Acupuncture developed in China 5,000 years ago. Time has verified its effectiveness and today, next to diet and herbal medicine, it is the most important treatment method in Chinese medicine.
At the heart of theacupuncture , as well as all eastern medical thought, are the broader principles formulated by Chinese philosophy. According to her, all processes in the universe take place due to the circulation of the vital energy "qi" (qi). Man, as part of nature, is also subject to the laws of the world around him.Diseasebegins when the balance of the body is upset - certain nutrients or energy are missing, or energy is not properly circulated. The sick person is treated by stimulating theimmune system .
In what diseases does it help?
Although several doctorates have already been written in Poland on the use of acupuncture in the treatment of various ailments, the National He alth Fund, due to its limited budget, reimburses it only in the field of pain treatment. Acupuncture has been appreciated by the World He alth Organization (WHO) - it has formulated a long list of ailments that can be treated with this therapy. These include :
- diseases of bones, muscles, joints,
- including sciatica, inflammation, back pain;
- cardiovascular diseases; coronary heart disease, hypertension, thrombosis;
- respiratory diseases: asthma, sinusitis, bronchitis, chronic cough;
- gastrointestinal disorders: gastritis, diarrhea, constipation, esophageal and purgative spasms, gastric and duodenal ulcers;
- gynecological and obstetric problems: menstrual disorders, painful menstruation, climacteric syndrome, pregnant vomiting, depletion of the reproductive organ;
- liver and gallbladder disorders;
- urological diseases: urinary incontinence, cystitis, kidney stones;
- eye diseases: conjunctivitis, glaucoma, cataracts;
- skin problems: acne, psoriasis;
- sexual dysfunction; impotence, coldness;
- neurological diseases: headaches, paresis after strokes, dizziness, tinnitus;
- mental and emotional disorders; addictions, depression, neurosis, insomnia.
When acupuncture doesn't work
Acupuncture is not used in patients with a high deficitenergy (pale complexion, poor appetite and pulse, cold limbs, feeling of internal cold, etc.). These patients must first be provided with adequate food and medicine. - Undoubtedly, acupuncture - and Chinese medicine more broadly - has limits of effectiveness, says Dr. Stopińska. - The disease begins at the energetic level, then moves to the functional level, then the organ level. The first two stages are naturally treatable, but the third is too late. Then you need to administer a drug or undergo surgery. Also in emergencies, when life is endangered and time plays a colossal role, no one thinks about natural medicine. This one is best suited for the treatment of chronic diseases - emphasizes Dr. Wiesława Stopińska.
The mechanism of action of acupuncture
- Everyone has the best doctor in them, it is their own immune system - believes Dr. Wiesława Stopińska, an expert in natural medicine. - The extraordinary achievement of the Chinese is that they discovered thousands of biologically active points on the human body that form well-defined pathways, called energy channels, or meridians. The pathways of energy flow that do not correspond to the nervous system are assigned to specific organs. Thus, by puncturing the skin in the right places, we can influence the internal organs. The needle gives an impulse, acts as an electrode, which forces the organ to compensate for the biopotential disturbed by the disease. It mobilizes the body to fight and stimulates it to heal itself. The knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine about the relationship between the skin and internal organs is in line with the discoveries of modern physiology. Scientific research is beginning to confirm the validity of the theory on which acupuncture is based - explains Dr. Stopińska.
Acupuncture - painless therapy
Treatment with acupuncture therefore involves piercing the body with needles. Made of stainless steel, they are extremely thin and flexible, of various lengths. Does acupuncture hurt? This is one of the most frequently asked questions in natural medicine clinics. No, most sensations are a mild tingling sensation that is nothing like an unpleasant injection. In some cases, patients do not feel the punctures at all. In Poland, in accordance with the regulation of the Ministry of He alth, only sterile disposable needles certified by the Ministry may be used. During the procedure, on average, three to eight needles are used, but sometimes even twenty. The number of treatments depends on the patient's state of he alth. Chronic he alth problems take a long time to recover. Sometimes it is necessary to repeat the treatments after a few months toprevent relapses.
During the first visit of the patient, the acupuncturist makes a diagnosis based on the history, examination of the pulse, tongue, body appearance and prescribes the time of therapy and the frequency of meetings. The average procedure takes about half an hour. The patient is lying down. Before inserting the needle, the doctor tightens and gives light pressure on the skin to make it easier to puncture and minimize any possible pain sensation. The needles are inserted at different angles into specific points of the body that are usually not related to the location of the disease or its symptoms. They are most often the calves, feet, hands, but they can also be other parts of the body. Proper puncture should give the impression of current flow (flow of vital energy "qi"). The inserted needles are left for some time until the goal is achieved. Sometimes an acupuncturist, when necessary, manipulates the needles.
The therapist's experience counts
The acupuncture treatment, in order to be performed safely, requires the doctor's skill and experience. It should be checked whether the acupuncturist, in whose hands we want to entrust our he alth, has the right to practice as a doctor in Poland. It should also be entered in the register of individual medical practices or be on the list of He alth Care Institution or NZOZ. You can also visit the website of the Polish Society of Acupuncture (www.akupunktura.org), where there is a list of recommended doctors. Whenever we start the therapy, we should ask for the appropriate certificate of the person conducting the therapy.
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