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Key Terms Regarding Acupuncture

• Meridian: In traditional Chinese medicine, a channel or pathway through the body along which qi flows. Practitioners use acupuncture points to reach the meridians and affect the flow of qi.
• Qi: In traditional Chinese medicine, the vital energy or life force proposed to regulate a person’s spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health and to be influenced by the opposing forces of yin and yang.
• Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): An Eastern medical system that originated in China. It is based on the concept that disease results from disruption in the flow of qi and imbalance in the forces of yin and yang. Practices such as herbs, meditation, massage, and acupuncture seek to aid healing by restoring the yin-yang balance and the flow of qi.
• Yin and Yang: The concept of two opposing yet complementary forces described in traditional Chinese medicine. Yin represents cold, slow, or passive aspects of the person, while yang represents hot, excited, or active aspects. A major theory is that health is achieved through balancing yin and yang, and disease is caused by an imbalance leading to a blockage in the flow of qi.
• Five Element Theory: The Five Element theory is used to explain the cause of particular diseases, and to associate signs or symptoms with particular organs and afflictions. In the context of "phases," the Five Element theory helps to explain the processes that are occurring in the body throughout various stages of disease and healing. The Five elements are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. For more information, check out this link: http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/abc/fiveelementtheory.php

The Practice of Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been practiced in China and other Asian countries for thousands of years. Scientists are studying the efficacy of acupuncture for a wide range of conditions.

Few complications have been reported from the use of acupuncture. However, acupuncture can cause potentially serious side effects if not delivered properly by a qualified practitioner, due to its use of needles and energetic principles.

If practiced in the strict Buddhist tradition it can be risky for the Christian believer. There are Buddhist rituals practiced that are contrary to biblical principles, for example, dedication of needles in sacrificial worship to Buddha and other gods associated with Buddhism.

There are channels known as meridians. Fourteen of them are considered main channels "connecting the body in a web-like interconnecting matrix" of at least 2,000 acupuncture points.

Acupuncture in the United States

Acupuncture became better known in the United States in 1971, when New York Times reporter James Reston wrote about how doctors in China used needles to ease his pain after surgery.

American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries. Acupuncture use in the United States continues to grow, and ongoing research continues to validate its use in varied health conditions.

A report from a Consensus Development Conference on Acupuncture held at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1997 stated that acupuncture is being "widely" practiced—by thousands of physicians, dentists, acupuncturists, and other practitioners—for relief or prevention of pain and for various other health conditions.

According to the 2002 National Health Interview Survey—the largest and most comprehensive survey of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by American adults to date—an estimated 8.2 million U.S. adults had ever used acupuncture, and an estimated 2.1 million U.S. adults had used acupuncture in the previous year. A recent survey not concluded yet for 2009 estimates that 6 million adults will have used acupuncture as a form of treatment.

Check out this website for more information regarding traditional chinese medicine and acupuncture: http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/abc/.

To be continued.

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