Affects of Acupuncture
...nyon and & Lewis, 1996). The oldest known book on acupuncture, Huang Di Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine) was recorded by Huang Di and constitutes the basis of traditional Chinese medicine (Lewith et al., 1996). As acupuncture developed, needles of bone and bamboo began to be widely used. Many classic Chinese textbooks were written on the subject. The Chinese had used acupuncture for several centuries before knowledge of it permeated through to the outside world. The Koreans were the first to learn of it about 600 AD and soon afterwards Chinese and Korean Buddhist Missionaries introduced it to Japan (Lewith et al., 1996). It was not until the seventeenth-century that the Western world first learned of acupuncture, from Jesuit missionaries, who also brought Western medical practice to China. In Europe, acupuncture came to be widely practiced by the medical profession during the first half of the nineteenth century, and good results were reported in treatment of pain and rheumatism. Currently, alternative medicines such as acupuncture appear to have become highly popular in societies other than that of their origin. While most industrialized societies continue to rely on modern medicine practices such as professional doctors, prescription drugs and hospitals, it is important to explore the options that alternative medicines may provide. Numerous studies and detailed research has been collected and reviewed regarding acupuncture and the effects it has on individuals. Acupuncture is most commonly used for anesthesia, but can also be used for various other medical ailments mainly chi disturbances. A chi disturbance in a patient can be caused by external factors such as coldness an emotional influence such as excessive anger or an organ imbalance (Marti, 1998). Acupuncture has also been recently considered as an effective means of treating addictions. A study regarding acupuncture was conducted to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture for treating addictions. In 1993, Dr. Jeffrey Holder conducted the study at Exodus, a residential treatment for addictions based in Miami, Florida. According to Dr. Jeffrey Holder every addiction corresponds to a different set of ear acupoints. All drugs that are addictive, have a receptor site mechanism located in the ear. The study was conducted on a wide range of patients that were all residing at the rehab facility; the patients were both male and female and were of all ages. Licensed acupuncturists used acupuncture to treat the addictions by satisfying the needs of that receptor that corresponded with their specific addiction by supplying and directing the endorphins or enkephalins (Marti, 1998). This method of acupuncture is termed auriculotheraphy. According to Holder’s research, the use of auriculotherapy had a success rate of over eighty percent, curing addictions to nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, heroin, and other mood-altering substances. Acupuncture concentrates on five major organ systems: the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys. In order to restore a patient’s health whether it is physical or mental, an acupuncturist uses tiny needles as antennae to direct chi to organs or functions of the body. Acupuncture has been applied to patients for varying health problems. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 104 different health conditions have been treated by acupuncture (Marti, 1998). Studies by universities and health organizations have examined the effectiveness of acupuncture. The results of these studies are favorable. According to research conducted by the University Of Florida College Of Medicine and the R.J. Beebe, T.W. Andersen, and H.M. Perkins Veterans Administration Hospital, acupuncture is an effective method to treat chronic pain. The study was conducted at the Veterans hospital in 1973. The study was designed to determine whether or not acupuncture was an effective method to ease chronic pain. The study included eighteen male veterans who were suffering from different types of chronic pain such as low back pain, Herpes Zoster, Anesthesia Dolorosa, Causalgia, and Osteoarthritis (Jenerick, 1973). A resident physician that had no prior experience or special knowledge of acupuncture conducted the acupuncture sessions. Four 27-gram disposable needles were inserted randomly in the patients and left in place for 30 minutes. During the 30 minutes that the needles were in place, the physician stayed with the patient, occ...