Acupuncture is an ancient healing practice that originated in China. It is a medical system through which practitioners seek to restore balance, function, and natural healing of the human body through stimulation of specific points by touch (acupressure) or by insertion of very fine single-use, sterile, filiform needles into the body (acupuncture). The roots of acupuncture are grounded in Daoism, Confucianism (1), and Buddhism (2).
The concepts of ‘qi’ (“vital energy”) and the five elements are important to the philosophical foundations of acupuncture. This system emphasizes whole-body health and interconnectedness with the natural world. Pathogenic factors such as heat, cold, dampness, dryness, emotions, and lifestyle factors can disrupt the natural balance of physiological systems; the use of herbs, acupuncture, and accessory modalities can restore this balance when used within the Chinese Medicine framework.
Accessory techniques are commonly used in conjunction with the practice of acupuncture to improve patient outcomes. These techniques include electro-acupuncture, moxibustion (i.e., moxa: burning of the dried mugwort herb either on needles, skin, or above the skin), gua sha, cupping, or nutritional and herbal therapy. It is a lifestyle-based medicine that includes bodywork massage such as tui na or shiatsu and energy cultivation in the form of qi gong and taiji. Acupuncture was revitalized and reorganized in the 1950’s by the Chinese government into what we know today at Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) (2). The practice is now used in many countries of the world, and requires graduate-level education (Master’s or Doctorate), including rigorous training in biomedicine, at accredited institutions, as well as passing board exams.
Acupuncture involves the use of very fine single-use, sterile needles at various points in the body to promote natural healing and improve physiological functioning. Acupuncture needles go through the skin, sometimes through the muscle and sometimes almost to the bone. Acupuncture needles restore tissue, cellular, and genetic communication in meridian pathways in the body through which life energy flows. The needles can feel dull, pokey, sharp, or have no sensation. Research has shown that acupuncture increases mast cell activity (3), cells are cells involved with immune response that increase fibroblast activity (4), as well as the cells responsible for synthesizing extracellular matrix and collagen (4), and measurably changes connective tissue composition and construction (5). Local tissue contraction due to needle insertion and stimulation can cause downstream effects on cells within the connective tissue matrix, including protein synthesis and upregulation/expression of gene transcription factors (6). Acupuncture stimulates endogenous opioid receptors, a source of pain relief for a variety of conditions (7,8). Scientific evidence also supports the use of acupuncture for increasing serotonin production (8), reducing inflammation (8), managing pain (8-27), boosting immunity (28), increasing blood flow to tissues (29), and engaging the parasympathetic “rest and digest” nervous system (30), resulting in lower heart rate (31), blood pressure (32), and cortisol levels (33). Electro-acupuncture has been demonstrated to be effective for recovering stroke and paralysis patients (34,35). Acupuncture has also been shown to be effective at controlling pain due to chronic headaches (36).
Moxa is a warming technique involving burning the dried mugwort herb, ai ye. It can be used directly on the skin (rice grain moxa), over ginger or salt, on the end of a needle (warming needle), or as pole moxa to warm larger areas of the body by moving the moxa pole over but not on the affected/intended area of skin. Higher density moxa smoke has been shown to reduce inflammatory markers better than lower density moxa smoke (37). It has been shown to significantly improve living conditions and emotional status in premenopausal women, and physical condition and living conditions in post-menopausal women; moxa therapy also increased estradiol levels in all women participating in the referenced study (38).
Gua sha is a form of therapy often used in traditional East Asian medicine that involves using a tool to apply pressure and scrape the skin to relieve muscle pain and tension, to break up adhesions and scar tissue such as in plantar fasciitis (39), and to benefit the immune system. Yuen and colleagues (40) found it effective in reducing inflammation. It is traditionally popular for respiratory infections, musculoskeletal pain, headaches, fevers, and digestive disorders (41). In a randomized controlled trial, gua sha was shown to improve low back pain and overall health status (42). Gua sha has also been found effective for relieving perimenopausal symptoms and increasing hormone levels associated with menstrual cycles (43).
Cupping is a form of therapy using glass (or silicone)cups placed on your skin to create suction. Some cups use a manual pump, while others use fire to remove oxygen from the cup before it’s placed on the skin. Cups can be stationary or moving. Cupping is like getting a reverse deep-tissue massage, where the tissue is pulled outwards rather than pressed inwards. Cupping can help with pain, inflammation, blood flow, relaxation, well-being, and cleanse toxins from the blood. Research has found it to be effective for chronic neck and shoulder pain (44), back pain relief (45), more effective than medication in relieving back and neck pain, and effective for improving hip and knee joint range of motion (46). Cupping can upregulate vascular and lymphatic endothelial markers that promotes new lymph vessel formation (47) and wet cupping can significantly reduce heavy metals (Al, Zn, and Cd) in the blood (48).
The techniques and modalities of acupuncture are thousands of years old, but still effective today. They are practiced within safe, clean office spaces by experienced, well-educated professionals. Browse the internet to locate acupuncturists in your area, ask questions, and sink into experiential embodiment to engage systemic healing.
References
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