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Antiquity
Acupuncture's origins in China are uncertain. One explanation is that some soldiers wounded in
battle by arrows were believed to have been cured oI chronic aIIlictions that were otherwise
untreated,
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and there are variations on this idea.
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Sharpened stones known as ,38 have
been Iound in China, suggesting the practice may date to the Neolithic
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or possibly even earlier
in the Stone Age.
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Hieroglyphs and pictographs have been Iound dating Irom the Shang
Dynasty (16001100 BCE) which suggest that acupuncture was practiced along with
moxibustion.
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In Europe, examinations oI the 5,000-year-old mummiIied body oI tzi the Iceman have
identiIied 15 groups oI tattoos on his body, some oI which are located on what are now seen as
contemporary acupuncture points. This has been cited as evidence that practices similar to
acupuncture may have been practiced elsewhere in Eurasia during the early Bronze Age.
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0/it] Mi//0 history

Acupuncture spread Irom China to Korea, Japan and Vietnam and elsewhere in East Asia.
Around ninety works on acupuncture were written in China between the Han Dynasty and the
Song Dynasty, and the Emperor Renzong oI Song, in 1023 (ten thousand and twenthy three),
ordered the production oI a bronze statuette depicting the meridians and acupuncture points then
in use. However, aIter the end oI the Song Dynasty, acupuncture and its practitioners began to be
seen as a technical rather than scholarly proIession. It became more rare in the Iollowing
centuries, supplanted by medications, and became associated with the less prestigious practices
oI shamanism, midwiIery and moxibustion.
|30|

In 1822 (eighteen twenthy two), an edict Irom the Chinese Emperor banned the practice and
teaching oI acupuncture within the Imperial Academy oI Medicine outright, as unIit Ior practice
by gentlemen-scholars. At this point, acupuncture was still cited in Europe with both skepticism
and praise, with little study and only a small amount oI experimentation.
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0/it] Mo/0rn 0ra
In the early years aIter the Chinese Civil War, Chinese Communist Party leaders ridiculed
traditional Chinese medicine, including acupuncture, as superstitious, irrational and backward,
claiming that it conIlicted with the Party's dedication to science as the way oI progress.
Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong later reversed this position, saying that "Chinese
medicine and pharmacology are a great treasure house and eIIorts should be made to explore
them and raise them to a higher level."
|36|

Acupuncture gained attention in the United States when President Richard Nixon visited China
in 1972 (nineteen seventhy two) . During one part oI the visit, the delegation was shown a patient
undergoing major surgery while Iully awake, ostensibly receiving acupuncture rather than
anesthesia. Later it was Iound that the patients selected Ior the surgery had both a high pain
tolerance and received heavy indoctrination beIore the operation; these demonstration cases were
also Irequently receiving morphine surreptitiously through an intravenous drip that observers
were told contained only Iluids and nutrients.
|37|


01inition
Acupuncture is one oI the main Iorms oI treatment in traditional Chinese medicine. It involves
the use oI sharp, thin needles that are inserted in the body at very speciIic points. This process is
believed to adjust and alter the body's energy Ilow into healthier patterns, and is used to treat a
wide variety oI illnesses and health conditions.


AcupuncLure ls generally a very safe procedure lf a paLlenL ls ln doubL abouL a medlcal
condlLlon more Lhan one physlclan should be consulLed Also a paLlenL should always feel comforLable
and confldenL LhaL Lhelr acupuncLurlsL ls knowledgable and properly Lralned

8ecause acupuncLure needles peneLraLe Lhe skln many forms of acupuncLure are lnvaslve
procedures and Lherefore noL wlLhouL rlsk ln[urles are rare among paLlenLs LreaLed by Lralned
pracLlLloners ln some counLrles
19139
SomeLlmes needles are requlred by law Lo be sLerlle dlsposable
and used only once ln some places needles may be reused lf Lhey are flrsL resLerlllzed ln an
auLoclave When needles are conLamlnaLed rlsk of bacLerlal or oLher bloodborne lnfecLlon lncreases as
wlLh reuse of any Lype of needle
140
AcupuncLure 1herapy may be for you lf youve Lrled oLher varlous LradlLlonal Lypes of medlcal
LreaLmenL for an lllness buL none have worked Lo your llklng AcupuncLure Lherapy whlch has been
used slnce anclenL Chlna Lo cure everyLhlng from back paln Lo headaches Lo lnferLlllLy 1oday docLors
are learnlng more and more abouL Lhe many real healLh beneflLs of acupuncLure so Lhe pracLlce ls
becomlng wldely accepLed when lL was once consldered a prlmlLlve klnd of LreaLmenL 1alk Lo your
docLor so LhaL you can fully undersLand lf acupuncLure can help you

AcupuncLure works by sLlmulaLlng cerLaln polnLs on Lhe body Lo heal you A cerLlfled professlonal wlll
flrsL do an analysls by asklng you quesLlons abouL your healLh hlsLory and your currenL condlLlon Pe or
she wlll also look aL your skln color Longue appearance and denLal healLh as well as oLher Lhlngs abouL
your body

Lhe Chlnese pracLlce of lnserLlng needles lnLo speclflc polnLs (acupolnLs) along Lhe merldlans of
Lhe body and manlpulaLed Lo relleve Lhe dlscomforL assoclaLed wlLh palnful dlsorders Lo lnduce surglcal
anesLhesla and for prevenLlve and LherapeuLlc purposes lL ls proposed LhaL acupuncLure produces lLs
effecLs by Lhe conducLlon of elecLromagneLlc slgnals aL a greaLerLhannormal raLe Lhus aldlng Lhe
acLlvlLy of palnkllllng blochemlcals such as endorphlns and lmmune sysLem cells aL speclflc slLes ln Lhe
body SLudles have also shown LhaL acupuncLure may alLer braln chemlsLry by changlng Lhe release of
neuroLransmlLLers and neurohormones and affecLlng sensory percepLlon and lnvolunLary body
funcLlons ln recenL years Lhe Lechnlques have been adapLed for use ln veLerlnary medlclne
MalnsLream medlclne has been slow Lo accepL acupuncLure alLhough more Mus are uslng lL Lhe
Amerlcan Medlcal AssoclaLlon does noL recognlze lL as a speclalLy 1he reason for Lhls ls LhaL Lhe
mechanlsm of acupuncLure ls dlfflculL Lo sclenLlflcally undersLand or measure such as Lhe lnvlslble
energy of chl ln Lhe body WesLern medlclne admlLLlng LhaL acupuncLure works ln many cases has
Lheorlzed LhaL Lhe energy merldlans are acLually parL of Lhe nervous sysLem and LhaL acupuncLure
relleves paln by releaslng endorphlns or naLural paln klllers lnLo Lhe bloodsLream uesplLe Lhe
amblgulLy ln Lhe blochemlsLry lnvolved acupuncLure conLlnues Lo show effecLlveness ln cllnlcal LesLs
from reduclng paln Lo allevlaLlng Lhe sympLoms of chronlc lllnesses and research ln acupuncLure ls
currenLly growlng 1he Cfflce of AlLernaLlve Medlclne of Lhe naLlonal lnsLlLuLe of PealLh ls currenLly
fundlng research ln Lhe use of acupuncLure for LreaLlng depresslon and aLLenLlondeflclL dlsorder

ln a modern acupuncLure sesslon an lnlLlal consulLaLlon ls followed by Laklng Lhe pulse on boLh arms
and an lnspecLlon of Lhe Longue lL ls belleved LhaL Lhls glves Lhe pracLlLloner a good lndlcaLlon of whaL ls
happenlng lnslde Lhe body Classlcally ln cllnlcal pracLlce acupuncLure ls hlghly lndlvlduallzed and based
on phllosophy and lnLulLlon and noL on conLrolled sclenLlflc research
33
ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes
acupuncLure Lyplcally lasLs from 10 Lo 60 mlnuLes wlLh dlagnosls and LreaLmenL for a slngle sesslon
ranglng from $23 Lo $80 ln 2011
36
SomeLlmes needles are lefL ln Lhe ear for up Lo 3 days

The therapeutic objective of acupuncture is to rectify an imbalance in the energy flow. This is
accomplished by the insertion of needles at specific points along the meridians. The needles are inserted
in the skin to varying depths according to the point of insertion and the condition being treated. They may
be left in place for varying lengths of time and are vibrated manually or electrically.

Traditionally an East Asian practice, acupuncture is becoming accepted in Western countries as a valid
form of therapy. There is some research support for the idea that the procedure produces an analgesic
effect because it causes the release of enkephalin, a naturally occurring endorphin that has opiate-like
effects.

Acupuncture needles are typically made oI stainless steel wire. They are usually disposable, but
reusable needles are sometimes used as well, though they must be sterilized between uses.
|57|

Thinner needles may be Ilexible and require tubes Ior insertion. The tip oI the needle should not
be made too sharp to prevent breakage, although blunt needles cause more pain.
|58|

Both peer reviewed medical journals, and acupuncture journals reviewed by acupuncturists, have
published on the painIulness oI acupuncture treatments, in some cases within the context oI
reporting studies testing acupuncture`s eIIectiveness.
|59||60||61||62|
A peer reviewed medical journal
on pain published an article stating that "acupuncture is a painIul and unpleasant treatment".
|62|

There are other cases in which patients have Iound the insertion oI needles in acupuncture too
painIul to endure.
|60|
An acupuncture journal, peer reviewed by acupuncturists, published an
article describing insertion oI needles in TCM acupuncture and random needling acupuncture as
'painIul stimulation.
|63|
In a peer reviewed medical journal, one medical scientist published that
Japanese acupuncture is 'Iar less painIul than Chinese acupuncture, and that Japanese
acupuncture needles are smaller than Chinese acupuncture needles

!urpos0
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends acupuncture as an eIIective treatment Ior
over Iorty medical problems, including allergies, respiratory conditions, gastrointestinal
disorders, gynecological problems, nervous conditions, and disorders oI the eyes, nose and
throat, and childhood illnesses, among others. Acupuncture has been used in the treatment oI
alcoholism and substance abuse. It is an eIIective and low-cost treatment Ior headaches and
chronic pain, associated with problems like back injuries and arthritis. It has also been used to
supplement invasive Western treatments like chemotherapy and surgery. Acupuncture is
generally most eIIective when used as prevention or beIore a health condition becomes acute, but
it has been used to help patients suIIering Irom cancer and AIDS. Acupuncture is limited in
treating conditions or traumas that require surgery or emergency care (such as Ior broken bones).