How Does Acupuncture Work ?
Historically, acupuncture points were believed to be holes that allow entry into channels. These holes provide us gateways to influence, redirect, increase, or decrease body's vital substance, qi, thus correcting many of the imbalances. Many studies and research were directed since to understand the mechanism of acupuncture.
Acupuncture's Impact on the Body
Acupuncture has been demonstrated to enhance the immune system. It also influences various bodily functions, such as blood pressure, heart rhythm and stroke volume, gastric acid secretion, and the production of red and white blood cells. Furthermore, it stimulates the release of various hormones that assist the body in responding to injury and stress.
The Gate Control Theory of Pain
According to this theory, pain signals must pass through a number of high-traffic "gates" as they move from the area of injury upward through the spinal cord into the brain. Like a road or highway, these nerves can handle only a limited number of nerve signals at one time. The pain signals travels very slowly. We can generate other signals which move faster. The faster signals crowd out the slower ones because of the limited capacity of the nerves. (Remember the time sitting in traffic near a construction zone, where the two lanes merge into one. The fast cars on the merging lanes go further and merge ahead of the slower ones, making it nearly impossible for the slow traffic on the lane to move forward. Now think about the pain signals are the slow ones sitting there waiting for an opening to move through. If one can produce enough fast signals, it can effectively crowd out the pain signals.) Acupuncture generates competing stimulus and effectively blocks the slow pain signals from reaching the brain. The result: we never "experience the pain".
Electrotherapy and Pain Management
The human body continuously generates subtle yet measurable electrical discharges. This electrical field plays a crucial role in the development, maturation, and functioning of specific cell types. Research has revealed that acupuncture points are concentrated in areas with low electrical resistance. This has led to the theory that acupuncture's effectiveness may be linked to its influence on the body's electromagnetic fields. Channels and meridians appear to correlate with the body's electromagnetic fields, suggesting that acupuncture works by modulating these energy pathways. Acupuncture points exhibit distinct electrical properties, and stimulating these points can lead to changes in chemical neurotransmitters within the body.
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