Acupuncture and moxibustion are an important part of traditional Chinese medicine. The seemingly mysterious medical treatment has been widely practiced in China, especially in ancient times. These therapeutic methods date back at least 2,000 years. The acupuncture and moxibustion are based on the theory that the human body acts as a small universe connected by channels. Through physical stimulation of these channels, the human body's self-regulating function can be promoted and health achieved.
Acupuncture itself involves inserting and manipulating needles in various acupuncture points in the body to clear and connect the channels so as to relieve pain or for therapeutic purposes. Research shows acupuncture points are related to the nervous system, blood and lymph vessels as well as muscles. In the Chinese medicine, there are more than 400 acupuncture points spread all over the human body.
Acupuncture needles are usually made of silver or stainless steel. Moxibustion treats disease through warming an acupuncture point on the body surface by the burning of a combination of herbs, primarily mugwort.
Acupuncture and moxibustion are relatively easy to operate and the cost is reasonable. In most cases, no side effects occur at all during the treatment. At the same time, it can operate in unison with other treatments.
Around 300 kinds of diseases can be treated by acupuncture and moxibustion. The therapy has obvious curative effects for more than 100 diseases, such as neuritis, neuralgia, certain types of pain, headaches and disturbance in intestinal function. The efficacy of the therapy in the treatment of facial paralysis and apoplectic sequelae is most widely known.
As early as the 1980s, the World Health Organization (WHO) had confirmed acupuncture and moxibustion were very effective in the treatment of 43 diseases, including neurologic gastrointestinal system, dental and respiratory system diseases. The National Health Service of Britain has even said there is reasonably good evidence acupuncture is an effective treatment for nausea, vomiting, osteoarthritis of the knee and several types of pain.
