acupuncture :: essays research papers

Acupuncture An estimated two thousand years ago, the Jin dynasty introduced a new medical practice to their culture. The practice, known as acupuncture, treats many common ailments using needles on certain areas of the body in order to enhance the flow of energy or â€Å"qi†. Since its birth, millions of people over centuries have relied on the benefits of acupuncture, which include everything from relieving stress to promoting good health. Although there has been much scientific dispute over the benefits of acupuncture, countless testimonials of satisfied acupuncture patients over the centuries have remained passionate advocates for the practice of promoting harmonious anatomical energy. Beginning around the time of the Jin Dynasty, acupuncture’s procedure remains similar to its original practice that it did in the beginning of its use. By placing a small needle onto one of the approximate 500 acupuncture points of the body, the needle can help stimulate the flow of energy to the part of the body being deprived of a healthy flow. This function is to help promote a healthy, harmonious balance between the opposing forces of yin and yang within the body. The Chinese recognize that the body contains 14 pathways or â€Å"meridians† through which qi travels. When the body begins to become stressed or the immune system begins to weaken, the flow of qi becomes conflicted and restrained. Additionally, the procedure’s benefits have also remained the same since acupuncture’s birth. Acupuncture, known as a yang-therapy due to its exterior-to-interior approach is used to treat high blood pressure, muscle pain, asthma, gingivitis, and headaches to name just a few. Acupuncture, based on the Daoist philosophy of harmonious balance stimulates an even flow between qi and the immune system. Rather than directly acting as a direct cure for a disease, acupuncture partners with the immune system in fighting off disease.