Types of Acupuncture
Many people picture acupuncture as someone sticking hundreds of needles into a person to treat unknown ailments and the picture goes no further. It really isn’t like that. Acupuncture is a part of the teachings of Chinese traditional medicine, also called TCM, and is a popular treatment in the realm of alternative medicine. But it is by no means as simple as someone sticking a bunch of needles into the patient nor is it only about inserting needles. There are several treatments that are part of what acupuncture is all about.
The basic and most well known method of acupuncture is the inserting of needles under the skin to heal or to relieve pain. But there is more to this basic method as well. What is done with the needles makes a big difference. The methods used involve thrusting, twirling, rotation, scarping, and trembling. Both scarping and trembling being methods of using vibrations to intensify the treatments. The method used to treat the individual patient depends completely on the reason they have gone to see the acupuncturist, the symptoms they are suffering from, the length of time the problem has been untreated or unsuccessfully treated and how the individual themselves respond to their treatments.
Other types of acupuncture include electro-acupuncture which is a method by which a mild current, so small it is measured in microamperes, pass through the needles. This is used for pain relief. Then there is ear acupuncture, also called ear stapling or auriculotherapy. This ear stapling procedure is relatively new and is usually used to assist with weight loss. But when lasers or sounds waves are added to ear acupuncture it can also be used to treat a variety of additions including drugs and alcohol. As well, the ear does have many acupuncture points and so in general is much used in acupuncture therapy.
Moxibustion is a type of acupuncture therapy that uses heat. This is usually used as part of regular acupuncture treatments especially for lung conditions like bronchitis or asthma. The heat also works well for certain types of arthritis. Cupping is another method of using the acupuncture points. Suction is applied to the point and this causes more blood to settle at the point. It is believed that this helps to stimulate the spot and so improve the blood flow. It is also used to remove the access fluid from lungs that are congested. The method of cupping can also be used for sprains, soft tissue injuries or backaches when the pain is in the lower back.
The final method that can accompany acupuncture treatments is called acupressure. It is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Instead of using needles pressure is put on the acupuncture points by using either fingers, steel balls, or something that can roll on the points. Some people put reflexology in here as it is a method of putting pressure on certain points of the foot to help improve illness a person may be suffering from. It is also called zone therapy.
