Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a traditional East Asian medical practice used to treat and prevent disease. Sterile, stainless steel, filiform needles are inserted into the skin at various depths at the site of acupuncture points to promote and balance qi. Though made of metal, acupuncture needles are very fine and flexible.
After a needle has been inserted, the patient may feel slight achiness, diffuse soreness, heaviness or distension around the point. These sensations indicate “the arrival of Qi”. The function of acupuncture is to regulate the body’s systems by regulating Qi.
Acupuncture is most commonly used to treat the signs and symptoms of the following conditions :
Diseases, symptoms or conditions for which acupuncture has been proved – through controlled trials—to be an effective treatment:
Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)
Biliary colic
Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
Dysentery, acute bacillary
Dysmenorrhoea, primary
Epigastralgia, acute (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm)
Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
Headache
Hypertension, essential
Hypotension, primary
Induction of labour
Knee pain
Leukopenia
Low back pain
Malposition of fetus, correction of
Morning sickness
Nausea and vomiting
Neck pain
Pain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction)
Periarthritis of shoulder
Postoperative pain
Renal colic
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sciatica
Sprain
Stroke
Tennis elbow