181 lines
9.6 KiB
XML
181 lines
9.6 KiB
XML
import Article from "@/components/Article";
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const ArticleAcupuntureBasics = () => {
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return (
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<Article
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title="Acupuncture Basics"
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author="Richard A. Feely, D.O., FAAO, FCA, FAAMA"
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>
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<p>
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The Chinese discovered acupuncture more than 5,000 years ago. Chinese
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science had a very different paradigm than the Western world. It
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emphasized wholistic patterns, relationships, cycles, and processes. In
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contrast, the Western paradigm emphasizes linear thinking, causality,
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and reductionist explanations.
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</p>
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<p>
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Acupuncture was first introduced to Europe by French Jesuits in the 17th
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Century. It was not widely accepted in the West because of the clash
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between Eastern and Western paradigms, for example, Western linear
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thinking couldn’t understand how a needle inserted into the hand could
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cure a toothache. The acupuncture analgesia did not fit into the
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existing physiological paradigm of the Western scientist and was thus
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dismissed.
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</p>
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<p>
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Until 1976, the evidence of acupuncture anesthesia was mainly anecdotal.
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There were few scientifically controlled experiments. Since then, the
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situation has changed dramatically. In the last few years, there have
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been thousands of scientifically controlled experiments in acupuncture.
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Today, there are at least 17 different lines of scientific evidence
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verifying acupuncture’s effect upon humans and animals.
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</p>
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<h2>Research and Theory</h2>
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<p>
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Research performed on animals and humans shows that specific acupuncture
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relieved pain while sham acupuncture (needles at acupoint regions) had
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no pain relieving effect. Several controlled clinical trials on chronic
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pain patients comparing real acupuncture to sham acupuncture have also
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shown that acupuncture really works better than a placebo. Perhaps more
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importantly, when acupuncture was compared to conventional treatment of
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chronic pain, it was found to be just as effective with fewer side
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effects.
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</p>
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<p>
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It is evident that needling simulates peripheral nerves in the muscles
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that send messages to the brain to release endorphins (morphine-like
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peptides in the brain.) These neurochemicals then cause analgesia by
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blocking the transmission of painful messages. Three main sites for
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endorphin acupuncture analgesia have been found. The pituitary gland is
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one site that has been shown to release endorphins into the blood
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stream. This hormone travels to the three parts of the brain and spinal
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cord to block the transmission of painful messages. The second site is
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the periaqueductal gray neurons in the midbrain which release endorphins
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that act as local transmitters to excite the rostral ventromedial
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medulla. The rostal ventromedial medulla in turn projects massively and
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selectively to pain transmitting neurons in the dorsal horn of the
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spinal cord and the trigeminal nucleus caudalis. Electrical stimulation
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in the periaqueductal gray and rostral ventromedial medulla produces
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behavioral analgesia and inhibitions of spinal pain transmission. This
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third site, spinal cord endorphin system, is where the spinal cord
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neurons release endorphins to block the release of neurotransmitters
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from afferent fibers carrying painful messages to the cord.
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</p>
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<p>
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In 1977, research showed that acupuncture analgesia inhibited the
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spinothalamic tract neurons from responding from painful inputs. This
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acupuncture effect was then blocked by naloxone, an endorphin receptor
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blocker. It has also been shown in mice and humans that naloxone blocked
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acupuncture anesthesia using behavioral measurements. Acupuncture
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research has progressed since the 1970s to date, to have no less than 17
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different lines of evidence convergent upon acupuncture endorphin
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mechanisms verifying and supporting acupuncture analgesia.
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</p>
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<h2>The Evidence</h2>
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<p>
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<strong>There are 17 points of evidence:</strong>
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</p>
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<ol>
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<li>Naloxone blocked acupuncture analgesia</li>
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<li>Six opiates antagonist block acupuncture analgesia</li>
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<li>Dextro-naloxone doesn’t block acupuncture analgesia</li>
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<li>Antibodies to endorphins block acupuncture analgesia</li>
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<li>Micro-injection of naloxone blocks acupuncture analgesia</li>
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<li>
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Genetic defects in opiate receptors causes less acupuncture analgesia
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</li>
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<li>Deficiency in endorphins causes less acupuncture analgesia</li>
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<li>
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Endorphins rise in cerebral spinal fluid and drop in the brain after
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acupuncture analgesia
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</li>
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<li>
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Acupuncture analgesia is enhanced by protecting from enzyme
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destruction
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</li>
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<li>Cross circulation of acupuncture analgesic effects</li>
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<li>Reduce pituitary endorphins block acupuncture analgesia</li>
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<li>A rise in mRNA for proenkephalin with acupuncture analgesia</li>
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<li>C-fos gene protein rises in endorphin areas of brain</li>
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<li>
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Acupuncture analgesia shows cross tolerance with morphine addiction
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</li>
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<li>
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Acupuncture analgesia works best for emotional pain like endorphin
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</li>
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<li>Lesions of arcuate nucleus blocks acupuncture analgesia</li>
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<li>Lesions of periaquaductal gray blocks acupuncture analgesia</li>
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</ol>
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<p>
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The considerable evidence for the three pathways shown above provides
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convincing proof that acupuncture analgesia is a known physiological
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phenomenon that can occur and be manipulated through the use of
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acupuncture needles and electrical stimulation.
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</p>
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<p>
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Testing the involvement of the pituitary, several experiments were
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carried out, both surgically removable pituitary and suppression of the
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pituitary endorphins by chemical manipulations; all of the experiments
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suppressed acupuncture analgesia in animals. Experiments to test the
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involvement of the midbrain were done since it had been shown that
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morphine pain relief was largely mediated by this system. Such
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experiments included direct lesions to the raphe by cutting the output
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fibers in the dorsal lateral tract, the spinal cord blockade of
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serotonin receptors, blockade of serotonin synthesis and direct
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micro-injection of naloxone into the mid brain; all of these experiments
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reduced acupuncture analgesia.
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</p>
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<p>
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Enhancement of serotonin synthesis increased acupuncture analgesia. An
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experiment measuring serotonin showed an increase product (serotonin)
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was released during acupuncture analgesia along with noradrenelinecture
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endorphin mechanisms verifying and supporting acupuncture analgesia.
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</p>
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<h2>Effectiveness</h2>
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<p>
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Acupuncture works in approximately 70% to 80% of humans and animals.
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Meanwhile, we know that the placebo only works 30% of the time.
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Acupuncture does not work all the time in all people for various
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reasons. Principally due to cholecystikinin (CCK). Those individuals
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with high CCK are poor responders to acupuncture analgesia. Good
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responders have less CCK. CCK blocks acupuncture tolerance, it acts in
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the periaquaductal gray. Animal experimentation have been done to show
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that poor responders may become better responders through the use of a
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CCK antagonist and that good responders can become poor responders by
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the use of cDNA, CCK gene.
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</p>
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<p>
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Acupuncture has been shown not to be physiologically addicting.
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Acupuncture is however additive and cumulative in its effects. It is
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more powerful after ten to fifteen treatments. Neurologically we know
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acupuncture works with a small mylenated fibers A delta-type III, and it
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does not work on larger fibers, C-fibers.
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</p>
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<h2>Conclusion</h2>
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<p>
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In conclusion, acupuncture has been used for over 5,000 years. It has a
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large body of empirical anecdotal evidence indicating its effectiveness.
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Now, scientific based research evidence indicates there are several
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causes and effects of acupuncture. Acupuncture has been shown to be
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effective for acute and chronic pain conditions. Acupuncture has also
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been found to be effective in the treatment of addiction and withdrawal
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from various drugs, gastrointestinal functions, environmental illnesses
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and cardiovascular illness, along with positively changing
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learning/memory, conditioning and immunology.
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</p>
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<p>
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As a result of this research, more and more physicians outside China are
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using acupuncture to treat many painful conditions. It is estimated that
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5,000 MDs in Germany, 30,000 in France and 60,000 in Japan use
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acupuncture along with drugs, nerve blocks and other approaches to treat
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patients with chronic pain. Here in the United States, over 1,000
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physicians and surgeons are actively involved in the practice of
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acupuncture. With increasing research and evidence, more and more
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physicians in the West will become acupuncture practitioners.
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</p>
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</Article>
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);
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};
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export default ArticleAcupuntureBasics;
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