As the saying goes, “One needle, two moxibustions, three medications”; “Acupuncture and cupping can alleviate half of the illness.” Many have heard of the legendary physician Bian Que using acupuncture to revive Prince Guo, and the miraculous doctor Hua Tuo treating Cao Cao’s “head wind” with acupuncture. Both proverbs and historical stories illustrate the significant therapeutic role of acupuncture. Today, I will discuss the diseases that acupuncture can treat and the precautions before and after acupuncture.
Acupuncture is a method that uses needles and moxibustion to stimulate specific acupuncture points on the body, activating the body’s disease resistance, enhancing immune function, and promoting self-repair capabilities, thereby achieving the goals of treating diseases and maintaining health.
Acupuncture treats a wide range of diseases, commonly including various pain-related conditions such as headaches, neck, shoulder, waist, and leg pain, as well as neurological disorders like insomnia, dizziness, and tinnitus, along with other conditions such as digestive system diseases and gynecological disorders.
The Effects and Functions of Acupuncture
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01
Unblocking Meridians
Acupuncture can make the blocked meridians in our body become unobstructed. In TCM theory, meridians primarily function to circulate blood and qi (vital energy). If the meridians are blocked, the circulation of blood and qi will be hindered, manifesting externally as joint pain, numbness in the limbs, and other symptoms. After appropriate acupuncture treatment, the meridians can become unobstructed, allowing blood and qi to flow normally, gradually restoring the body to health.
02
Balancing Yin and Yang
The role of acupuncture in balancing yin and yang is to transform the body from a state of imbalance to a balanced state, which is the ultimate goal of acupuncture treatment. The mechanisms of disease occurrence are complex, but can generally be summarized as an imbalance of yin and yang. The balancing effect of acupuncture is achieved through the yin and yang properties of the meridians, the combination of acupuncture points, and the techniques of needling.
03
Supporting the Right Qi and Expelling Evil Qi
Within the human body, there are both yin and yang energies, with yang representing the right qi and yin representing the evil qi. When a person’s yin qi is excessive, it can lead to a pathological state. The role of acupuncture in the body is to help the yang qi combat the yin qi, aiming to reduce yin qi and increase yang qi, achieving a balance of yin and yang, allowing the body to gradually recover from illness.
04
Nourishing the Spleen and Stomach
The “postnatal foundation” refers to the spleen and stomach. The energy supply of the body depends entirely on the digestive function. The spleen prefers dryness and dislikes dampness; dampness can easily obstruct the spleen, affecting our digestive function. Nourishing the spleen and stomach in summer can strengthen the spleen and eliminate dampness, helping us avoid issues like abdominal bloating, pain, and diarrhea.
05
Assisting Yang and Dispelling Cold
In dry seasons, in addition to the high incidence of respiratory diseases, another category of diseases that should not be underestimated is yang deficiency syndrome and pain in the neck, shoulders, waist, and legs. Similar to respiratory diseases, during the winter when cold is prevalent, people can suffer from diseases caused by cold evil. These cannot be fundamentally eliminated in winter; only in the summer, when the body’s yang qi is abundant, can we better dispel the cold evil within. Acupuncture during the summer solstice is an effective method to stimulate the body’s qi and prevent and treat diseases.
How Long Does Acupuncture Take?
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Generally speaking, for mild conditions, acupuncture can be done once a day; if time does not permit, it can be done every two or three days. Research shows that the effects of acupuncture can last up to 72 hours after a session. For recovery during the post-illness period, it can be done twice a week or even once a week; for severe conditions, it may require several sessions a day.
Precautions for Acupuncture
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1. Those who are excessively hungry or fatigued should use caution.
2. Acupuncture should be performed after resting and eating; otherwise, it may lead to fainting. Symptoms of fainting include sudden fatigue, dizziness, palpitations, shortness of breath, nausea, pale complexion, and cold sweat. If any of these occur, inform the physician for appropriate handling. Generally, patients recover to normal after resting in a supine position.
3. Patients should assume a comfortable and natural position during acupuncture; otherwise, they may become fatigued during the needle retention period. During this time, the limbs should not move to avoid adverse outcomes such as needle breakage or displacement injuring tissues. Some patients may experience slight discomfort at the acupuncture site, which usually disappears within a few hours.
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