Acupuncture

I read the article titled The Neuroimmune Basis of Anti-inflammatory Acupuncture. I thought it would be helpful to blog about acupuncture and some of the theories behind its effects on the body.

HISTORY

Acupuncture originated in China and can be traced back to the Stone Age. At this time instead of needles sharp stones were used. As mentioned in the article the 5000-year-old mummy, Otzi, found in the Alps is thought to be further evidence of the use of acupuncture in ancient times. On his body there are over 50 tattoos that mark the locations of acupuncture points on his body.

Despite these ancient roots in Chinese history, acupuncture and other folk medicine declined during the Revolution of China in 1911. Yet during the Long March many of the soldiers used acupuncture to maintain the health of the People's Liberation Army. With the success of acupuncture in this situation, Mao Zedong, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, became an advocate for the use of acupuncture on a larger scale. This seems very opposite of the rest of the party who criticized the use of folk medicine as a step backwards.

From this support, Traditional Chinese Medicine was born. Traditional Chinese Medicine is the formalized system of folk medicine that was taught in medical schools throughout China. It is still an important part of Chinese medical curriculum today.

Acupuncture was first brought over to the US in the 1970s. Travelers to China were fascinated by the use of acupuncture as the only anesthesia for patients during surgery. The National Acupuncture Association (NAA) was started during this time. The NAA hosted a number of seminars and research presentations around the US in order to increase acupuncture's popularity. It succeeded and in 1972 the first acupuncture clinic was opened in Washington, D.C.

METHODS

The basis of acupuncture is rooted in the belief that there is a substance within our bodies called Qi. This vital energy runs freely through our body along meridians. When an imbalance, or blockage of our Qi occurs, that is when acupuncture needs to be done. Acupuncture allows for drainage of excess Qi from certain areas, clearing of blockages, and promoting flow where stagnation has occurred.

When acupuncture is done, it is done along the meridians in the body. The twelve primary meridians in the body, or mai, correspond to the systems of function. These primary meridians are: Lung, Large Intestine, Stomach, Spleen, Heart, Small Intestine, Bladder, Kidney, Pericardium, San Jiao (not really associated with a specific body part, it is for the control of temperature), Gall Bladder, and Liver. There are also Eight Extraordinary Pathways, the Luo Vessels, the Divergents, and the Sinew Channels that are also used, just not as commonly.

In clinical practice a disposable stainless steel needle is usually used. The needle has a diameter between .18mm to .51 mm depending on the location. The ends of the needle is wrapped with wire or covered in plastic to stiffen the needle and allow it to be easily grasped by the acupuncturist. The length of the needle, and the depth it is inserted, depends on the style that the acupuncturist is using as well as what he is trying to alleviate.

With acupuncture heat or electricity can be applied to the area in order to further the affects of the needle. When heat is applied is usually done via moxibustion, which is the burning of herbs (usually mugwort). Moxibustion can be done several different ways. One way involves attaching the herbs to the exposed end of the needle and lighting it on fire. Another technique is holding a light stick of mugwort near the acupuncture needle. Another is applying an ointment to the area of the skin and then lighting the mugwort directly on the skin before inserting the acupuncture needle.

THEORIES


The two theories that are mentioned in the article that I felt weren't really explained clearly are the Gate-Control Theory and the DNIC theory. I wanted to share the information I found when I looked them up. This helped me out so I thought it might be helpful to others.

Gate-Control Theory

The Gate-Control Theory of Pain was proposed by Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall in 1962 and in 1965. The theory states that pain is not just determined by the action of nociceptors. Nociceptors are receptors that take in a stimulus and cause us to perceive pain due to this stimulus. Yet Melzack and Wall state that there are other fibers that can affect this transmission of stimulus into pain. They state there are other nonnociceptive fibers that interact with the nociceptor fibers. Thus if these other fibers are stimulated they can actually counter the pain signal of the nociceptors.

This can be applied to acupuncture very easily. When applied to acupuncture this theory is saying that the insertion of the needle is actually activating nonnociceptive fibers in that area. This activation then causes a signal to be sent, which interferes with the nociceptors and the pain that is perceived is lessened.



DNIC

This stands for Diffuse Noxious Inhibitory Control. This theory seemed pretty complicated to me, so my explanation is only what I got from the information I found. I kind of simplified it down so I could easily understand it.

This idea is very similar to that of the Gate-Control Theory of Pain. It states that if you have a stimulus that is perceived as pain in a certain area, you can inhibit this by administering a painful stimulus in a distal area. This is like the general idea that if your head hurts and someone stands on your foot you won't head won't hurt anymore.


LINKS
Here is a link to an interactive map of the acupuncture points and meridians:
http://www.yinyanghouse.com/acupuncturepoints/locations_theory_and_clinical_applications


Here is a link to the NIH Conference statement that is mentioned in the article:
http://consensus.nih.gov/1997/1997Acupuncture107html.htm


Here is where I got some of the information about DNIC:
http://www.clas.ufl.edu/jur/200611/papers/paper_lovell.html