaches all organs and cells. This flow can be blocked due to mechanical trauma, infection or stress. The organs "powered" by the blocked meridian then weaken and the disease begins. By using acupuncture, inappropriate (too little or too strong) Qi flow in the energy channels is corrected and the body is rebalanced.
False. Each patient, treated by a good specialist, receives his own set of needles. After use, they are sterilized and kept locked until the next treatment. Today, many doctors use disposable needles. Therefore, there is no danger of contracting an infectious disease from another patient.
True. In the case of many ailments (e.g. colds, headaches) improvement occurs after 3-5 treatments, but most often only a series of about ten is effective. If acupuncture is applied to people with severe diseases, who have been treated pharmacologically for many years, the improvement takes place only after several series of punctures. There are 6 weeks to 6 months breaks between them.
Don't do that
True. Sometimes the needle cuts a blood vessel under the skin. Then a small hematoma may appear, which disappears after a few days. The most prone to such bleeding are the elderly and women just before menstruation.
False. Although, according to some researchers, the highest "therapeutic activity" are needles made of gold (a bit smaller steel needles, and even smaller - silver), in fact, in acupuncture, as in any therapeutic method, the professionalism of the doctor is the most important. The condition for success is a properly made diagnosis and a precisely performed puncture. Besides, gold needles are considered too soft by modern therapists.
False. Sometimes taking medications, including pricking, is even necessary. Only as you recover, you should stop taking them. Acupuncture is combined, for example, with herbal medicine and homeopathy. However, you need to inform the therapist about the drugs you are taking.
True. This therapy is called aurikpotherapy. Then special, short needles are used. This treatment is most effective when combined with traditional acupuncture.
False.People with haemophilia, mentally ill, severely weakened, pregnant, lactating and menstruating women should exercise particular caution. Punctures in the vicinity of skin lesions (ulcers, abscesses) and varicose veins are not performed. Treatments to alleviate cancer pain are allowed (with the consent of the oncologist, as a supplement to traditional therapy). Puncturing is strictly forbidden in case of fear of acupuncture.
False. Chinese medics have already observed that acupuncture brings results in about 90 percent. patients. Some people are just not susceptible to this method. The therapy may also be ineffective if the patient did not inform the doctor about the medications he was taking or about other concurrent procedures, about menstruation or pregnancy. Also, the lack of a positive attitude towards this therapy, addictions, and unhe althy lifestyle make treatment difficult.
True. By piercing specific points on the body, operations can be performed without anesthesia. The patient is then conscious but feels no pain. However, not all of them are effective. It happens that it stops working during the procedure. So it's best and safest if they are performed by an experienced anesthesiologist who can, if necessary, use conventional anesthesia.
True. While pricking does not cure addiction, it can support the therapy, e.g. by relieving symptoms after smoking withdrawal. Approx. 75 percent acupuncture smokers quit or smoke less. One year after the end of therapy, about 20 percent do not smoke. people. However, success depends on your motivation.
Where to go for helpPolish Society of Acupuncture Main Board
www.akupunktura.org
[email protected] tel. 22 659 83 23
ul. Winnicka 10
02-095 Warszawa
voiv. Masovian Voivodeship