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ACUPUNCTURE AS AN ALTERNATIVE MEDICINAL TREATMENT

I.

Introduction Acupuncture is one of the most widely recognized and successful methods of alternative treatment in the world. Its effectiveness in treating a wide variety of disorders has been clinically proven by many distinguished researchers. Not only is it safe, but it does not cause any of the toxic side effects associated with traditional medicines. Acupuncture is expensive but it can treat certain illnesses, it has psychological and biological benefits and it has no serious side effects, that is why acupuncture should promoted as an alternative medicinal treatment.

II.

Background The WHO (World Health Organization) has reported that acupuncture is an effective treatment for therapeutic purposes. According to traditional

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Chinese medicine (TCM), the main idea behind acupuncture is to restore and maintain health by working on vital energy (Qi) points of the body. It is widely used by acupuncturists, dentists, physicians and other health practitioners for relieving pain and several other health related problems. Let's see the advantages of acupuncture. One of the most important advantages of acupuncture is that there are no side effects, if carried out by a registered and well-trained practitioner. The NIH (National Institutes of Health) has reported that acupuncture has lower adverse effects compared to the prescribed medications and other medical procedures followed for treatment of the similar conditions. Acupuncture can be performed in any age group such as children, adults and elderly persons. Usually it does not hurt and is done without disturbing other treatments and medications. Even people who have a compromised immune system can benefit from acupuncture treatment (Sandhyarani 2011, para. 2).

III.

Body Acupuncture was known to be expensive. Acupuncture generally ranges from 30 - 200 dollars, although some doctors charge little less or more. Follow up appointments range from 15 175 dollars per visit. Wellness clinic offer lower fees while professional medical doctors charge higher fees.

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Acupuncture can be used to treat post-operative, chemotherapy induced nausea, neurological dysfunction, gynecological and obstetric conditions, asthma and substance abuse. Christensen and associates concluded that acupuncture is more effective in managing postoperative pain than medication alone. Studies of oral surgery by Sung and leagues and Lao and associates found that acupuncture significantly reduced pain during the postsurgical period. A perplexing study by Ekhblom and associates found acupuncture administered to participants before or after surgery resulted in more pain and dry socket problems than the number that occurred for a control group receiving lidocaine analgesia(Freeman, 2009, p.229) Dundee and associates demonstrated acupuncture to e significantly more effective for reducing chemotherapy- induced nausea than sham acupuncture or no treatment. Aglietti and colleagues found acupuncture combined with antiemetic drug treatment more effective than antiemetic drugs alone. A study by Dundee and Yang, in which acupressure was repeatedly applied after the initial acupuncture treatment, found that the antiemetic effect of acupuncture was prolonged (Freeman, 2009, p.329) Several studies found that neurological impairment in stroke victims occurred more rapidly and that patients improved more with acupuncture than with sham acupuncture or traditional treatment alone. A study by Frost found acupuncture more beneficial than no treatment in posttraumatic comatose patients (Freeman, 2006, p.330)

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In a study of helms, acupuncture was demonstrated significantly more effective in relieving pain of primary dysmenorrheal (i.e. uterine cramps during menstrual period) as compared with sham acupuncture or no treatment. In a study by Gerhard and Postneck, auricular (ear) acupuncture was compared with hormone therapy. Approximately the dsame number of pregnancies was achieved with both treatment, but the hormone patients had fewer menstrual irregularities than acupuncture subjects(Freeman, 2006, p.330). Acupuncture has been evaluated for its efficacy in treating asthma. Studies by Berger and Fung and colleagues reported acupuncture superior to sham acupuncture for relieving acute symptoms of dyspnea . A large study that by Alexandrova and colleagues found that acupuncture reduced nonspecific bronchial hyperactivity (Freeman, 2006, p.334) A neurosurgeon in Hong Kong was using acupuncture for surgical analgesia. Patient begun reporting for craving for opium, heroin, morphine, nicotine, or alcohol declined after they received their preoperative acupuncture treatments. Since the time, acupuncture as treatment for substance abuse has received considerable attention from the reaseach and medical communities. Needles positioned in the auricle of the ear are typically used for detoxification of substance abuse for the patients and to lowering the craving for abusive substances. Randomized, placebo-controlled studies by Bulloack and colleagues demonstrated the efficacy of acupuncture for treating severe alcoholism (Freeman, 2006, p.334)

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Based on the information gathered all throughout our research about acupuncture we have known that acupuncture, indeed, is an effective treatment for post-operative, chemotherapy-induced nausea, neurological dysfunction, gynecologic and obstetric conditions, and substance abuse patients. So patients that are not able to bear the painful procedures to treat their condition can take this alternative treatment because it is known to be less painful compared to other treatment or procedures that treat those kinds of condition. Acupuncture has other benefits aside from treating certain illnesses. Acupuncture enhances performance by cleansing the body organs: Acupuncture can also cleanse the body organs, which may hold unnecessary toxins, tension and stress. Qi, live-giving energy that flows to every cell, tissue, muscle, and organ in your body through 14 main meridian pathways, can become stagnated. Acupuncture can attract or repel this energy, reestablishing a balanced flow of energy throughout the whole body. Most Oriental Medicine practitioners do include the use of natural herbs during treatment, though they are not the synthetic medicines or steroids that have led to so many controversies. Natural herbs are used in conjunction with acupuncture, and can provide the body with important nutrients which can help improve energy levels and support the overall immune system (Rivera, 2009, para.4). Acupuncture can improve health and quality of Life. This is achieved because acupuncture balances the bodys energy systems. Our life styles, thought patterns and diets create imbalance in the body. Acupuncture helps to

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balance these energy systems through acupuncture points. These points are gateways to the bodys energy flow. They help to take the load off of excess and redirect that Qi (loosely translated as energy) to the areas in your body that are deficient (Peterson, 2010, para.1) Acupuncture can create Emotional Balance. Achieving emotional balance can be both the primary focus of acupuncture treatment and is also a positive side effect when you use acupuncture for other reasons. Depression, anxiety, frustration, and worry are a few emotional imbalances treated. Acupuncture points have a physical and emotional aspect to their function and most times both of those aspects are accessed during the acupuncture treatment. (Peterson, 2010, para. 5) It is evident that acupuncture has effects that not only can treat disease it can also prevent individuals from acquiring such conditions by cleansing the organs from toxins, tension or stress. Acupuncture, indeed, is a very good treatment to relieve anxiety and emotional imbalances that may lead to disease. Also with acupuncture it balances the bodys energy system that may be the product to improve the quality of life. Acupuncture has no serious side effects. I had severe back pain which was radiating to my right leg. After consulting number of doctors for the same I decided to go for acupuncture treatment.Fortunately I found Dr. Raju's contact number from internet and consulted him for the acupuncture benefits and also if it had any side effects. Dr.

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Raju gave me three acupuncture sittings for curing my back pain and also gave me homeopathic medicine. The pain subsided completely in the third sitting and did not come back till date. Above all I did not feel any side effects from the treatment (except that my office doctor advised me not to donate blood till 6 months from the last sitting).After feeling relieved from the pain I again consulted Dr. Raju for Vertigo treatment for my mother. My mother had a long history of vertigo attacks which became frequent during 2009. Dr. Raju gave one sitting of acupuncture along with homeopathic medicine to my mother. My mother got relieved completely from her vertigo attacks in just one sitting. I have no hesitation in recommending acupuncture treatment which I have found to be very safe and without any side effects (Atul, 2007, para.1). Why I Chose Acupuncture Therapy. I had been thinking about it for a while after researching information, and finally tried acupuncture in the spring of 2009. I made more progress (in several areas) in 90 days of acupuncture (with ZERO side effects) than more than six months of taking prescription medicines that had horrible side effects (Renne, 2009, para.1).

Acupuncture has relatively few, if any, side effects. The most common side effect from acupuncture is a feeling of deep relaxation and an increased sense of well-being. As with any puncture, a slight discoloration at the acupuncture site may occasionally occur. This is temporary and not dangerous. One published report documents the safety of acupuncture even when performed on people receiving the anticoagulant warfarin (Sciammarella, 2009, p.6)

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Many researchers have conducted trials regarding the side effects of acupuncture and as a result of their study they have known that it has no side effects that can jeopardize the health of the patient. Also, patients who have undergone acupuncture that was interviewed by researchers stated that there was no manifestation of any side effect after the treatment. IV Conclusion Acupuncture is one of the most widely recognized and successful methods of alternative treatment in the world. The WHO (World Health Organization) has reported that acupuncture is an effective treatment for

therapeutic purposes. Acupuncture was known to be expensive; it generally ranges from 30 - 200 dollars. Acupuncture can be used to treat post-operative, chemotherapy induced nausea, neurological dysfunction, gynecological and obstetric conditions, asthma and substance abuse as validated by researchers. Acupuncture has other benefits aside from treating certain illnesses such as enhancing performance by cleansing the body organs, improves health and quality of life and creates Emotional Balance. Acupuncture has no serious side effects as testified and verified by those who have undergone acupuncture. Acupuncture may look expensive but it is worth spending because it can treat certain illnesses, gives benefits and it has no serious side effects, that is why acupuncture should promoted as an alternative medicinal treatment.

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REFERNCE: Freeman, L. (2009), US: Mosby and Elsivier Inc. Mosbys Complementary and Alternative Medicine: A Research Based Approach, (Third Edition) Sandhyarani, N. (2011, September 26) Advantage and Disadvantage of Acupuncture http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-ofacupuncture.html

Atul, (2007) My mother got relieved completely from her vertigo attacks in just one sitting http://www.acupunctureonline.org/testimonials.php

Renee, (2009) Zero Side Effects - Acupuncture Testimonial http://healing.about.com/u/sty/acupuncture/acupuncture-testimonials/Zero-SideEffects.htm Sciammarella, J. (2009) Medical Acupuncture http://www.emedicinehealth.com/medical_acupuncture/page6_em.htm#Side Effects Rivera, H. (2009) Benefits of Acupuncture Treatments for Bodybuilding and Other Athletes http://bodybuilding.about.com/od/injurypreventiontreatment/a/Acupuncture.htm Peterson, P. (2010) The Ten Benefits of Acupuncture http://www.intenseexperiences.com/ten-benefits-of-acupuncture.html