Psychology Center
Center for Oriental Studies and Therapies
HEALTH at the foot of the SEA
Orient and rapias
ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture is a therapeutic practice of traditional Chinese medicine. Created more than two millennia ago, acupuncture is one of the oldest medical treatments in the world. It consists of stimulating points on the body where there are channels through which vital energy flows.
The technique is capable of adjusting these channels, called meridians, according to the balance of yin and yang. Western and modern medicine suggests that the method stimulates the release of chemical substances that alter the nervous system and can have effects throughout the body, promoting the body's balance.
Therefore, it is closely associated with organic disorders resulting from emotional tensions such as stress. Chemical substances that alter the nervous system and can have effects throughout the body, promoting the body's balance.
The diagnosis is made after questioning different aspects of the patient's life and observing physical manifestations such as pulse, breathing, color and appearance of the skin and tongue.
What is it for?
Acupuncture aims to restore the body as a whole by inducing regenerative processes, normalizing altered functions, strengthening the immune system, and controlling pain.
Research has shown that acupuncture can actually deactivate areas of the brain associated with pain.
The technique has survived for millennia, showing benefits to individuals with gastrointestinal, respiratory, muscular, urological, endocrinological, psychological and neurological, gynecological, and even dermatological problems.
Acupuncture is especially indicated for pain reduction in cases of fibromyalgia and localized back pain, treatment of nausea and vomiting in patients undergoing chemotherapy or surgery, and reduction of emotional tension.
The World Health Organization (WHO) considers the practice a complement to modern medicine. In the United States, it has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a treatment option for back pain within the country's public health system.
In Brazil, acupuncture is recognized as a medical specialty according to a resolution by the Federal Council of Medicine and is listed in the Table of the Outpatient Information System (SAI/SUS) of the Ministry of Health.
Studies
Experiments have shown that acupuncture can even triple the effects of a natural compound known for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.
Researchers at the University of Rochester in the US observed that tissues near the needles had up to 24 times more adenosine, suggesting that the imperceptible perforation of the skin may trigger both the accumulation of the substance in the outer tissues of the skin, as well as signaling the brain to create natural endorphins to combat pain.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the energy meridians that run through the body are affected by "perverse" energies, which affect the organism in general. Although it may sound mystical, Western tradition itself considers winds, bacteria, viruses, injuries, traumas, anxieties, cold, or heat to constitute a large part of these "perverse" energies. Modern medicine agrees.
Acupuncture isn't just about needles: stimulation of acupuncture points can also be done with fingers (acupressure), hot stones, laser, and many other techniques. The important thing is that energy flows are restored and the body's energy is balanced .