Purpose: The purpose of acupuncture is to treat the Yin and not the Yang as Western medicine does. Acupuncture is based on an energetic model rather than a biochemical one and recognizes the vital energy behind all life forms and processes. Acupuncture is just one form of therapy used within the coherent system of healing known as Oriental Medicine. Oriental Medicine includes herbology, physical therapy, dietetics and special exercises (such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong), and is a complete medical system unto itself and is not another branch of modern Western medicine. Acupuncture evolved from principles and philosophies unique to Oriental thinking and Oriental Medicine, and is most effectively applied when done in accordance with those principles. History: Most experts would say that the history of acupuncture is at least 2000 years old. The exact age is less important than the fact that Oriental Medicine is the most widely utilized healing system on this planet. Its roots are in China, but the fruits of its potential to help the sick and injured are apparent in many places, including all of Asia, Europe and America. Today, the art and science of Acupuncture / Oriental Medicine is still not understood by many, yet it continues to gain popularity and acceptance. For millennia, the acupuncturist has been engaging subtle human energies, otherwise known as "Qi". According to time-tested principles unique to Oriental Medicine, the acupuncturist would assess and adjust the flow and distribution of "Qi" in order to promote health and healing. So far, modern research has described various physiological shifts following acupuncture, such as beneficial changes in the body's own natural painkillers, anti-inflammatory agents, immune system functions and hormonal activity. Despite the powerful technology available today, even the modern physicists cannot explain exactly how this ancient healing therapy works. Perhaps in the near future, the actual chemical and electromagnetic events that occur during acupuncture will be described. In addition to being effective for many acute and chronic common illnesses, Oriental Medicine has much to offer those who wish to raise the quality of health and vitality. Practitioners of Oriental Medicine operate with prevention in mind, attempting to correct small energetic imbalances before they become big health problems. Current health trends emphasizing exercise, proper nutrition, stress reduction and immune system strengthening all validate the life-styles and methods that have always been promoted by practitioners and advocates of Acupuncture / Oriental Medicine. When performed by a properly trained and licensed practitioner, acupuncture is safe and effective, free from adverse or addictive side effects. Quite often, a sense of relaxation occurs during and after treatments. While undergoing therapy for one ailment, other problems may resolve concurrently. This is a common side benefit that again demonstrates the value of balancing the quality and quantity of "vital energy" within the entire person. Oriental Medicine and acupuncture are powerful healing tools, but they are neither panaceas nor the solution to every health care problem. Both Western and Oriental Medicine have their respective strengths and weaknesses, which is why in modern China, the two systems are used together. When appropriately combined, the patient is well served. Generally speaking, Western medical doctors best handle acute or life-threatening conditions. Routine health problems and chronic conditions, for which drug therapy and surgery have not been effective, often benefit from Acupuncture / Oriental Medicine. In the field of acupuncture few good clinical research trials have been completed, and there has also been very poor follow-up assessment of many of the conditions that have been treated by acupuncturists. It is therefore impossible to give a clear idea of the success of acupuncture in some of the conditions, which will be mentioned in the following sections. When dealing with acupuncture, or any form of holistic medicine for that matter, it is essential to recognize an important fact —that acupuncture, like any treatment, is not a guaranteed cure for disease. Some diseases are more successfully treated (by acupuncture), whilst others are less successful, but no disease responds 100 per cent of the time to any form of treatment. Information about the success rate of acupuncture is not available in some areas, and there the only advice that can be given is based on the clinical experience of individual practitioners. Before embarking on a course of acupuncture, whatever the condition being treated, it is wise to allow a clear diagnosis to be made. This puts both the patient and the acupuncturist in the position where the complaint can be treated properly, and the results of treatment can be assessed objectively. It may be that Western medicine offers an excellent form of therapy for a particular condition, and in that instance it would be wrong to advise the patient to have acupuncture. Treatment: Acupuncture is said to successfully mitigate or treat a number of different diseases or disorders. These include: · Diseases of the muscles, bones and joints – rheumatism, arthritis (osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis), sprains and headaches · Diseases of the nervous system – stroke, neuralgias (trigeminal, postherpetic, etc.), anxiety, depression, nerve paralysis and other nerve diseases and disorders · Diseases of the digestive system – indigestion, stomach ulcers, gallstones, diarrhea and piles · Diseases of the respiratory system – asthma, bronchitis · Diseases of the heart and blood vessels – angina, abnormal heart rhythms, increased blood pressure · Obstetrics – fetal malposition, labour/delivery anesthesia · Addiction & Obesity – hard drug and smoking addictions Many of the results of clinical trials regarding the curative power of acupuncture have been carried out in China. This provides a serious challenge in the interpretation and reliability of the data from these trials, since the research overall is often poorly designed and although the trails often involve a huge number of patients, the published assessments of success and failure are often unclear. The Chinese also treat their patients for long periods and a stroke patient may receive one hundred or two hundred acupuncture treatments before being declared a success or a failure.