Critical Analysis of Acupuncture: Traditional Use vs. Modern Science

This essay presents a critical analysis of acupuncture, tracing its origins in traditional Chinese medicine to its modern applications. It explores the concept of Qi, the historical context of acupuncture's development, and its introduction to the Western world. The essay examines various theories attempting to explain acupuncture's clinical effects, including the stimulation of delta fibers and the release of endorphins. It also addresses the controversies surrounding acupuncture, including concerns about methodological quality, placebo effects, and potential adverse effects such as infections and nerve injuries. The author concludes by advocating for a balanced dialogue between the medical and acupuncture communities to resolve outstanding questions and ensure patient safety, suggesting that acupuncture's use should be limited to mild pain relief while emphasizing the importance of further research into placebo effects. Desklib provides a platform for students to access this essay and similar resources for their studies.

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ACUPUNCTURE
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Acupuncture is well-defined as the process of inserting a needle into a specific site on the
body surface. The article tells us more about acupuncture and how it operates in its day to day
work in the field of medicine. The process is claimed to have originated from China, and it was
used by the ancient Chinese as traditional medicine. The main function of the cure was to bring
equilibrium in the body Qi through the application of the needles into strategic points on the
body. Most of the theorist and physicians have considered it to be a little cultural but it’s the
most used form of treatment in the world by the traditional acupuncturists doctors and other
healthcare professionals. The acupuncturist in modern parts of the world treats conditions like
back pain, shoulder problem, myofascial pain, headache and osteoarthritis of the knee. John
states that the system has been affected by the introduction of modern medicine and the level and
state of health care in the country. In the US the system cures fewer people than compared to
China. This is because of the level of healthcare facilities in China are low compared to the US.
Most of the modern acupuncturist use the system or direct there patient to other traditional
acupuncturists.
The system was believed to have originated from China 2000 years ago. The article
stresses that classical Chinese is the one found to have set the background of modern
acupuncture system. The early accounts written by the missionaries describe the system to be
more different as they expected and believed. The method was systematized into the curriculum
for teaching thus creating traditional Chinese medicine. It led to the necessity of providing some
healthcare to the people of China. The needles inserted were big and were entered into some
spots for a very short duration (Baldry,1989). The system was introduced into Europe in the 18th
century, and France physics were the first to embrace. In China, the system declined due to the

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introduction of scientific medicine. Some committee in China did an investigation and found out
that 15-20% of the population in China use the traditional Chinese method and the rest use both
the scientific and the traditional Chinese methods. Fewer countries use the system in modern
times due to the rise in the standards of healthcare and living. Some organizations in recent years
have stated that positive evidence support acupuncture for a range of conditions and other
concluded that the system had been approved for some medical conditions (Berman, 1999).
Qi is one of the fundamental concepts in traditional Chinese methods and acupuncture.
There are several forms of QI, and it's inherited and maintained during the life of a person. It
circulates in 14 meridians through the body, and it helps nourish and defend the body against
infection of diseases (Liangyue,2001). The traditional acupuncturist view health as a balance of
two opposite. A person who is diseased is associated with an imbalance of the Qi in the body as
stated by John. In the body, most disturbances are detected before they develop into a disease.
The traditional had unclear claims on what acupuncture heals. Some claimed that it cured all
forms diseases while other claimed it was useful in pain management.
Modern physicians have come up with current theories and concept that explain how
acupuncture causes some clinical and other effects. Some arguments included stimulating of
delta fibres in the skin and conducting impulse to the spinal matter creating some painful stimuli
on the periphery thus decreasing pain and release of bete-endorphin in the brain. Activation of
encephalin containing interneurons in the substansia of the gray matter resulting in the creation
of conduction pain signal in mind was also a theory that attempted to explain how acupuncture
caused the clinical effect. Stimulation of two sinking pain control network from the brain and
modulatory effect on the central pain network in the limb system also tried to explain more of
how the process causes analgesia (Shi,1999). Most of the modern theories experiments displays

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how acupuncture stimulates pain modulation system that releases the neurotransmitter such as
the endogenous opioids. They were mostly supported by basic research like for example;
magnetic resonance suggested that the process induces specific effects on some essential parts of
the human brain. Some statistics propose that it normalizes the protein expression profile in the
hypothalamus. Some critics in China noted that the result published by the Chinese investigators
are nothing and they originated from China (Pomeranz, 1977). Experimental pain also causes
doubt making theories to be more correct and be reproducible. Heterogeneity and variable
methodological quality are some of the features of the systematic review of acupuncture.
The usefulness of acupuncture has been tested in several clinical trials, and different
reviews have come up. Some conclusions stated that acupuncture appears to be operational in
nausea and vomiting. Other such as back pain and temporomandibular disorders are difficult to
be cured using the system because of the difficulties in interpreting the result. Some other
conditions need more research for them to cured using acupuncture. Pain has been one of the
areas that affect the use of the method. The effect has been too much and depending on the
patient body and mindset, leading to the problem of blinding procedures. The clinical trials that
have been done are underpowered, and most were generated from a systematic literature review
(Price,1997)
Serious adverse effected have been associated with acupuncture. Mostly trauma to the
internal body and infections such as HIV and hepatitis have been occasionally associated with
the system. Some damages such as nerve injuries and brain damage can result in damaging of the
other body parts and body functioning (Rufen,2001). Not seeking proper medical care can also
create danger in the human body. Some effects occur during needling such as bleeding in the
spot and site of needling occurs in most of the cases. There are some indirect risks of

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acupuncture-like unqualified professionals tamper with their client’s medicine. Other adverse
effects may be caused by inadequate training to the paramedics and also a large number of
practitioners practicing the technique creating completion for the field (Han,2004). There are
some miss interpretations of data to the patients leading to serious effects.
In conclusion, the author claims that acupuncture is a pseudoscience. It’s now accepted
widely as for the form of treatment of a range of conditions. Several theories that can explain
how the process work has also come up. The practice is built on the untenable principles and
guidelines. Some organizations are now employing some new sham-acupuncture devices that
allow adequate flow of placedo. Some practitioners claim that if acupuncture alleviates suffering
through placing a powerful placebo, then it should be accepted as a useful method of treatment.
The research and more findings of placebo are more of importance as a result contributes to the
physicians and the people of the community on how the process works. The author recommends
that if there is the use of the acupuncture process, it should only be in mild pain relief. Its
therefore important that for the benefit and interest of the patients, there needs to be a complete
and healthy dialogue between the medical and the acupuncture communities to resolve and come
to the agreement on many questions that cause the adverse effect in the field of medication. The
process remains in a controversy leading to some findings being encouraged and supported but
others suggest that it is a clinical effect and mainly depend on placedo response.

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Bibliography
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Han, J.S., 2004. Acupuncture and endorphins. Neuroscience letters, 361(1-3), pp.258-261.
Lewith, G.T. and Machin, D., 1983. On the evaluation of the clinical effects of
acupuncture. Pain, 16(2), pp.111-127
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