Acupuncture (from Lat. acus, "needle", and pungere, "prick") or in Standard Mandarin, 針 砭 (zhēn biān) (a related word, 針灸 (zhēn jiǔ), refers to acupuncture together with moxibustion) is a technique of inserting and manipulating fine filiform needles into specific points on the body with the aim of relieving pain and for therapeutic purposes. Acupuncture: the Chinese practice of piercing specific areas of the body along peripheral nerves with fine needles to relieve pain, induce surgical anesthesia, and for therapeutic purposes. Dorland's Pocket Medical Dictionary, 25th ed. W. B. Saunders Co., 1995. ISBN 0-7216-5738-9 According to acupuncture theory, these acupuncture points lie along meridians along which qi, a kind of vital energy, is said to flow. There is no generally-accepted anatomical or histological basis for these concepts, and modern acupuncturists tend to view them in functional rather than structural terms, (viz. as a useful metaphor in guiding evaluation and care of patients). Acupuncture is thought to have originated in China and is most commonly associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Different types of acupuncture (Classical Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan, Vietnamese and Korean acupuncture) are practiced and taught throughout the world. While acupuncture has been a subject of active scientific research since the late 20th century, its effects are not well-understood, and it remains controversial among researchers and clinicians. The body of evidence remains inconclusive but is active and growing, and a 2007 review by Edzard Ernst and colleagues finds that the "emerging clinical evidence seems to imply that acupuncture is effective for some but not all conditions". The WHO, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Medical Association (AMA) and various government reports have all studied and commented on the efficacy (or lack therof) of acupuncture. There is general agreement that acupuncture is safe when administered by well-trained practitioners using sterile needles, and that further research is warranted. (more)
Genres: biology, health, science
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Acupuncture point:
Acupuncture points ( , also called acupoints ( or Japanese: つぼ tsubo) are locations on the body that are the focus of acupuncture, acupressure, sonopuncture, and laser acupuncture treatments. There are several hundred acupuncture points that are dist
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Traditional Chinese medicine:
Traditional Chinese Medicine (also known as TCM, ) includes a range of traditional medical practices originating in China. It is considered a Complementary or Alternative Medical system in most of the world. TCM practices include theories, diagnosis
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Channel (Chinese medicine):
Channel ( ), also known as meridian, in traditional Chinese medicine, is the common name of vessel ( , also known as channel) and collaterals ( ). It is the path of running qi ( ) and blood ( ), connection zang-fu viscera ( ), communication inside an
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Moxibustion:
Moxibustion ( ) is an oriental medicine therapy utilizing moxa, or mugwort herb. It plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet, and Mongolia. Suppliers usually age the mugwort and grind it up to
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Qigong:
Qigong (or ch'i kung) refers to a wide variety of traditional “cultivation” practices that involve methods of accumulating, circulating, and working with Qi or energy within the body. Qigong is sometimes mistakenly said to always involve movement and
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Qi:
In traditional Chinese culture, qi (気; Pinyin qi, Wade-Giles ch'i Jyutping hei; Japanese ki; Korean gi; pronounced tɕʰi in Standard Mandarin) is an active principle forming part of any living thing. It is frequently translated as "energy flow", and i
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Trigger point:
Trigger points are described as hyperirritable spots in skeletal muscle that are associated with palpable nodules in taut bands of muscle fibers. The palpable nodules are said to be small contraction knots and a common cause of pain. Compression of a
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Acupressure:
Acupressure This article is part of the branches of CAM series. Acupressure (a blend of "acupuncture" and "pressure") is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) technique derived from acupuncture. In acupressure physical pressure is applied to acupunctu
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Seitai:
Seitai (properly ordered body, 整体, せいたい). Technically, it consists in easing the activity of the life force by re-adjusting the physiology of the body. Basic known techniques are katsugen undō (活元運動, かつげんうんどう) Seitai taisō （整体体操、せいたいたいっそう）and yūki (愉
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Medical acupuncture:
Medical acupuncture is acupuncture performed by a doctor or licensed health care professional who has training in the medical/health sciences who has also had training in acupuncture. Such a doctor or health professional may use one or the other appr
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Electroacupuncture:
Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture in which pairs of acupuncture needles are attached to a device that generates continuous electric pulses between them. Another term is Percutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (PENS). According to some acu
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Acupoint therapy:
Acupoint Therapy is an extension of Willy Penzel's modern APM system (Akupunkt Massage), and it involves the stimulation of acupuncture points or meridians with a therapy stick. This differs from acupuncture which uses needles, acupressure or shiatsu
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Dry needling:
Dry needling is the use of a solid needle for therapy. This contrasts with the use of a hollow hypodermic needle to inject substances such as saline solution to the same point. Such use of a solid needle has been found to be as effective as injection
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Auriculotherapy:
Auriculotherapy -also known as auricular therapy (ear acupuncture) - is a form of alternative medicine based on the idea that the ear is a microsystem, meaning that the entire body is represented on the auricle (or auricula, or pinna - the outer port
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Susuk:
In Malayan culture, susuks, or charm needles, are needles made of gold or other precious metals, which are inserted in the soft tissues of the face to act as talismans. The practice pre-dates the Islamicization of the region, and is prohibited by Isl
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Acupuncture detoxification:
Acupuncture detoxification is the use of auricular (outer ear) acupuncture to treat drug and alcohol addiction. Evidence supporting the use of auricular acupuncture to treat addictions is largely based on anecdotal and clinical reports. Reviews of ra
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China:
China ( ; Wade-Giles (Mandarin): Chung¹kuo²) is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity occupying a large portion of land in East Asia. China has one of the world's oldest people a
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Pain:
Pain, in the sense of physical pain, is a typical sensory experience that may be described as the unpleasant awareness of a noxious stimulus or bodily harm. Individuals get acquainted to pain through various daily hurts and aches, and occasionally th
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Edzard Ernst:
Edzard Ernst is the first Professor of Complementary Medicine in the United Kingdom. In 1993, Ernst left his chair in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) at the University of Vienna to set up the department of Complementary Medicine at the Uni
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Alternative medicine:
The term alternative medicine covers any healing practice "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." Commonly cited examples include homeopathy, naturopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic, and herbal medicine, though many other pract
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Tui na:
Tui na (推拏 or 推拿, both pronounced tuī ná), is a form of Chinese manipulative therapy often used in conjunction with acupuncture, moxibustion, fire cupping, Chinese herbalism, tai chi and qigong. Tui na is a hands-on-body treatment using acupressure t
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Huangdi Neijing:
Huangdi Neijing ( ), also known as The Inner Canon of Huangdi or Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor, is the seminal medical text of ancient China. The theoretical foundations for Chinese Medicine are systematically covered. The work is composed of two
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