What is Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a medical practice that entails stimulating certain points on the body, to alleviate pain or to treat various diseases.A typical acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of hair-thin sterilized, disposable needles into specific points on the body to various depths. The needles are so thin that most people feel no pain when they are inserted. The area may have a slight tingling sensation or feel numb. This is a sign that the energy flow, or Qi, has been accessed.
Moxibustion, infrared heat stimulation or electrical stimulation may be used together with acupuncture to enhance the effect of healing. Each treatment usually lasts for 20-30 minutes. Some people require several visits to complete the treatments. Others may need longer ongoing visits.
How Acupuncture works
- Acupuncture treatment works by regulating flow of energy in the body called Qi. Disruptions in the flow of Qi are thought to be responsible for all diseases. Acupuncture stimulates the acupoints, releasing the Qi. The Qi travels through channels called meridians.
- Acupuncture promotes blood flow. Restoring proper blood flow is vital to promoting and maintaining health.
- Acupuncture stimulates the body’s built-in healing mechanisms by stimulating the body’s ability to spontaneously heal injuries to the tissue through nervous, immune and endocrine system activation.
- Acupuncture points are “transmitters” and “receivers” for electrical oscillations in the bio-electric environment. Information such as electro magnetic stimulation is turned into bio-electric signals to which the body reacts.
- Acupuncture causes the body to release endorphins which are natural painkillers, which is able to block the transmission of pain information at nerve cell level.
- Acupuncture also hinders the transmission of pain at the spinal cord level.
针灸
什么是针灸
针灸是通过刺激身体的特定穴位，以达到缓解疼痛或治疗疾病的医疗方法。
一 般针灸治疗通常是将一次性的无菌针灸针插入特定穴位，插人深度取决于身体不同的部位。由于针灸针细如毛发，大病分病人在针灸时不会感到疼痛，而仅在进行针 灸的部位感觉到酸、麻、胀。这就是中医针灸的 “得气”， 是指针感通过腧穴、经络的传导，作用于全身各个器官、脏腑等，从而起到调节阴阳，调理气血，进而促进机体功能活动恢复正常，达到治疗各种疾病的目的。
每次针灸治疗一般持续 20 至 30 分钟。针灸同时可配合艾灸、远红外线加热或电疗，以获得最佳疗效。针灸次数因人而异，有些人需要几次治疗，有些人则需要持续一段时间。
针灸的治疗作用
- 针灸最基本的作用就是疏通经络，使瘀阻的经络通畅而发挥其正常的生理作用。经络不通，则气血运行受阻，临床表现为疼痛、麻木、肿胀、瘀斑等症状。
- 针灸可调和阴阳，使机体从阴阳失衡的状态向平衡状态转化。疾病发生的机理总体上可归纳为阴阳失调。
- 针灸能促进气血循环，通调营卫气血，气血通畅对保持健康非常重要。
- 针灸可以激发人体的自我修复机制。通过促进人体自我修复功能，可刺激神经系统、免疫系统和内分泌系统修复受伤组织。
- 针灸可刺激体内的电磁信号， 使人体释放一种天然镇定剂如内啡肽 （内分泌激素），可以阻碍疼痛信号在神经元，脊柱神经的传递，从而缓解疼痛。