The term acupuncture comes from Latin acus which means “needle” and pungere which means “prick”.
In China, the practice of acupuncture can perhaps be traced as far back as the first millennium BC and archeological evidence has been identified during the period of the Han dynasty (from 202 BC to 220 AD).
However, this form of acupuncture was different from what it is nowadays because it was using stone, which was not used to pierce the skin, but rather to press on acupuncture points. The first acupuncture needles that have actually been found date back to 600 AD. These needles were made of bronze, copper, tin, gold, or silver. Recent examinations of Ötzi, a 5000-year-old mummy found in the Alps, have identified over fifty tattoos on his body, some of which are located on acupuncture points that would today be used to treat ailments Ötzi was suffering from.
[...] III Efficiency and risks For occidental medicine, acupuncture may be considered sometimes as a complementary therapy. Efficiency When performed by a properly trained and licensed practitioner, acupuncture is safe and effective, free from adverse or addictive side effects. Quite often, a sense of relaxation and well-being occurs during, and after treatments. When acupuncturist treats one ailment, other problems may be resolved concurrently. This is a common side benefit that again demonstrates the value of balancing the quality and quantity of "vital energy" within the entire person. [...]
[...] Acupuncture treats the human body as a whole, that involves several "systems of function" that are in some cases loosely associated with physical organs. Disease is understood as a loss of homeostasis among the several systems of function, and treatment of disease aims to modify the activity of one or more systems of function through the activity of needles, pressure, heat , etc. on sensitive parts of the body of small volume traditionally called "acupuncture points" in English, or "xue" cavities) in Chinese. [...]
[...] In a Japanese survey of 55,291 acupuncture treatments given over five years by 73 acupuncturists of them were performed with no significant minor adverse effects and zero major adverse incidents. Two combined studies of 66,229 acupuncture treatments yielded only 134 minor adverse events. The total of 121,520 treatments with acupuncture therapy was given with no major adverse incidents. This is in comparison to 2,216,000 serious adverse drug reactions that occurred in hospitals. So to compare directly, Acupuncture has a chance of causing a minor adverse effect compared to prescription medications having a chance of causing a serious adverse event in a hospital setting. [...]
[...] That's way, many acupuncturists and doctors prefer to consider acupuncture a complementary therapy rather than an alternative therapy. Risk Common, minor adverse events: Minor bleeding after removal of the needles, seen in roughly of patients. (Holding a cotton ball for about one minute over the site of puncture is usually sufficient to stop the bleeding.) Hematoma, seen in about of patients. These usually go away after a few days. Dizziness, seen in about of patients. Some patients have a conscious or unconscious fear of needles, which can produce dizziness and other symptoms of anxiety. [...]
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