சிங்கள் நீட்லே தெரபி அண்ட் ACCUPUNCTURE

Acupuncture is a treatment based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a system of healing that dates back thousands of years. At the core of TCM is the notion that a type of life force, or energy, known as qi (pronounced "chee") flows through energy pathways in the body called "meridians." Each meridian connects to one specific organ, or group of organs, that governs particular bodily functions. Qi maintains the dynamic balance of yin and yang, the complementary opposites that are reflected in all beings and throughout nature. When too little or too much qi exists in a meridian or when the qi stagnates or is blocked, illness results. By applying needles to certain points along the meridian lines, acupuncture restores equilibrium and health by correcting the flow of qi. Acupuncture points, or the specific locations where needles are inserted, are places where the energy pathway is close to the surface of the skin.

Acupuncture was formally recognized as part of mainstream medicine's range of healing options in 1997, when the National Institutes of Health issued a statement documenting its safety and efficacy for a range of health conditions.

There are two major approaches that may guide acupuncture practice: the eight principles (used particularly in TCM acupuncture), and the five-element theory. The eight principles are in fact four sets of complementary opposites:

yin/yang,
internal/external,
excess/deficiency,
and hot/cold

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The five-element theory of acupuncture holds that there are five elements in the universe-wood, fire, earth, water, and metal-and that these correspond to the internal organs and produce a specific sequence of circulating energy in the body. In parallel with these five elements, there are five internal organs regulating the human body. These five organs-liver, heart, spleen, lung, and kidney-correspond to more than a specific bodily part. The kidney, for example, represents not only the kidney itself, but the entire urinary system and the adrenal glands as well. The heart represents both the heart and the brain.

While there are over 70 identified meridians in the body, acupuncture treatment generally focuses on points that lie along the 12 principal meridians and 2 "extraordinary" ones. A practitioner may also needle "extra" points identified as a result of clinical experience or "ah shi" points that are identified by their tenderness to the touch. The 12 principal meridians are Lung, Large Intestine, Stomach, Spleen, Heart, Small Intestine, Urinary Bladder, Kidney, Pericardium, Gallbladder, Liver, and Triple Warmer. Points are identified by the abbreviation of a meridian and a number to indicate the point. For example, SP6 refers to point 6 along the Spleen meridian, while GB20 refers to point 20 on the Gall Bladder meridian. It is important to remember that the names of these meridians do not refer to the same meanings one might attach, for example, to gall bladder or liver in conventional Western medicine.

The type of needle used and the needling technique are also important. Needles may be inserted at particular angles, for example, they may be stimulated manually, electrically (electro-acupuncture), or with lasers; they may be manipulated and quickly removed, or left in place for up to 30 minutes. In certain acupuncture traditions, particularly some of those practiced in Japan, needles may not be actually inserted into the skin at all.