The Principle of Acupuncture Volume 49- Issue 1

Gerd Helmecke*

• Gerd Helmecke,Facharzt für Innere Medizin, Germany

Received: February 20, 2023;   Published: March 03, 2023

*Corresponding author: Gerd Helmecke, Facharzt für Innere Medizin, Germany

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2023.49.007745

Abstract PDF

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves needle punctures at specific points on the body to remedy disturbances in the flow of “life energy” (Qi) believed to cause illnesses. While the existence of meridians, the pathways through which Qi flows, has not been scientifically proven, acupuncture has been found to be an effective alternative to conventional medicine for many people. The effectiveness of acupuncture is due to its ability to manipulate the brain by transforming nerve impulses into nonsensical code, which overwrites real nerve impulses and eliminates or reduces pain. This principle of action does not require specific anatomical structures for each acupuncture point, as the pattern of nerve impulses caused by the needle punctures leads to the desired outcome through a central reflexive blockade. Acupuncture does not lead to causal healing but can achieve long-lasting improvements in psychological tension states and can block pathological reflexes such as vascular spasms in migraines.

Acupuncture (from Latin acus = needle, and punctura = puncture) is a treatment method of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), in which a therapeutic effect is achieved through needle punctures at certain points of the body.... In traditional forms of acupuncture practiced in China and Japan since the second century BC, it is assumed that there is a «life energy of the body» that circulates in defined pathways, in Western translation called meridians, and has a controlling influence on all bodily functions. A disturbed flow of energy is said to cause illnesses, and by puncturing acupuncture points located on the meridians, the disturbance in the flow of Qi can be remedied. Acupressure, by applying blunt pressure, and moxibustion, by applying heat to acupuncture points, have the same therapeutic goal [1]. Meridians, more accurately called «channels,» are pathways in which life energy (Qi) flows in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Each meridian is associated with a functional system (organ system). Acupuncture points are located on the meridians, which are treated with needles in acupuncture and with finger pressure in acupressure. Various meridian therapies are intended to help patients maintain or recover their health. The best-known methods are acupuncture and acupressure. According to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, health is, among other things, related to a free and sufficient flow of Qi in the meridians. If, for example, too little Qi flows, harmful Qi can enter the channel and damage the associated organ (functional system). There is no recognized evidence for the existence of meridians....

In traditional Chinese medicine, meridians are said to allow for the assignment and influence of organs (functional systems) through the localization of certain points on the body surface. In Chinese medicine, organs are functional systems of organ systems, which in turn are connected to muscles, connective tissue, the nervous system, etc. Disorders in the mutual interplay of blood circulation, respiration, and metabolism can be easily identified by diagnosing the skin, the eyes, and essentially any part of the body. According to Chinese medicine, each meridian also has a relationship to the psyche of the person and thus also provides clues to the emotional state. The concept of meridians involves a clear interplay between physical and mental states.» End of quote from Wikipedia [2,3]. Acupuncture thus poses many mysteries. On the one hand, there are the meridians on which various acupuncture points are arranged. On the other hand, there is a total of around 360 acupuncture points on the left and right halves of the body. In addition, there is a distinction between body acupuncture, ear acupuncture, and skull acupuncture. The individual acupuncture points arranged on the meridians do not have a classical anatomical connection. The meridians themselves are also not predetermined anatomical structures. If one considers how many possibilities exist when combining 10 needles at 720 standard points, it must be noted that the life of a single person is not enough to test all variations even once. Assuming that each option takes about ten minutes to test, the existence of humanity as a time period would not be sufficient. So the question remains: How could classical Chinese medicine even develop this procedure? Neither anatomical structures nor temporal effort as facts currently allow for a reasonable explanation. However, the fact is that the procedure itself is extremely effective and represents an alternative to conventional medicine for many people.

Even if the question of the development of this method remains unanswered in mystical distortions, an explanation for the principle of action can be developed independently. This will be done in the next sections. The human brain is a biological computer that processes and stores information according to fixed rules. Sleep serves to clear the working memory, process information, and ultimately store it so that new information can be received. Acupuncture intervenes in this complicated mechanism by transforming certain information (nerve impulses) into a nonsensical code, similar to a computer virus in the electronics industry. This nonsensical code overwrites real nerve impulses and makes them «unreadable» to the brain. As a result, a pain impulse cannot be «received,» resulting in analgesia or cancellation. The effect is an elimination or reduction of a nerve impulse and a loss of information. For this reason, acupuncture points do not need to have their own anatomical structures. The sum or pattern of nerve impulses caused by the needle punctures leads to the desired outcome through a central reflexive blockade. Since there are individual differences in the areas of stimulus processing in humans, it is understandable that acupuncture does not always achieve the desired outcome. This is because a different circuit of acupuncture points is necessary for such a person. In practice, the acupuncture points can be varied while adhering to this principle, often achieving successful acupuncture. In summary, acupuncture is not a mystical event but manipulates the brain through a pattern of nerve impulses. It is important to note that it does not lead to causal healing but only shuts down disruptive messages and commands of the nervous system. Therefore, the elimination of coronary pain does not necessarily reverse changes in the arteries. However, acupuncture can often achieve significant and long-lasting improvements in psychological tension states. Pathological reflexes such as vascular spasms in migraines can also be permanently blocked in multiple sessions [4,5].

Dr. Gerd Helmecke declares no conflicts of interest.

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2. (2022) Ingrid Wancura-Kmpnik. Segment-Anatomie.
3. (2020) Josef Viktor Mü Den Geist verwurzeln Band 4.
4. (1989) Hans Zettler, Dr. med. Frank Bahr. Akupunktur in der täglichen Praxis im Bereich der Ohr-, Körper- und Schä
5. Wikipedia (17.02.2023). Akupunktur.