Acupuncture: an effective treatment - Research Paper Example

? Acupuncture Acupuncture is practice or way to cure several diseases, through inserting needles in skin. This practice results in health and welfare of the patient. This technique of medical care was originated about more than 2000 years ago in China. At present, American practices of punctures, has been taken from Korean, Chinese and Japanese and from culture of other countries. In USA, this technique is practiced by the insertion of hair thin needle in the skin and in the strategic point of the body (Mediline plus). This ancient technique was practice of the Chinese, to relieve pain. Acupuncture is an effective technique. It helps in reducing vomiting and feeling of nausea in patient, after chemotherapy or surgery. Researchers have failed to understand fully that how does this ancient technique of acupuncture works. May be this technique mainly targets the activities of pain and initiates the release of pain killing substances present in the human body. It is also found that this technique controls the flow of blood pressure. The Chinese describes this traditional technique as a mean of balance the flow of energy known as CHI. This energy flows through different routes in the human body. The insertions of hair thin needles help in the flow of energy and rebalance it. Many western researchers have proved that this techniques target points which stimulates the tissues muscles and body nerves. This result in improvement of activities of the body’s own pain killer and also increases the movement of the blood in the system (Staff). RESEARCH CONDUCTED TO STUDY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ACUPUNTURE EVALUATING THE CLINICAL EFFICACY OF ACUPUNTURE In traditional Chinese medical history, acupuncture is considered as a technique of inserting needles in the human body. These insertions of needles then start governing the pain and insert the flow of energy from the universe into the human body, from the points where the needles were inserted. It’s not necessary that needles must be inserted at the points where one experience pain. The main function of acupuncture is that it re-harmonizes the balance of hormones. Acupuncture stimulates certain points of the body which increases the flow of blood and this helps the body in fighting diseases (GZBeauty). The most important problem related with this technique is that its concept does not merge with the medical science. This technique is more on philosophical side then on practical one. The researchers have failed to explain that what actually is making this practice work from so many ages. All the studies that have been conducted yet, shows that the advantage and the side effects related to this technique are almost same. There are many researchers that have proved the efficacy of acupuncture. They have proved this by experiments and clinical trial. Following are the findings of some researchers. TESTING ACUPUNCTURE’S EFFICACY In the case of acupuncture it is difficult to design double blind test as it is a technique not a medicine. It was really difficult to design an experiment in which to double blind both the acupuncturist and the patient as well. Therefore in many cases an experiment was conducted by the help of retractable needle, which showed as if an acupuncturist is penetrating needles in the skin but actually they did not (Glenn D. Braunstein, Huff Post Los Angeles). It is difficult to hide the efficacy and the important of acupuncture from the person providing or applying the technique. The positron emission tomography (PET) showed that when the actual needles were inserted in the body, it created some changes in the brain but when the placebo needles were inserted they too resulted in the same effect as the actual needles. When acupuncture has started being adopted by some medical care unit for the treatment of patient, some German researchers conducted trials for some patients. These trials were conducted for the patients suffering from chronic low back pain. The result showed that 15% patients who were getting actual acupuncture treatment wanted more medication compared to the ones who were receiving sham acupuncture (34%) and the one who were given conventional therapy (59%) (Glenn D. Braunstein, Huff Post Los Angeles). There is an audio book by Dr. Steven Juenke on acupuncture. In this book he discusses that how acupuncture works and through what path energy enters the body. This book highlights the medical effectiveness of acupuncture and describes that how it can be helpful in curing various ailments (Steven Juenke). USE OF ACUPUNCTURE FOR THE TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION A research was conducted to study the effectiveness of acupuncture for depression disorders. The purpose of this systematic study was to cure many depression related diseases, by analyzing its effects when mixed with anti-depressant or when used alone, especially to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture as mono therapy. This research was conducted to analyze the usefulness of acupuncture, especially in the treatment of depression related disorders such as major depression disorder and post-stroke depression (Zhang-Jin Zhanga, The effectiveness and safety of acupuncture therapy in depressive disorders: Systematic review and meta-analysis). The methodology consisted of systematic review of literature related to acupuncture; review of the patient’s medical history and the meta-analysis took place on the basis of advance controlled trials. 207 clinical reports were studied, out of which 113 were on major depression disorder and 76 were on the post-stroke depression. It was analyzed that acupuncture as mono therapy is effective for major depression disorder but its effects were same as sham acupuncture. There was no evidence related to the fact that when acupuncture as mono therapy is mixed with anti-depressant, it could yield better result, than the implication of anti-depressant alone, in the treatment of major depression disorder. In the case of post-stroke depression, acupuncture proved to be more efficient than anti-depressant. The result showed that other chemical means can be replaced by acupuncture as mono therapy, because it really showed effective result. It is also an effective way of healing the depression without the use of anti-depressants and other chemical medicines. It is a traditional technique and is being used for 2000 years to cure people from disease (Zhang-Jin Zhanga, The effectiveness and safety of acupuncture therapy in depressive disorders: Systematic review and meta-analysis). RESEARCH ON COMBINE AFFECTS OF TRADITIONAL AND EAR ACUPUNCTURE. There was a research which combined both the methods of technical acupuncture and ear acupuncture, to study the effectiveness of its treatment. The traditional and the ear acupuncture has been use since years, to treat headache and other pains. In this research the sample was divided into two groups; the experimental group which consisted of the Traditional acupuncture treatment and the control group which was based on the combined acupuncture treatment. The treatment was scheduled up to six mandatory treatment sessions over three weeks, later the treatment session was increased to 12 sessions. Pain in this experiment was recorded by using visual analogue scale. When both the groups were compared there was not a difference between the two. The finding of this experiment was that pain was relieved in both the cases; especially headache was effectively treated along with many other diseases (Chang-Beohm Ahna). COCHRANE’S REVIEW Cochrane reviewed certain literature and medical reports to understand the effectiveness of acupuncture in acute back pain. His mission was to give evidence to prove that acupuncture can be very successful in curing low back pain. He studied that acupuncture is more effective in treatment of back pain when used with conventional therapy. It can be used for short term pain relief. He concluded that acupuncture was to an extent effective in improving the condition of nausea and vomiting after surgery, without side effects. In a review he concluded can the use of acupuncture can be better than antibiotic drugs. Due to some publications issues, Cochrane changed his result to this that the technique of acupuncture is equal to the medical treatment by drugs. Cochrane also mentioned many diseases, for which there is not sufficient evidence present, that acupuncture could work in this case or not. Some of them were; epilepsy, insomnia, asthma, etc. NIH STATEMENT ABOUT ACUPUNCTURE In 1997, a statement was issued by national institution of health. This statement said that, despite of the fact that it is difficult to conduct a research about the effective of the procedure of acupuncture, but in many cases it has proved and showed positive results. There is sufficient evidence regarding the effectiveness of this technique. The further study and research about this phenomenon should be encouraged. They also concluded that this technique has proved to be without side effects; therefore it is better than many others. The use of acupuncture on medical level should only be allowed in the case when the clinician who is applying it, should have complete knowledge about the procedure. CONCLUSION Acupuncture is a traditional technique, which is as much effective as it was in the past. The world health organization has declared acupuncture effective for 40 medical diseases (Dupler and Odle). Acupuncture also eliminates the toxins from our body and makes our body toxin free (Sager). It is a cost effective technique and should be used in clinics and on the medical level. In a book by miles Belgrade following conclusion was drawn, about the effectiveness of acupuncture; It is not necessary that acupuncture is effective in all the cases. Acupuncture is a safe procedure but it must be applied by a skilled acupuncturist, with sterile needles. Acupuncture has shown superior result than sham acupuncture in the treatment of headache, in both children and adult. It has also shown satisfactory results in the treatment of back pain. Its side effects are lower than any other chemical and anti-biotic treatment; therefore it is a harmless procedure to try (Belgrade). . Works Cited Acupuncture. Dir. China : GZBeauty 2000. Belgrade, Miles. Acupuncture for chronic osteoarthritis pain, headache, and low back pain. [Bloomington, Minn.] : Institute for Clinical Systems Integration, 2001. Chang-Beohm Ahna, Sang-Ju Leeb, Jang-Cheon Leec, Jean Pierre J. Fossiond, Antonio Sant'Anae. "Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies." (march): 29-43. Dupler, Douglas and Teresa Odle. Encyclopedia. 2005. 18 february 2013 . Glenn D. Braunstein, M.D. Huff Post Los Angeles. 11 october 2010. 7 february 2013 . —. Huff Post Los Angeles. 11 october 2010. 7 february 2013 . Juenke, Steven. Ask an Acupuncture Doctor. Denver, CO: AudioTopics, 2009. Sound recording. mediline plus. 11 september 2012. 6 february 2013 . Sager, Dr. Marshall. Treating Allergies with Medical Acupuncture 4 april 2000. Staff, Mayo clinic. Mayo Clinic. 2 august 2011. 6 february 2013 . Zhang-Jin Zhanga, , Hai-Yong Chena, Ka-chee Yipb, Roger Ngb, Vivian Taam Wongc. "The effectiveness and safety of acupuncture therapy in depressive disorders: Systematic review and meta-analysis." Elsivier july 2010: 9-21. —. "The effectiveness and safety of acupuncture therapy in depressive disorders: Systematic review and meta-analysis." (2010): 9-21. Read More