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Treatment Strategy of Chinese Acupuncture
Over the centuries, acupuncture has continued to be refined and developed both in its theoretical underpinnings and clinical applications. Modern physicians know and understand better acupuncture, which make this treatment procedure more applicable to modern health needs. Even though there are many styles of acupuncture practice, which vary in diagnostic methods, selection of acupoints as well as needling techniques, the treatment goal remains constant: to restore the smooth flow of meridians so that different body parts can work in harmony again, thus providing the body with extra energy for self-healing.
In Chinese medicine, the smooth and balanced flow of the meridians can be affected by both external and internal factors, such as improper diet, pollution, germs, internal weakness, emotional distress, climatic influences and accidental injuries. No matter what causes a disease, practitioners always take into account the whole developmental process, the area of disturbance, the nature of the pathogenic factors, and the state of the body's immunity. Some general principles are:
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If the conditions are due to excessive pathogens or hyper-functioning of certain organs, use reducing techniques to eliminate or depress the undesirable aspects; |
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If the body is weakened and has low resistance, use reinforcing techniques to promote the overall healing power; |
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When excessive accumulation of heat, use rapid needling techniques to expel the heat pathogens or in conjunction with the blood-letting method; |
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When excessive cold leads to qi stagnation in the meridians and organs, the needles should be retained or should used be in conjunction with moxibustion for expelling the cold pathogens; |
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When both blood stasis and qi stagnation occur at the same time, the flow of meridians is seriously compromised; then blood letting method is combined to unblock the obstruction. |
It is essential to understand meridian selectivity so as to obtain an optimal outcome. Generally, disharmonies in the meridians and organs are diagnosed according to syndrome differentiation, which also forms the basic guideline when prescribing an individual acupuncture treatment. The following provides a summary for TCM disharmonies, their appropriate meridian selectivity and suggested techniques.
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