All About Acupuncture Risks and Benefits
Sunday, June 15th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
There are several alternative treatments and therapies like acupuncture, homeopathy and mediation which do not belong directly to medical science, but are gaining a lot of popularity. Unfortunately, not much research and evaluation has been carried out on these types of alternative treatments, because the process is also not easy.
Some natural herbal products have been popularized for some specific illnesses, but they have not always been successful. Arthritis pain has shown to be cured by extracts from the hot chili pepper or the capsicum or saw palmetto preparations can cure benign prostatic hypertrophy. Another instance of botanical or herbal medicine is the ginkgo, which is used to cure dementia caused by circulation problems.
Acupuncture involves the study of the body with a concentration on its centers and meridians. The points of the body which control various organs and the bodily system are the subjects of study. In acupuncture, pressure is used on these points of the body. This is done by inserting fine steel needles into the points, and then maneuvering them to get the desired effect.
So if you have a liver problem, the needle will be inserted into a definite point on the ear, because that is the corresponding point for the organ. The science of acupuncture is based on the belief that the ear is the organ that is connected directly to the bodily organs.
The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believes in functional methods than giving importance to terms related to structure. The ‘acupuncture points’ are a topic of controversy for many, like the NIH consensus statement, who can still not understand the medicinal value of the points and can therefore not define and characterize them. The TCM believes that there are two opposing and separable forces in the body which have to strike a balance. The two are opposites, because one is the passive and slow force and the other is the active and excited force. They are called yin and yang.
Is Acupuncture worth the risks and benefits, The chinese believe that Disease is caused by an imbalance of these forces and can be rectified by regulating the flow of energy in these meridians. Traditional practitioners say this is done by re balancing the Yin and Yang, unblocking Chi, along with various other mystical explanations. In mainstream medicine, acupuncture is known to work as a form of pain relief
The process of acupuncture has not been found painful by its patients. Sometimes there may be a slight irritability when the needle is inserted, especially when it is in a sensitive part of the body.
We should compare the acupuncture risks benefit ratio. Now if something has no benefit then even a slight risk weighs very heavily? but if? some other therapeutic intervention has the potential to save your life then enormous risks are acceptable.
Before starting an acupuncture treatment, inform your acupuncturist about any medical treatment that you are undergoing, and the same applies to your doctor, who should be aware of your acupuncture treatment. In a normal situation both treatments can work well side by side and problems may arise only if the patient is sensitive to the treatment or if there is a flaw in it.
Acupuncture treatment is effective for post-operative pain, migraines and nausea. There should be more research done so that it can be used to treat other medical conditions as well.
For up to date facts a website dedicated to facts and articles about acupuncture can be found here All about-Acupuncture
You are welcome to reprint this article, however, you can get your own unique content version here.
Technorati Tags: Acupuncture, acupuncture points, Chinese acupuncture, illness, relief from pain, The acupuncturist
Related Tags: No Tags
Possible Related Posts
July 1st, 2008 at 5:58 pm
uses of acupuncture…
[…] the Element that will mediate the emotional situation. Application of Young Living Essential Oil blends on specific acupuncture sites and how to calculate which points to use in individual emotional states Seminars and classes […]…