Chinese medicine can involve acupressure, moxibustion, herbal medicine and acupuncture. These modalities are meant to reinstall the flow of energy in the pathways that make up our qi which is the energy or vital force of the body. The human body has 14 energy channels, called Meridians that comprise the life force of the body, which is the essence of life. When we are healthy, energy steadily flows through these meridians. We experience sickness, pain, and symptoms of illnesses when there is a blockage in the flow in one or more of these meridians. The fields of energy that circulate through every layer of our body can be controlled through touch, pressure, electrical stimulation, needle punctures, and other ways so that the movement flow of energy can be restored in the blocked meridians. There are acupuncture points along these Meridians, which are found in our ears, feet, skin, and muscles, and are close enough to the body surface to control for the process of healing.
Acupuncture is one such technique to exploit the Acupuncture Points (acupoints). Acupuncture is a method that involves the placement of slender needles into the skin along the acupoints of Meridians. Despite the lack of evidence of the existence of these energy channels, there are resources available that delineate the paths these meridians take within our body and where the acupoints exactly are. Each of these channels, fortunately, has its own acupoints on the surface of the skin to give us the means to heal all joints, organ systems, and other components of our musculoskeletal system. These sources of information can be found in pictures, books, diagrams and illustrations.
The needles used in acupuncture have a tiny diameter and are made of stainless steel, as opposed to hypodermic needles used to draw blood which are much larger. Acupuncture needles are also hollow; hypodermic needles are solid. The needles are inserted into the skin about an inch to four inches deep. A normal treatment session may necessitate the use of five to fifteen needles.
Acupuncturists recommend a series of treatments to build up a cumulative effect for it to work in the relief of stress and pain. This implies that as the treatments continue, the benefits of the treatment will increase and last longer with each additional session.
Some doctors have integrated conventional acupuncture procedures in order to boost the results of their treatment, as well as to increase the time intervals that patients undergo without experiencing relapses of symptoms of disease or pain. Doctors have experimented with both new and old technologies and medicines in order to augment the benefits of their therapies.
Electro-acupuncture is an updated version of traditional acupuncture whereby an electric current is transported to Acupuncture needles. The current settings that apparently can provide the best outcomes are the high-intensity, low-frequency currents. They are highly likely to provide the body with more benefits and comfort, and endow benefits that persist long after the session is over. The high-intensity low-frequency currents are the settings that tend to generate a cumulative effect for the relief of pain. The acupuncturist inserting the needles to the acupoints has control over the current’s intensity and frequency.
PENS Acupuncture is another modern form of acupuncture. It entails the attachment of electrodes to acupuncture needles. Electricity is then sent to the needles inserted in the body.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion is a healing method whereby heat from flaming herbs is directly applied over each acupoint during a treatment session. This branch of Chinese medicine involves the treatment of acupoints along the Meridians whereby the flow of energy is believed to be obstructed. The acupoints do not have to be stimulated manually for the meridians to be affected. In certain instances, nutritional and herbal therapies can work as well. In moxibustion therapy, a plant known as mugwort or moxa is lit over acupoints on the head acupuncture needles that are inserted in the body. The lit moxa has healing properties believed to promote healing by reinvigorating the flow of qi and increasing the flow of blood.
There are two types of moxibustion: indirect and direct. In Indirect moxibustion, the end of a moxa stick is lit, and then placed near the acupoint for many seconds.
In the direct method, a small cone-shaped moxa is directly placed on the acupuncture point. There are two sub-classifications of this treatment: non-scarring and scarring.
The non-scarring version involves igniting and placing the moxa directly on then and then quickly removed before it burns the skin. The scarring version involves placing a piece of moxa on the skin and then setting it on fire.