Acupuncture
Acupuncture therapy
Diseases for the treatment of which acupuncture is recommended by the WHO (World Health Organisation):
- Myofascial pain syndromes
- Arthralgias, arthrosis, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis
- Cervical spine syndrome, torticollis
- BWS syndrome
- Lumbar spine syndrome, lumbago, sciatica
- Shoulder-arm syndrome, periarthritis humeroscapularis
- Coxarthrosis, coxalgia
- Gonarthrosis, gonalgia
- Tendinopathies (diseases of the tendons, e.g. tennis elbow, Achilles tendinitis)
- Migraine
- Tension headache
- Intercostal neuralgia
- zoster neuralgia
- Phantom pain
- Vegetative dysfunction
- Sleep disorders
- States of exhaustion
- Psychovegetative syndrome
- Restlessness
- Cystitis, prostatitis
- Impotence
- Cycle disorders, dysmenorrhoea
- Premenstrual syndrome
- Preparation for labour, induction of labour, facilitation of labour
- Functional gastrointestinal disorders
- Irritable colon (irritable bowel syndrome)
- Hyperreactive bronchial system
- chronic. bronchial asthma
- Functional heart diseases
- Hypotension
- Circulatory disorders
Acupuncture treatment is carried out according to the rules of Traditional Chinese Medicine:
- Anamnesis (own development and course of the disease),
- a detailed physical examination,
- tongue and pulse diagnostics
Carrying out an acupuncture treatment
Treatments should take place regularly 1 – 2 times a week. An acupuncture session lasts approx. 45 minutes. A lasting effect usually occurs after 4 to 5 sessions; in the case of chronic illnesses, 10 sessions are often necessary to eliminate the symptoms. No follow-up treatment is usually necessary for acute complaints. In the case of chronic complaints, ‘refresher acupuncture’ may be necessary at longer intervals.
After lying comfortably and having the needles or stimuli placed on the skin points, you will be given a blanket if necessary to prevent you from cooling down and will then lie alone in a room. After the appropriate period of time, the needles are removed.
As acupuncture is a regulative procedure at the level of the interstitial space, preparation and co-operation is required on your part:
- If possible, you should not drink coffee, black tea or alcohol on the day of the acupuncture treatment.
- In addition to drinking at least 2 litres of liquid per day, you should also drink a quarter of a litre of water approx. 2 hours before and 2 hours after the acupuncture session.
- Allow sufficient time for the acupuncture treatment.
- After the treatment, you should not carry out any strenuous or stressful activities – a relaxing evening after work would be ideal.
History and development of acupuncture
Acupuncture is a regulative method of traditional Chinese medicine that is over 3,000 years old and works at the level of the intercellular space. By stimulating certain skin points and ear points with needles, laser light, low-energy currents or by heating, disorders in the organism can be alleviated and eliminated. According to the traditional Chinese view (developed in the 2nd and 1st century BC), these points are located on so-called “pathways” in which the “Qi”, the life energy and life information, flows with its Yin and Yang components.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, these opposing forces must be in balance and harmoniously distributed in order to maintain or regain health. To treat illness, the life energy and life information of a pathway and the associated internal organ must be harmonized and stabilized. At the same time, interference fields (e.g. scars, diseased teeth) that can maintain an imbalance are identified and treated.
Acupuncture has been used successfully in Europe since the first half of the 19th century. Acupuncture works with the body’s own resources and relies on the body’s self-healing powers. The first thing that usually occurs is rapid relaxation and “lightness”. In some cases, pain and discomfort will only be relieved after several treatments. In rare cases, there may also be an initial short-term worsening.
German Society for Acupuncture and Neural Therapy e. V.
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