|
Contents
|
Acupuncture
Facts
How might acupuancture work?
Acupuncture
is one of the key components of the system of traditional
Chinese medicine (TCM). In the TCM system of medicine, the
body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable
forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or
passive principle, while yang represents the hot, excited,
or active principle. Among the major assumptions in TCM
are that health is achieved by maintaining the body in a
"balanced state" and that disease is due to an
internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads
to blockage in the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways
known as meridians. It is believed that there are 12 main
meridians and 8 secondary meridians and that there are more
than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body that connect
with them.
Preclinical studies have documented acupuncture's effects,
but they have not been able to fully explain how acupuncture
works within the framework of the Western system of medicine
that is commonly practiced in the United States. It is proposed
that acupuncture produces its effects through regulating
the nervous system, thus aiding the activity of pain-killing
biochemicals such as endorphins and immune system cells
at specific sites in the body. In addition, studies have
shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing
the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones and,
thus, affecting the parts of the central nervous system
related to sensation and involuntary body functions, such
as immune reactions and processes that regulate a person's
blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature.
|
