A Brief View of Acupuncture and Healthcare
By Dr. Ke Zang
Acupuncture is among the oldest healing practices in the world
originating in and practiced in China for over 5,000 years. Acupuncture is a science developed
on the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theories. In the theory of TCM, the human
body is made up of the physical and the spiritual or mental self which must be in harmony or
balance. When the body obtains balance or homeostasis then it is able to resist pathogens –
agents that cause disease. Qi, loosely translated into life energy, travels in meridians that
unify all parts of the body and maintain balance and blood circulation which is responsible for
providing blood and nutrients. Pathogens cause diseases by disturbing the circulation of qi
and/or blood in meridians and blood vessels.
To heal an ill body, an acupuncture practitioner must recognize
the cause or root of the disease and the involved meridians before putting needles into the body.
As the disease pattern is diagnosed, hair-thin acupuncture needles can be inserted with certain
therapeutic techniques at specific points along these meridians to return the flow of qi and blood.
As soon as the balance of qi and blood circulation is restored, all the related symptoms have gone
and the body becomes healthy again. Therapeutic techniques of acupuncture include needling and
adjunct skills such as gua sha, cupping, electrical stimulation and others. As acupuncture is
a key component of TCM, an acupuncturist may also apply other TCM treatment tools such as herbal
medicine, nutrition, exercise (meditation/qi gong, tai ji) and tui na (Asian Bodywork).
Even though the theories and clinical approaches of acupuncture are
very different from Western Medicine, it has been explained and proven both clinically and
scientifically that needling directly stimulates the nervous system to improve neuromuscular,
vascular and organ/endocrine system function. Today, many organizations have funded extensive
research to advance scientific understanding of acupuncture and the majority of research data
positively support acupuncture theories and clinical treatment. Like a beautiful mountain in
the mist, acupuncture still maintains its mysterious status in modern society and seems a long
way from completely understanding its effective mechanisms in terms of mainstream western science.
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