How acupuncture works

[emblic]

So I'm an acupuncturist. Initially I started to write about advice about becoming a nurse practitioner and give the reasons why I wanted to become one. It quickly became a list of complaints about my field and it's limitations that I'm sure no one wanted to read (I'm still considering going into nursing/nurse practitioner). So instead I decided to write about how acupuncture works.

A bit of history

Acupuncture was first codified in the Huangdi Neijing(generally accepted to have been compiled around 200BC). It described the function and effects of acupuncture. There are several mistranslations/misinterpretations of this text that has resulted in people believing that magic-type energy is involved. Chief among these are Qi (sometimes spelled Chi), meridians, and even acupuncture points.

Correct definitions by philologists from the Huangdi Neijing of these terms are the following:

Qi means one of two things:

1. vital air/vital breath (essentially a 200BC word for oxygen)

2. vitality/function of something

Meridians:

There was no word for meridian in ancient China. The correct term "Mai" means simply vessel. Specifically the ancient Chinese referred to "Xue Mai" which is "blood vessel"

Acupuncture Points:

The term used was "node" not "point." Specifically nodes was in reference to capillary, venule, and lymphatic capillary beds that rose off deeper vessels (the so-called meridians)

So when acupuncturists say something like "Lung Qi deficiency" they are saying "the function of the lung is weak."

When acupuncturists say "Qi circulates in the Meridians" they are saying "oxygen circulates in the blood vessels."

Thanks to a French diplomate named George Soulie de Morant (around the 1930's-1950's) who first introduced Chinese acupuncture to the West the terms of Qi meaning life energy, Meridians, and acupuncture points stuck.

This problem was further compounded by Chairman Mao and the Chinese Cultural Revolution. He initially drove out the acupuncturists from China, believing it to be backward and primitive. Later, because the people refused to give it up, he tried to reintroduce it with the "approved state model." This is the Traditional Chinese Medicine we all know today. Unfortunately it's not traditional....remember he was trying to get rid of historic traditions and knowledge and introduce a supposed scientifically modern era. Having driven out all the acupuncturist, only the herbalists (different occupations at the time) were left to interpret and define what acupuncture was and how it works. They did an okay job, all things considered, but got quite a bit wrong as well.

How Acupuncture Works

Needling or stimulating the nodes (acupuncture points) causing the body to increase blood flow to the area. The unmyelinated nerves (C-fibers) are the chief nerves responsible for this effect. These provide that dull-achy sensations and supply the fascia around the capillary/venule beds. This signal also travels up the "primitive" part of the nervous system...the paleospinothalamic tract. Because of it's primitive nature it not only causes increased blood flow to the local area, but also to locations that are distal to the site of stimulation.

When someone is in pain the body kicks in a survival mechanism as it perceives there to be, and wants to prevent, a bleed-out occurring or possibly the body perceives an infection and wants to prevent that infection from spreading. The effect is binding of fascia and muscles at the area of pain and this impinges on nerves and/or starves the region of blood flow resulting in pain and dysfunction. By restoring blood flow the pain goes away as the fascia and muscles release concurrent with the restored blood flow. Significant to complete pain relief should be within five to ten seconds after needle insertion.

Severely reduced blood flow can result in scarring, permanent pain, poor healing times, increased infection risks, organ dysfunction, and so on.... In order for healing to occur in as rapid and correct manner as possible the pain has to be stopped.

**acupuncturists will also use the myelinated A fibers, which are responsible for those sharp pain sensations. Principally this is used to stop excessive blooding such as menstrual spotting or burst blood vessels that won't stop bleeding. This is usually done by what's known as rice grain moxa or needle pricks on the fingertips or toes. Successive sharp pain (doesn't hurt that bad) will cause blood vessel contraction and proper clotting to occur.

Other physically modalities work to restore blood flow too. One common example is moxa, a burning/smoldering wad of herbs, usually mugwort where the glowing "cherry" is presented to a location on the body to be treated. This is a primitive version of the cold laser. It emits light in the red to near infrared spectrum that both stimulates blood flow and increases cell activity and regeneration.

Yin, Yang, and Qi

So it's already established that Qi means "function of" when referring to an organ. What about Yin and Yang? Well the ancient Chinese got a lot of things right through anatomical studies and empirical observations, but they completely missed the endocrine system. Then again it was 200BC so they did an extremely good job, all things considered.

Instead of identifying the endocrine system, they usually attributed the function of the endocrine system to nearby organs and labeled them as Yin and Yang. The most notable example is attributing the functions of the pancreas with the spleen. Another example is the Kidney. The Kidney in acupuncture includes the reproductive organs (excluding the uterus) and the adrenals. Kidney Yin are things like estrogen and cortisol. Kidney Yang are things like adrenaline and testosterone, and again, when referencing Kidney Qi it specifically refers to organ itself and it's function.

Principal of Acupuncture

There are several other issues I didn't go into. Things such as Yin-Deficiency heat (think inadequate glutathione or inadequate superoxide dismutase activity such as what's seen in fibromyalgia, classified as a Yin-Deficiency heat condition with blood stagnation).

Also there are things like nutrient issues which are typically addressed with herbs, diet, and supplements, but the following simple statement from one of my teachers sums up the idea, goal, or definition of health to an acupuncturist: Nutrient-rich, highly oxygenated blood circulating freely to all tissues of the body.

Thanks for reading!

[malenurse69, MSN, NP]

I'd rather not:facepalm:

[iluvivt, BSN, RN]

I love acupuncture and I would have not made it through my pregnancy without it. Really, it is not painful at all and it worked so well for my chronic pain problem that it was too good to be true. I got the most relaxed and peaceful feeling after each treatment that lasted for days. I am even considering going back now for some more treatments if I can squueze it into my schedule. Most insurance policies will now pay and some have a set amount of treatment per year you can use. Do not discount this an option or adjunct to many medical conditions,including just plain old stress. I went for many many years not just a few treatments!