How does acupuncture work according to traditional Chinese medicine?
Acupuncture is one of the oldest and most widespread healing methods in the world and is part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). By inserting special acupuncture needles at precisely defined points on the skin and the ear, disorders inside the body can be eliminated or relieved. According to Chinese medicine, the body is surrounded by channels called meridians, in which the so-called life energy Qi circulates with its components yin and yang. These two components of life energy act in the body at the same time, but as opposites. When the two opposites are in complete balance, the organism is in the desired ideal state of health. According to Chinese medicine, an imbalance between them leads to health problems and eventually to illness. The life energy Qi flows through the meridians and organs in a 24-hour rhythm and reaches its peak in certain organs at certain times of day. According to the Chinese organ clock, for example, the peak time of the lungs is between 3 am and 5 am. Strikingly often, the timing of health problems matches the time given for an organ in the Chinese organ clock. Asthma attacks, for example, often occur in the early morning, and gallbladder colic around midnight (peak time of the gallbladder between 11 pm and 1 am).
All acupuncture points lie on these meridians. Stimulating these points (with needles, heat, massage etc.) is said to influence the flow of the life energy Qi and thus eliminate disorders in the respective channel. There are different ways of stimulating an acupuncture point: acupuncture uses needles, moxibustion uses heat and acupressure uses pressure, e.g. with a finger.
A special form of acupuncture is ear acupuncture, which was only discovered and developed about 50 years ago. It was found that all organs of the body are represented as reflex zones on the surface of the ear. By examining these reflex zones, the doctor can detect disorders in the organs. Affected organ systems are then treated by stimulating these ear reflex zones with thin acupuncture needles.
How does acupuncture work according to Western medicine?
For a long time, acupuncture was dismissed in the West as quackery. However, because its success could not be denied in the long run, science began to investigate how it works. Tiny bundles of blood vessels and nerves were found at the acupuncture points. Stimulating these bundles activates fast-conducting nerve fibres, which send signals to the brain and thus block pain perception. Stimulation also releases endorphins, which are chemically very similar to morphine and dampen the sensation of pain. Besides reducing pain, acupuncture has many other effects, such as relaxing muscles, increasing blood flow and activating the immune system.
What happens during acupuncture treatment?
An acupuncture session lasts about 20–30 minutes. The patient rests calmly and relaxed in a comfortable position (usually lying or sitting). Before the needle is inserted, the acupuncture point is carefully located based on the anatomy. Inserting the needle usually causes a slightly dull feeling of heaviness, which most patients find not unpleasant or only slightly unpleasant. During a session, about 10–15 needles are inserted and left in place for 20 minutes. A course of acupuncture usually consists of 10–15 sessions; in some cases a noticeable improvement only occurs after 5–7 sessions.
Mild side effects, such as small bruises or temporary numbness at the insertion site, occur only in exceptional cases. Acupuncture can be combined with any other therapy and is a very effective complement to conventional medical treatment, especially in pain therapy.