Acupuncture
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a component of the health care system of
China that can be traced back at least 2,500 years. The
general theory of acupuncture is based on the premise that
there are patterns of energy flow (Qi) through the body
that are essential for health. Disruptions of this flow are
believed to be responsible for disease. Acupuncture may, it
has been theorized, correct imbalances of flow at
identifiable points close to the skin.
The practice of acupuncture to treat identifiable
pathophysiological (disease) conditions in American
medicine was rare until the visit of President Richard M.
Nixon to China in 1972. Since that time, there has been an
explosion of interest in the United States and Europe in
the application of the technique of acupuncture to Western
medicine.
Acupuncture is a family of procedures involving
stimulation of anatomical locations on or in the skin by a
variety of techniques. There are a variety of approaches to
diagnosis and treatment in American acupuncture that
incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea,
and other countries. The most thoroughly studied mechanism
of stimulation of acupuncture points employs penetration of
the skin by thin, solid, metallic needles, which are
manipulated manually or by electrical stimulation.
Are there standards for acupuncture needles?
After reviewing the existing body of knowledge, the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) removed acupuncture
needles from the category of "experimental medical
devices." The FDA now regulates acupuncture needles, just
as it does other devices such as surgical scalpels and
hypodermic syringes, under good manufacturing practices and
single-use standards of sterility.
Next: What are the possible side effects of acupuncture? »
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