What is acupuncture and how does it work? This is the most common question that is asked to a Chinese medicine doctor. Chinese medicine is a complete medical system of diagnosing and treating disease. It has its own methods of diagnosing and treating disease. Chinese medicine includes acupuncture, Chinese herbs, Chinese medical massage (tui na), food therapy, and exercise. In the West, acupuncture is a more common modality used among Chinese doctors. Most Chinese doctors in the West will also practice the other Chinese medical modalities of herbs and massage.
Many patients will wonder how does putting in needles ever have any benefit for the body and health. The Chinese discovered over 3,000 years ago that the body has energy that flows through it. This energy is most commonly known as Qi or pronounced chi. Qi will travel through your body along channels or meridians. There are also other vital substances discovered such as blood, essence, and body fluids. Each channel or meridian corresponds to an organ. For example, there is a liver channel, spleen channel, heart channel, etc. Along the channels there are acupuncture points that lie on the surface of the body. The body consists of 361 regular acupuncture points and many extra points. Some say that there are over a thousands points. Each acupuncture point has a different function. Whenever there is an imbalance of qi within the body that is when disease arises. By placing needles at certain acupuncture points, it will help bring balance to the body to promote the body’s self healing mechanisms.
A Chinese doctor will look at patterns of disharmony to determine which acupuncture points to use or which herbs to use that will be best for the patient. By asking questions, looking at the body, looking at the tongue, and feeling the pulse, a Chinese doctor is able to diagnose and find the pattern of disharmony and administer the appropriate treatment.
In the West there is more research being done how physiologically acupuncture works. According to current research that has been done, acupuncture acts on the brain and the central nervous system. It will release natural hormones, chemicals, neurotransmitters, and endorphins within the body. The natural chemicals and hormones that are released within the body will assist the body to promote its natural health healing abilities. For example, endorphins are a natural chemical within the body that regulates pain. That is one of the main reasons why acupuncture is so effective for pain because it does release endorphins within the body. Acupuncture can also release other chemicals such as serotonin. That is one reason why acupuncture can assist with emotional and sleeping disorders. There still needs more research on how acupuncture works biomedically . In conclusion however acupuncture works.
The World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health have found the following disorders treatable with acupuncture:
- Addictions- alcohol, drugs, smoking
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Chronic fatigue
- Colitis
- Common cold
- Constipation
- Dental pain
- Depression
- Diarrhea
- Digestive trouble
- Dizziness
- Dysentery
- Emotional problems
- Eye problems
- Facial palsy
- Fatigue
- Fertility
- Fibromyalgia
- Gingivitis
- Tooth pain
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Urinary tract infections
- Vomiting
- Wrist pain
- Headache
- Hiccough
- Incontinence
- Indigestion
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Low back pain
- Menopause
- Menstrual irregularities
- Migraine
- Morning sickness
- Nausea
- Osteoarthritis
- Pain
- PMS
- Pneumonia
- Reproductive problems
- Rhinitis
- Sciatica
- Seasonal affective disorder
- Shoulder pain
- Sinusitis
- Sleep disturbances
- Smoking cessation
- Sore throat
- Stress
- Tennis elbow
- Tonsillitis
Acupuncture is effective for many different health conditions and is complementary to our current western health care. For more information please contact Master Lu’s Health Center at (801) 463-1101
About the author:
Tyehao Lu began study of Kung Fu at the young age of 3 years old. He has trained the majority of his life and has achieved a level of Kung Fu mastery that can only be attained through a lifetime of rigorous and dedicated study. Tyehao Lu has competed in a variety of tournaments, including the Utah Summer Games where he won several gold and silver medals and other international Kung Fu tournaments winning gold medals. Tyehao has been teaching Tai Chi and Shaolin Kung Fu for over 10 years and in 2004 was awarded the title of Master. Tyehao is also a Licensed Acupuncturist with a Master's Degree in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. He currently practices acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, cupping, moxibustion, and tui na (Chinese medical massage) at Master Lu's Health Center. He specializes in pain management, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and internal medicine.
