Acupuncture Essay

1220 Words3 Pages

Acupuncture
For many centuries, humanity has been on an eternal quest for cures and treatments for many chronic conditions. At the present time, conventional medicine is mostly performed by doctors and other health care professionals, with the extensive use of pharmaceutical drugs, surgery or radiation treatments for disease treatment. Conversely, even though not as popular, complementary and alternative medicine and treatment options are slowly gaining popularity and becoming an addition to traditional medicine.
Complementary and alternative treatments are identified as a group of medical and healing systems different from the traditional ones. This type of approach centers on individualized treatment for the patient, treats the body as a whole, and promotes self healing and search for the spiritual nature of each individual. One of the crucial points that conventional and alternative medicine have in common is the awareness on good nutrition and the promotion of preventive care (White House Commission, 2014).

Acupuncture Background
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).
Each meridian is assigned to an organ that manages spec...

... middle of paper ...

...lementary and Alternative Medicine. (2012). Acupunture: An Introduction. Retrieved on July 12, 2014 from http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/introduction.htm
NYULangone. (2013). Acupuncture. Alternate Names, Evidence-based uses. Retrieved on July 12, 2014 from http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=155244
University of Maryland Medical Center. (2014). Acupuncture. Retrieved on July 13, 2014 from https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/treatment/acupuncture
White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy. (2014).
Overview of CAM in the United States: Recent History, Current Status, and Prospects for the Future. Retrieved on July 11, 2014 from http://www.whccamp.hhs.gov/fr2.html
Wilson, A. (n,d). Stimulating Healing. Retrieved on July 12, 2014 from
http://nursing.advanceweb.com/web-extras/online-extras/stimulating-healing.aspx?CP=3

Open Document