The Effectiveness and Practice of Acupuncture in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that has unique effects in treating many diseases, including facial paralysis. It is important to have a proper understanding of acupuncture and not to blindly trust its effectiveness like secret formulas. However, acupuncture is indeed a result of extensive clinical experience and can be effective if practiced correctly. Tiandasanxu for treating headaches Acupoints: Tiandao and Dazhui, plus Ashi points. Needle: Hooked needle. Indications: Severe headaches that do not respond to conventional treatment. Procedure: Use the hooked needle to stimulate Tiandao and Dazhui acupoints. After inserting the needle into the acupoints, press inward 3-5 times before pulling the needle outward to break muscle fibers. For Ashi points, locate the tender spots on the patient's hand, and apart from pressing and cutting with the hooked needle, you can also use the needle tip to prick a few times to release blood stasis, which enhances the therapeutic effect. The head should be clear and calm, but sometimes external factors disrupt the tranquility. By stimulating Tiandao and Dazhui acupoints with a hooked needle, the disease-causing factors can be directly eliminated. Headaches are a common symptom that encompasses a wide range of conditions. While differentiating the meridians is important, severe pain requires immediate relief. By stimulating Tiandao, Dazhui, and Ashi points, the pain can be alleviated almost instantly. Applying pressure to Zhiyang for stomach pain relief A leader from the Grain Bureau once shared a method to treat stomach pain. When the patient lies down, locate the Zhiyang acupoint, which is at the intersection of the line connecting the lower angle of the scapula on both sides and the spine. Apply pressure with the thumbs overlapping and pressing downward until the patient feels heat in the stomach. This method has been proven effective and widely used. Using toothpick tapping on Neiyin and Yingxiang for treating facial paralysis There is a famous old Chinese medicine practitioner in Shuozhou who is skilled in using toothpick tapping on Neiyin and Yingxiang acupoints to treat facial paralysis. I learned this method in 1991 and have had success with it, especially for patients who cannot inflate their cheeks, as the air leakage stops immediately after the treatment. According to the meridian and acupoint theory, the Yangming Large Intestine meridian passes through Renzhong. Yingxiang is the acupoint immediately behind it and is the meeting point of the Yangming meridians of the hands and feet. It is an important acupoint for treating facial distortion. Neiyin and Yingxiang are separated by one nostril, but their meridian and Qi are interconnected. Therefore, this method can effectively treat facial paralysis. From a Western medicine perspective, stimulating the nasal mucosa can reflexively affect the facial nerve, glossopharyngeal nerve, hypoglossal nerve, vagus nerve, and other nerve nuclei that are intricately connected. For example, nasal reflex therapy can regulate gastric secretion and motor function, and treat gastric diseases. As long as the clinical efficacy is good, there will eventually be a satisfactory explanation. Using toothpick tapping on Neiyin and Yingxiang for treating facial paralysis Calf muscle cramps, or gastrocnemius spasms, are often triggered by cold stimuli and excessive exertion. They are usually caused by lumbar or lower limb pathologies that hinder blood circulation in the calf, leading to reduced blood supply and the accumulation of metabolic waste. When the concentration of waste reaches a certain level, it stimulates muscle contraction and causes painful cramps. At the same time, reduced blood supply results in local tissue ischemia and hypoxia, leading to physiological and biochemical dysfunction, which can also cause pain and cramps. Traditional Chinese medicine attributes this to cold congealing and blood stasis, and the treatment involves warming Yang or promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, thereby dispelling the cold and ensuring smooth Qi and flexible tendons. Mr. Song Kuiyi, a famous acupuncturist, is skilled in using bloodletting at Xuewei to treat this condition. He would break a porcelain plate or bowl and pick up a sharp piece of it from the ground. With the patient standing on one leg on the affected side and a band tied around the knee, he would quickly prick the popliteal vein with the sharp edge. Dark blood would automatically shoot out, and once the color of the blood changes from dark to normal, compression can be applied to stop the bleeding or let it stop on its own. Mr. Song claimed that one treatment would cure the condition permanently. We have also achieved good results using this method in the hospital by using sharp needles for bloodletting. Chinese medicine is a philosophy that inherits and accumulates knowledge through experience. Therefore, acupuncture is not the invention of a specific individual at a specific time but a result of the accumulated experience of our ancestors in their daily lives.