Acupuncture Styles

For thousands of years acupuncture has been practiced in Asia and recently is becoming one of the most popular alternative medicine for its safety and effectiveness.  There are many different styles of acupuncture. Instead of following single particular style most acupuncture therapists practice variety of styles taking into consideration individual condition of every patient. Although there are many acupuncture styles and techniques all of them pursue the same final goal – to balance vital energy in the body and make it circulate free. Auricular Acupuncture Auricular acupuncture is a specialized complementary therapy which focuses on the acupuncture points present on the outer ear. These are known as acupoints and each one corresponds to a particular part of the body. For example, there is an acupoint on the ear for the liver, knee and so on. They are stimulated using needles or electro acupunctoscopes. When stimulated, the acupoint triggers an electric impulse which is sent to the brain and then the corresponding body part. In this way, conditions like arthritis, drug addiction, migraine, sciatica and obesity can be treated by stimulating the corresponding acupoints on the ear. It is a simple procedure and is 95% successful in most cases. Japanese Acupuncture Japanese acupuncture is basically the same as Chinese acupuncture but is generally characterized as being a much more delicate form of therapy. It is also interesting to note that some of the leading Japanese acupuncturists have been blind and even today, nearly 40% of its practitioners are blind. Unlike Chinese acupuncture, the Japanese form uses extremely thin, fine needles. They are inserted at a very shallow depth and in some cases; they are not used at all. It lacks the strong stimulus usually associated with the thick needles and deep insertions of Chinese acupuncture. It is generally less painful than Chinese acupuncture and as a result, has gained popularity among patients in Western countries, particularly America. Korean Acupuncture Korean acupuncture uses a number of techniques that are found in both Chinese acupuncture and Japanese acupuncture. The Korean method differs in the fact that it places more emphasis on the Five Element Theory. This theory is used to help in diagnosing a condition that shows conflicting symptoms, provides balanced nutrition and helps the patient emotionally. Korean acupuncture regards the hands as a micro system of the entire body and studies it to diagnose all kinds of ailments. Of all the subsets of this kind of acupuncture, Korean Hand acupuncture is the most popular. Different kinds of conditions are both diagnosed and treated by inserting needles only on the acupoints of the hand. Traditional Chinese Acupuncture Traditional Chinese acupuncture is the most common and the most popular form of acupuncture that is practiced today. It forms the basic foundation for most kinds of acupuncture treatments and techniques. It is used to treat a number of different conditions, ranging from asthma and back pain to helping people to quit smoking and alleviate depression. This method uses the insertion of needles to enable the flow of Qi, or vital energy in the body. By inserting needles in the right acupoints, acupuncture frees up blockages in the body which are regarded as the cause of pain, discomfort and physical ailments. Acupuncturists question and observe the patient before diagnosis and therapy. Trigger Point Acupuncture Trigger Point acupuncture focuses on Trigger Points - there are areas of muscle that cause pain in remote parts of the body when pressurized. They are in fact tiny knots in the muscle that feel like a small pea. Trigger Point acupuncture induces repeated involuntary twitching of the muscle, thus causing it to relax. Unlike usual acupuncture therapy which uses dry needles, this method uses fluid. It punctures the tissue, thus causing trauma to the area and attracting a number of white blood cells. This is what stimulates the healing process. Trigger Point acupuncture is a popular form of treatment among athletes as it is drug-free and encourages the body to heal naturally.