Acupuncture

Acupuncture 

Acupuncture is a both ancient and modern form of alternative medicine, used to cure sickness,  relieve pains in the body, and help with ones health in general. It is believed that by stimulating  certain points along one or more of the 12 basic meridians on the body, you can choose exact places elsewhere internally, outside, or mentally, to cure.  It originated as a Chinese practice in 2500 B.C.E., but by the late twentieth century, the practice had spread quickly to the rest of the world and society. Acupuncture is performed by inserting multiple needles into chosen points on the body, just below the top layer of skin. The idea of acupuncture grew out of the theory and belief of the yin and yang. The yin is the feminine principle, and is represented by darkness in the earth. The yang is the male principle, and is represented by the light from heaven. It is believed that we have a balance of the yin and yang within us. Any disease or physical ailment are simply caused by a disharmony or an imbalance of the yin and yang. Acupuncture was designed to evenly distribute all these forces throughout the body, and balance and harmonize all aspects of health. The actual practice of acupuncture is performed by inserting either straight or arrowhead needles into the skin, normally 0.1 inches to 0.4 inches, but can go up to 10 inches laterally into the skin. Acupuncture is often and routinely used during surgical operations as an anesthetic. People have witnessed ordinarily and extremely painful surgeries performed, the patient wide awake and fully conscious, only numbed by acupuncture. There have been several theories about how and why acupuncture works, and it's degree of effectiveness. Some experts say that when the needles are inserted into the body, they stimulate the body's production of the bodies natural painkillers as endorphins, which mask all aspects of pain. Others speculated that acupuncture is effective because it triggers and acts on the central nervous system, closing "certain neurological gates"and therefore blocking the transmission of all pain to and from other parts of the body. Some Westerners only believe that acupuncture is simply a placebo effect, which actually wouldn't take very much away from its effectiveness. It would simply be an entirely psychological healing process, which depending on the patients trust, faith, and confidence in the power of acupuncture, could be a possibly very effective medical practice in the future.