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Acupuncture The history of the practice
Acupuncture as an alternative treatment for chronic low back pain essay
Acupuncture The history of the practice
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Acupuncture and Nursing
The roots of the practice of acupuncture can be traced back to about 2000 years in Chinese medicine where it was used as a major traditional healing method (Cherry & Jacob, 2017). It is classified as an alternative medical system that involves the use of imperceptible networks/channels all through the body. Along with acupuncture, other forms of alternative medical systems include Ayurveda, homeopathy, naturopathy, and traditional Chinese medicine. These networks are referred to as meridians, by which energy streams through the body (Cherry & Jacob, 2017). The energy is referred to as Qi (pronounced “chee”). It is believed in traditional Chinese culture that Qi holds a dynamic life force, and when there an imbalance of this energy; illness as well as symptoms cultivates.
The aim of acupuncture to heal explicit pathologies has not been determined but it does reestablish systemic equilibrium to the patient’s reservation of Qi. For the body’s system to be recalibrated with its Qi, needles are implanted at certain meridians in order to
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E. (2013). When will acupuncture become a first-line treatment for acute pain management?. Military Medicine, 178(8), 827-828. doi:10.7205/MILMED-D-13-00119
Cherry, B., & Jacob, S. R. (2017). Complementary and alternative healing (C. Eliopoulos, Ed.). In Contemporary nursing: Issues, trends & management (7th ed., pp. 205-206). St Louis, MO: Elsevier, Inc.
Chung, Y., Tsou, M., Chen, H., Lin, J., & Yeh, M. (2014). Integrative acupoint stimulation to alleviate postoperative pain and morphine-related side effects: A sham-controlled study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 51(3), 370-378. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2013.06.007
Liu, F., Li, Z., Jiang, Y., & Chen, L. (2014). A meta-analysis of acupuncture use in the treatment of cognitive impairment after stroke. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 20(7), 535-544.
Lindley, P., Pestano, C. R., & Gargiulo, K. (2009). Comparison of postoperative pain management using two patient-controlled analgesia methods: Nursing perspective. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(7), 1370-1380. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2009.04991.x
Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine that treats people by insertion and handling of solid, usually thin needles into the body. Through its beginnings, acupuncture has been deep-rooted in the notions of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Its general theory is based on the idea that bodily functions are synchronized by the flow of an energy-like entity called qi. Acupuncture tries to right inequities in the flow of qi by stimulus of anatomical locations on or under the skin called acupuncture points, most of which are linked by channels known as meridians. Scientific study has not found any bodily or organic correlate of qi, meridians and acupuncture points, and some modern practitioners needle the body without using an academic structure, instead choosing points because of their tenderness to pressure (Acupuncture: An Introduction, 2011).
The third explanation is the ancient Chinese explanation that the acupuncture points are doors to energy channels and that by inserting the needles into these points, one can open and close these doors. This brings about energy circulation and harbors energy balance, resulting in improved health (http://www.acupuncture.com/Acup/Works.htm).
Dayhew, M., Wilkinson, M.J., & Simpson, D.M. (2009). Complementary and alternative medicine and the search for knowledge by conventional health care practitioners. Contemporary Nurse, 33(1), 41-49. doi: 10.1089/acm.2011.0364. McCreery, H. (2010).
After much disappointment about not receiving pain relief, I found began to research alternative health care options. Prescription medication has always been an option for temporary relief of pain, however; I preferred to fix my problems vice masking the symptoms. During one of my chiropractic appointments, I asked if he could recommend an acupuncturist, to my surprises he had had owned an acupuncture practice for 15 years before moving to Virginia Beach. He agreed to give me my first acupuncture treatment, following that we had several long discussions about his practice, schools, care options and many other things. Our conversations brought to light that ALT MED was something that I had the capacity for, would excel at, and would provide me a way to continue to help people post-military retirement. Since acupuncture isn 't mainstream healthcare provided to military personnel I consider myself fortunate to have first-hand experience with it. My experiences with acupuncturists have been extremely positive. After just two treatments, I noticed significant amounts of pain relief. In July, I experienced Japanese acupuncture as a treatment for a whiplash
Public Health Reports (Interagency Team at NIMH and NIDA Studies How Acupuncture Works.) (1974-) , Vol. 95, No. 5 (Sep. - Oct., 1980), pp. 503-504
Effect upon arrival of qi, literally meaning pain is eliminated instantly when needling sensations are acquired after needle-insertion, is a familiar clinical fact when acupuncture is used for kinds of pain. Of course, such quick responses are not resulted from changes of humoral factors. There were similar successes duri...
Marion Good, PhD, RN, has focused her study, “A Middle-Range Theory of Acute pain Management: Use in Research,” on complementary medicine for pain and stress, acute pain, and stress immunity. The purpose of this theory is to put into practice guidelines for pain management. Good, 1998, noted the need for a balance between medication usage and side effects of pain medications. The theory also promoted patient education related to pain management following surgery and encouraged plan development for acceptable levels of pain management. This theory was developed through deductive reasoning. Chinn & Kramer, 2008, defined deductive reasoning as going from a general concept to a more specific concept. Good, 1998, related that there was a balance between analgesia and side effects in which two outcomes can be deduced: (1) a decrease in pain, and (2) a decrease in side effects. These outcomes can be studied further or more detailed concepts can be deduced from them.
Acupuncture: The practice is the insertion of fine needles into acupuncture points (a.k.a. acupoints) just beneath the body surface. Needles varies in length between 13 to 130 mm (0.51 to 5.12 in), shorter needles for face and eyes, and longer needles for more fleshy areas; the diameters vary from 0.16 mm (0.006 in) to 0.46 mm (0.018 in), thicker needles for more robust patients. Acupuncture points are very precise locations and lie on channels of energy. The practice of acupuncture is based on the fact that the stimulation of specific areas on the skin affects the function of certain organs of the body and that health results from a balanced flow of Qi (a.k.a. ‘Chi’) which is circulated through the blood stream through 14 energy ducts called
Acupuncture originated in China and it has been practice for more than 2000 years now. This modality is considered the main treatment within the traditional Chinese medicine. Its main concept is the conviction that the body possesses hidden channels identified as meridians. These channels allows for the flow of energy which is considered a vital life force through all the body. Acupuncture modality believes that when this energy becomes obstructed or imbalanced, sickness and symptoms can build up. It is only when this energy becomes unblocked by stimulating focal points in the meridians that health can be achieved again (Cherry & Jacob, 2010).
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine involving the insertion of super fine needles superficially into the skin to correct the energy flow in the body. Many people believe this practice is painful, while others see it as a waste of time, or useless. Testimonials prove this to be false, but those who have not tried the practice are skeptical. The long history of acupuncture has lead to many misconceptions about the process. There are many benefits to acupuncture that can be shown through an understanding of its process.
When acupuncture was created, some of the medical concepts it employed were relatively new; there were not many falsified stories for it to build off from. In fact, "acupuncture is said to have been theorized... by Shen Nung, the father of Chinese medicine, who also documented his theories on the heart, circulation, and pulse over 400 years before Europeans had any concept about them" (1). Since then, Europeans and Asians alike have encountered centuries of medical dilemmas and successes. Over time, hypotheses emerge and are either disproved or continue to live on as part of scientific discourse and medical practice. For this reason, most old-fashioned treatments no longer hold true when compared to methods cultivated within the great wealth of knowledge attributed to medicine today – not because we are smarter now or are more civilized, but because the field of medicine has accumulated so much more experience and has improved methods to be "less wrong" countless times. So, why has acup...
The Chinese healing art of acupuncture is one that can be dated back at least two thousand years. Some authorities maintain that acupuncture has been practiced in China for even four thousand years. Though its exact age is vague, what is certain is that up until the recent twentieth century, much of the population of the world was uninformed about acupuncture, its origins, and its capacity to promote and maintain good health. Even today in relatively "advanced" nations such as the United States there are many who hold acupuncture under the stereotype of a new or radical medicine, one which would almost always be a second choice after more familiar Western approaches to handling illness.
These alternative treatments include acupuncture, meditation, and therapy among many others.There is growing evidence that the desire for alternative medicine is expanding because people undergoing procedures in today’s health care system has had unmet needs as well as feelings of being uncared for (Acari & Flanagan, 2015). Alternative medicine is able to provide patients with treatments that provide relief for hard to cure problems such as back pain, neck pain, and arthritis. Many of these alternative treatments have been shown to be successful for various problems. The use of complimentary and alternative medicine as well as the open ended communication that holistic nursing provides is gaining popularity from patients who are fed up with traditional care and hospital
Traditional Chinese Medicine: An Introduction [NCCAM Backgrounder]. (n.d.).National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine [NCCAM] - nccam.nih.gov Home Page. Retrieved December 11, 2011, from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/whatiscam/chinesemed.htm