Acupuncture is a traditional therapeutic method in Chinese medicine, which aims to promote the circulation of meridians and prevent and treat diseases through needle insertion and moxibustion. The methods and precautions of acupuncture treatment will be discussed below.
Methods of Acupuncture Treatment
1. Treatment of Respiratory Diseases
By finding the sensitive points or acupoints of the body and using acupuncture to stimulate them, the local microenvironment can be improved, and respiratory diseases such as colds and sinusitis can be relieved.
2. Treatment of Oral Diseases
In clinical practice, if a patient has multiple oral diseases such as pharyngitis, tonsillitis, toothache, and gingivitis, the quick needling technique in acupuncture can be used, which only takes one or two minutes to complete the treatment.
For patients with oral ulcers caused by excessive stomach heat in traditional Chinese medicine, acupoints such as Dicang, Cheek Car, and Neiting on the stomach meridian can be needled to relieve stomach heat.
3. Treatment of Some Ophthalmic Diseases
Through acupuncture treatment in traditional Chinese medicine, meridians can be unblocked and organ functions can be regulated, which can prevent and treat eye diseases such as conjunctivitis and cataracts.
For example, ear pressure is one of the methods of acupuncture treatment for eye diseases. Seeds are buried in relevant acupoints in the ears, allowing the acupoints to receive continuous beneficial stimulation, thereby facilitating the healing of eye diseases.
4. Treatment of Gastrointestinal Diseases
Acupuncture can regulate gastrointestinal function, promote gastrointestinal motility, and increase blood flow to the gastric mucosa, which helps in the healing of ulcers. Therefore, acupuncture can treat many diseases of the digestive system.
5. Treatment of Nervous, Muscular, and Skeletal Diseases
Acupuncture can enhance immune function through neural and humoral regulation, and produce analgesic effects. Acupuncture can also reduce vascular permeability in inflammatory lesions and inhibit the exudation of inflammatory substances, thus achieving therapeutic effects.
Precautions for Acupuncture
1. Pre-sterilization
In many acupuncture clinics, the acupuncturists usually do not disinfect with alcohol before acupuncture, which is unhygienic. Therefore, when we need acupuncture treatment, we should request the acupuncturist to sterilize the needles with alcohol flame first.
2. Avoid Air Conditioning
Although acupuncture can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, if we have the air conditioning on during acupuncture, it can easily cause stroke. Therefore, during acupuncture, we should ensure that there is no wind around.
3. Avoid Movement
Acupuncture requires accuracy and speed. However, many people tend to move or squirm slightly due to slight pain during acupuncture, which can lead to improper needle insertion or even minor bleeding.
4. Maintain a Calm State of Mind
Do not wear makeup, scrape the tongue coating, or spray perfume during acupuncture. Ensure a pleasant and relaxed state of mind. If feeling agitated, sit quietly and calm down. Consider whether to proceed with acupuncture on the same day or reschedule for another day.
5. Maintain Cleanliness
Do not take a bath on the day of acupuncture, avoid exposure to cold wind, ensure sufficient rest, and prevent the acupuncture site from coming into contact with pollutants to avoid infection.
