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How Does Acupuncture Work? |
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Different Styles of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Practiced in the
United States What can I expect during an acupuncture session? |
What procedures are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Acupuncture
The number of needles used depends on the condition and style of the practitioner. An ancient Chinese adage says that “one needle cures 100 diseases” but usually practitioners don’t abide by this saying!
Chinese Medical Massage This is called Tui Na. Tui Na utilizes techniques such as “rolling” and “grasping” to create a vibration over the affected tissue. Often, it is employed in areas that are difficult to needle, like knee pain caused by a tight iliotibial band. Tui Na is also used after an acupuncture treatment to promote blood flow.
Moxibustion
a. Needle moxa is a cylinder of moxa placed directly on the needle shaft. A protective barrier is put around the skin to ensure that ashes do not fall and damage the skin. The moxa heats up the needle thereby producing a warm sensation on that specific point.
b. Rice grain moxa is used in Japanese style acupuncture and consists of hand rolling small pieces of the herb to about the size of a rice grain, and burning it directly on the skin’s surface. As the burning end approaches the skin, the practitioner extinguishes it with his or her fingers.
c. Stick moxa is shaped like a long cylinder, about the length of a cigar, and is lit and held over the patient by the practitioner. Although some don’t like the strong smell and intense smokiness of this method, it is an effective and popular way to administer moxibustion therapy. For those sensitive to smoke, many practitioners use smokeless moxa, which is still the same herb in charcoal form. Smokeless moxa is commonly used in orthopedic acupuncture.
Cupping Glass jars called cups are placed over the skin, creating suction. The suction is produced by lighting an alcohol-soaked cotton ball on fire and placing the burning cotton ball inside the cup. Negative air space forms, and with skill the practitioner creates a tight seal by removing the lit cotton ball and quickly placing the cup on the body, usually the back.
Cupping is used for two main reasons - releasing tight muscles, especially in the upper back, and for treating cough.
Gua Sha Gua means to scrape or rub. Sha is a red, raised rash (called petechiae). Sha describes the old, congealed blood in the subcutaneous tissue before and after it is raised as petechiae. Gua Sha intentionally induces a rash, or the sha. The technique is primarily used on the back, neck, shoulders, buttocks, and limbs for tight muscles that can not be released through other modalities. The skin is prepared with oil and then using a gua sha tool, the skin is rubbed with downward strokes. If there is no congealed blood the petechiae will not form and the skin will only turn pink. In most cases the patient feels an immediate shift in their condition, whether that be an alleviation of pain or an alleviation of tightness. This is because Gua Sha moves stuck qi and blood, releases the exterior (a treatment protocol for colds), and moves fluids. In a modern medical construct, these fluids contain metabolic waste that congest the surface tissues and muscles. Gua Sha promotes circulation and normalizes metabolic processes. It is a valuable treatment for both external and internal pain, and facilitates the resolution of both acute and chronic disorders. |
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Traditional Chinese Medicine
Monica Bloch, M.S., L.Ac. |
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Tiny
needles, about the size of a human hair, are inserted into the body. Different
gauges (widths) and lengths are used depending on where the needle will be
placed in the body and for what purpose (to release a muscle spasm or to move
