preview

Is Acupuncture Really Effective? Essay

Good Essays

Acupuncture is the science of healing with needles through energy channels; it has a rich history and is now used around the world. The real question is, is acupuncture effective? How can we simply prove that sticking needles into a person’s body is actually taking away their pain or disease? How do we go from believing completely in Western Medicine to believing in Eastern Medicine? Although acupuncture is an Eastern form of healing, it has gained much credibility and respect in the West.
The origin of acupuncture is uncertain. Some believe that it had brought wellness to people as early as 1600 BC, during the Shang Dynasty (Academy of Classical Oriental Sciences). The story is told, a soldier in China had complained of severe pain in …show more content…

In acupuncture there is no such thing as “prescription”. You are given a treatment by having an acupuncturist place needles in certain meridian points over your entire body. It is believed that there are twelve principle meridians within the body, containing almost 400 acupuncture points (Acupuncture Becoming More Mainstream In Western Medicine). Meridians are energy pathways in which the Chinese believe the most Qi is located. Qi maintains the dynamic balance of yin and yang. Yin represents cool and cold energies. Yang, Pereira 3 the polar opposite, represents warm and hot energies. The needles which are used to provide treatment are very tiny and are one time use only. Each needle comes in a sterile package ready for use. Acupuncture is believed to create energy balances and to remove negative blockages from the body. These negative blockages are what create diseases.
There are over 34 ailments for which acupuncture is considered a complementary therapy. These ailments range from anxiety to muscle spasms to severe hypothermia and even infertility. Complementary therapy is also known as alternative medicine. Alternative medicine is a type of medical practice which differs from mainstream Western Medicine.
Acupuncture has been known to be effective against various types of infertility imbalances. Anovulation is a condition in which the

Get Access