Around China, a practice of stylostixis may mayhap exist when traced when far back as the 1^st millennium BC, and archeological evidence has been identified with the period of the Han dynasty (from 202 BC to 220 AD). the practice spread centuries agone into numerous area of Asia; around modern days these are a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and forms of it come too described in the literature of traditional Korean medicine where it is known as chimsul. These are too crucial within Kampo, the traditional medicine models of Japan.

Recent examinations of Ötzi,[http://www.ogka.at/aerzte/artikel/oetziLancet.htm][http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/iceman/evidence/tattoos.html] a 5000 season old mummy detected in the Alps, have placed assibilate fifty tattoos on Ötzi's body, a bit of of which are then placed in stylostixis points that would in todays world exist as utilized to address ill Ötzi suffered from either. A select few man of science guess that this is grounds to believe that practices similar to stylostixis were expert elsewhere within Eurasia during the early bronze age.

Medical law in the United States regarding acupuncture varies widely from either state to state. Notably, states farthermost to the west (Hawaii most particularly, California, etc.) have a virtually all comprehensive & learned laws & regulations on stylostixis. Inside several U.S. states -- people furthermost to the east -- medical doctors (M.D.s) come permitted to practice stylostixis by using there are no specific expert training videos within stylostixis. Inside a few states, acupuncturists come involved to act by having an M.D. inside a subservient relationship, potentially whenever the M.D. has there is no step by step instruction within stylostixis. Constrastingly, Hawaii forbids M.D.s to practice stylostixis unless it develop received specific expert training videos within it & own demonstrated related competence.

A consensus of American-trained medical doctors & medical-search specialists in sanative efficaciousness is that:

stylostixis is at least effectual as a placebo in some situations; as of 2004, stylostixis is additional efficacious than placebo acupuncture inside relieving hurt from either osteoarthritis; and continued search on the imaginable value of stylostixis inside various areas of medicine is worthwhile.

Historically, traditional Chinese medicine usually maintained that warming an stylostixis point, typically by moxibustion (the burning of mugwort), was a stronger coarse of action than stylostixis by itself. A Chinese term zhÄ“n jÇ?u (é‡?ç?¸), commoned wont to refer to stylostixis, comes from either zhen meaning "needle", & jiu meaning "moxibustion". Moxibustion is however utilized in the 21^st century to varying degrees among the schools of traditional Chinese medicine. For instance, 1 swell known system is to bond dried mugwort to a external prevent of an stylostixis needle, insert a needle at a desired stylostixis point, then ignite the mugwort. A mugwort might so smolder for many minutes (based on a total adhered to the needle) & conduct heat through the needle to the tissue surrounding the needle in the patient's immune system.

Virtually all modern acupuncturists utilize one time use stainless steel needles of super ticket diameter (approximately .015"), sterilized with ethylene oxide or by autoclave. The upper third of these needles is wound with a thicker wire (typically bronze) to stiffen the needle, provide a handle for the acupuncturist to grasp while inserting the needle, and also provide a surface to which dried mugwort will more easily adhere.

Theory
Acupuncture treats the human body as a whole that involves several "systems of work" that are in many cases associated with (but not identified on a one-to-one basis with) physical organs. Some systems of function, such as the "triple heater" (San Jiao, also called the "triple burner") have no corresponding physical organ. Disease is understood as a loss of homeostasis among the several systems of function, and treatment of disease is attempted by modifying the activity of one or more systems of function through the activity of needles, pressure, heat, etc. on sensitive parts of the body of small volume traditionally called "stylostixis points" in English, or "xue" (ç©´, cavities) in Chinese.

Treatment of acupuncture points may be performed along the twelve main or eight extra meridians, located throughout the body. Ten of the main meridians are named after organs of the body (Heart, Liver etc.) two after so called body functions (Heart Protector or Pericardium, and San Jiao). The two most important of the eight "additional" meridians are situated on the midline of the anterior and posterior aspects of the trunk and head. The twelve primary meridians run vertically, bilaterally, and symmetrically and every channel corresponds to and connects internally with one of the twelve Zang Fu ("organs"). This means that there are six yin and six yang channels. There are three yin and three yang channels on each arm, and three yin and three yang on each leg.

The three yin channels of the hand (Lung, Pericardium, and Heart) begin on the chest and travel along the inner surface (mostly the anterior portion) of the arm to the hand.

The three yang channels of the hand (Large intestine, San Jiao and Small intestine) begin on the hand and travel along the outer surface (mostly the posterior portion) of the arm to the head.

The three yang channels of the foot (Stomach, Gallbladder, and Bladder) begin on the face, in the region of the eye, and travels down the body and along the outer surface (mostly the anterior and lateral portion) of the leg to the foot.

The three yin channels of the foot (Spleen, Liver and Kidney) begin on the foot and travel along the inner surface (mostly posterior and medial portion) of the leg to the chest or flank.

The movement of qi through each of the twelve channels is comprised of an internal and an external pathway. The external pathway is what is normally shown on an acupuncture chart and it is relatively superficial. All the acupuncture points of a channel lie on its external pathway. The internal pathways are the deep course of the channel where it enters the body cavities and related Zang-Fu organs. The superficial pathways of the twelve channels describe three complete circuits of the body.

The distribution of energy through the meridians is said to be as follows: Lung channel of hand taiyin to Large Intestine channel of hand yangming to Stomach channel of foot yangming to Spleen channel of foot taiyin to Heart channel of hand shaoyin to Small Intestine channel of hand taiyang to Bladder channel of foot taiyang to Kidney channel of foot shaoyin to Pericardium channel of hand jueyin to San Jiao channel of hand shaoyang to Gallbladder channel of foot shaoyang to Liver channel of foot jueyin then back to the Lung channel of hand taiyin

Traditional Chinese medical theory holds that acupuncture works by normalizing the balance of qi "vital energy" throughout the body. Pain or illnesses are treated by attempting to remedy local or systemic accumulations or deficiencies of qi. Pain is considered to indicate blockage or stagnation of the flow of qi, and an axiom of the medical literature of acupuncture is "there are there is there is no painful sensation, no blockage; no blockage, no irritation".

Many patients claim to experience the sensations of stimulus known in Chinese as "deqi" (å¾—æ°£ "obtaining a ki"). This kind of sensation was historically considered to be evidence of effectively locating the desired point. There are some electronic devices now available which will make a noise when what they have been programmed to describe as the "correct" acupuncture point is pressed.

The acupuncturist will decide which points to treat by thoroughly questioning the patient, and utilizing the diagnostic skills of traditional Chinese medicine such as observation of the left and right radial pulses at three levels of imposed pressure.

There are also theories being developed to explain effects observed for acupuncture by within the orthodox Western medical paradigm.

There are various schools of acupuncture theory, including the original TCM method Zang Fu theory medical acupuncture

An example of acupuncture practice
In western medicine, vascular headaches (the kind that are accompanied by throbbing veins in the temples) are typically treated with analgesics such as aspirin and/or by the use of agents such as niacin that dilate the affected blood vessels in the scalp, but in acupuncture a common treatment for such headaches is to stimulate the sensitive points that are located roughly in the center of the webs between the thumbs and the palms of the patient, the gǔ hé points. The theory of acupuncture states that these points are associated with the digestive system (the large intestine), and that one is acting to relax some kind of hyperactive state in the gastro-intestinal system. Three kinds of sensation are associated with this treatment, sensations that are stronger than those that would be felt by a patient not suffering from a vascular headache: (1) Extreme sensitivity to pain at the points in the webs of the thumbs. (2) In bad headaches, a feeling of nausea that persists for roughly the same period as the stimulation being administered to the webs of the thumbs. (3) Simultaneous relief of the headache. (See Zhen Jiu Xue, p. 177f et passim.)

Benefits (proven and purported)

Although accepted as a medical treatment in Asia for millennia, acupuncture's arrival in the West has sparked much controversy. Acupuncture has eluded scientific explanation to some degree. However, in 1997, the NIH issued a consensus statement on acupuncture that concluded that The NIH statement noted that and added that The NIH consensus statement noted that However, In 1999, clinical researchers reported that inserting the fine needles into specific body points triggers the production of endorphins [http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s27924.htm].

Potential risks

Acupuncture is an invasive technique, and therefore not without risk. Hematoma may result from accidental puncture of any circulatory structure. Nerve injury can result from the accidental puncture of any nerve. Brain damage or stroke is possible with very deep needling at the base of skull. Also rare but possible is pneumothorax from deep needling into the lung, and kidney damage from deep needling in the low back. Needling over an occult sternal foramen (an undetectable hole in the breastbone which can occur in up to 10% of people) may result in a potentially fatal haemopericardium. There are clear warnings in responsible texts on acupuncture regarding both the depth to which needles may be inserted, and with regard to the angle at which needles may be inserted. Both these instructions are clearly intended to prevent acupuncture needles from penetrating the lungs, the abdominal cavity, etc.

Needles that are not properly sterilized can transfer diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. In the United Kingdom, British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) members observe the Code of Safe Practice which lays down stringent standards of hygiene and sterilisation for other equipment - members use single-use pre-sterilised disposable needles, which are permanently withdrawn from service after being used in treatment. Similar standards apply in most jurisdictions in the United States. Sometimes, when treating pain or using acupuncture as an anesthetic, a mild electrical current is applied to the needles. This stimulates the nerve cells in the area of the needles so that they become depleted of the chemicals needed to transmit signals (please note this is not an acupuncture effect!). Prolonged stimulation of nerve cells in this way can cause irreversible damage.

Severe injury from acupuncture is extremely rare, but not unheard of. Well-trained, licensed and experienced acupuncturists are less likely to injure a patient. However, in many countries anyone can call himself an acupuncturist, there are no legal requirements with regard to training and education, nor are licensing boards regulated in any way, making it very hard to assess the actual value of licenses and training of acupuncturists. The NIH consensus panel made the following statement about the risks associated with acupuncture: “Adverse side effects of acupuncture are extremely low and often lower than conventional treatments. In a UK study of almost 2000 practitioners covering over 34,000 treatments, there were no serious adverse events and only 43 minor adverse events [http://www.medical-acupuncture.co.uk/journal/2001(2)/093.shtml].

In the USA the [http://www.nccaom.org/aboutus.htm National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine] tests practitioners to ensure they are knowledgeable about Chinese medicine. Many states require this test for licensing, but each state has its own laws and requirements.

Most acupuncturists in the USA use sterile one-time-use needles. Some still use reusable needles and an autoclave but this practice is declining due to its cost, time and the possibility of failure in sterilizing the needles.

Controversy as to effectiveness
A private watchdog group, the National Council Against Health Fraud has stated:

Acupuncture is an unproven modality of treatment. Its theory and practice are based on primitive and fanciful concepts of health and disease that bear no relationship to present scientific knowledge. Research during the past 20 years has not demonstrated that acupuncture is effective against any disease. Perceived effects of acupuncture are probably due to a combination of expectation, suggestion, counter-irritation, conditioning, the regressive fallacy and other psychological mechanisms. The use of acupuncture should be restricted to appropriate research settings. Insurance companies should not be required by law to cover acupuncture treatment. Licensure of lay acupuncturists should be phased out. Consumers who wish to try acupuncture should discuss their situation with a knowledgeable physician who has no commercial interest. Reference: Sampson W and others. Acupuncture: The position paper of the National Council Against Health Fraud. Clinical Journal of Pain 7:162-166, 1991.

A Consensus Development Conference held in 1997, sponsored among others by the National Institutes of Health stated: In short, the treatment and diagnosis of acupuncturists are not based on concepts that blend well with those used by contemporary Western medical science.

Three Dutch epidemiologists have analyzed 51 controlled studies of acupuncture, in which acupuncture was used to treat chronic pain. Their conclusion was that Reports of acupuncture used to treat various addictions (heroin, cigarettes, alcohol) were also analyzed. The conclusion was that References: Ter Riet G, Kleijnen J, Knipschild P.: ‘Acupuncture and chronic pain: A criteria-based meta-analysis. Clinical Epidemiology 43:1191-1199, 1990’ and (from the same authors) ‘A meta-analysis of studies into the effect of acupuncture on addiction. British Journal of General Practice 40:379-382, 1990.’

The University of Heidelberg has developed a “fake needle� to use as placebo-needle. It is a needle with a blunt tip that can slide into the handle, giving the illusion that it penetrates the skin. In tests, volunteers did not notice that the needle did not actually penetrate their skin (Reference: Streitberger K, Kleinhenz J. Introducing a placebo needle into acupuncture research. Lancet 352:364-365, 1998). They used this needle in 2004 in a study of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in women who underwent breast or gynecologic surgery. The group consisted of 220 women. Acupuncture was applied on the acupuncture point “Pericardium 6 (P6),� which is on the inside of the forearm. Part of the group was treated with real needles, the other part (the control group) with the fake needles. They reported: 'We could not prove our hypothesis that acupuncture is more effective than placebo acupuncture in the prevention of PONV.' (or to put it more plainly) 'There was almost no difference in the occurrence of PONV between acupuncture (38.7%) and placebo (40.3%) in the subgroup of patients having breast surgery. ' (Reference: Streitberger K and others: Acupuncture compared to placebo-acupuncture for postoperative nausea and vomiting prophylaxis: A randomised placebo-controlled patient and observer blind trial. Anesthesia 59:142-149, 2004.)

What is less often remarked upon is that the Heidelberg study above went on to comment: They noted that previous studies found that acupuncture worked particularly well on gynaecological surgery. They also pointed out that but that, again, this result had to be viewed with caution as A more recent 2004 meta-analysis of the effects the same (P6) acupoint on Post-Operative Nausea and Vomiting (PONV) stated that (Allocation concealment prevents researchers from (unconsciously or otherwise) influencing which participants are assigned to a given intervention group.) The reviewers concluded: Of course, this meta-analysis has been criticised for the lack of allocation concealment in any of the trials.

[http://www.cochrane.org//cochrane/revabstr/ab003281.htm Cochrane Library meta-analysis of the effect of the P6 acupuncture point on PONV]

In a recent study it was discovered that genuine acupuncture needles created objective changes in brain states as measured by positron emission tomography (PET), as opposed to the use of sham needles, especially in brain areas related to pain reduction. But random placement of the needles (placebo acupuncture) also had that effect. The authors of the study state: 'These results suggest that real acupuncture has a specific physiological effect'

[http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WNP-4FKYDTN-8&_coverDate=05%2F01%2F2005&_alid=273774200&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_qd=1&_cdi=6968&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=0d443c9beb46ba9cb530d4d0e7017d45 Expectancy and belief modulate the neuronal substrates of pain treated by acupuncture, NeuroImage, 25, 4]

According to the NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture: [http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/ NCCAM research summaries on acupuncture] Another Cochrane meta-analysis probably sums up the status quo best: [http://www.cochrane.org//cochrane/revabstr/ab001218.htm Cochrane review of acupuncture for idiopathic headache].

The British Medical Journal reports ( DOI: 10.1136/bmj.38512.405440.8F ) that in a study of 270 tension headache sufferers in Munich, needles inserted at random points on the body were just as effective as needles inserted at traditional acupuncture points. This would suggest that any observed effect is due to the body's response to the needles, rather than the interaction with the claimed "energy flows".

[http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/bmj.38512.405440.8Fv1?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=acupuncture&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1123587816643_4798&stored_search=&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=1 BMJ Abstract]

Proponents continue to claim that the scientific jury is still out on the effectiveness of acupuncture, with existing evidence slightly favouring the proposition that it can be effective in some cases for some conditions. However, almost all the research on the effectiveness of acupuncture is of poor quality and can be criticised on various grounds. The validity of acupuncture is discounted by a great majority of the mainstream medical and scientific community and much more research (of a much higher quality) would need to be done before the effectiveness of acupuncture could be accepted within the medical community.

See: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/