Pharmacology Book

Alternative Medicine

  • Acupuncture

http://www.fpnotebook.com/

Acupuncture

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  1. See Also
    1. Traditional Chinese Medicine
  2. Indications: Based on NIH Consensus statement (1997)
    1. Probable efficacy
      1. Adult post-operative pain
      2. Chemotherapy-induced Nausea
      3. Post-operative dental pain
    2. Possible efficacy
      1. Chemical Rehabilitation
      2. Cerebrovascular Accident rehabilitation
      3. Headache
      4. Dysmenorrhea
      5. Lateral Epicondylitis
      6. Myofascial pain including Fibromyalgia
      7. Osteoarthritis-related joint pain
      8. Low Back Pain
      9. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
      10. Asthma
  3. History
    1. Bian Stone Needles (dating to New Stone Age 4,000 to 10,000 years ago)
      1. First needles used as healing instruments
      2. Over time stone needles replaced by bamboo, animal bone slivers, copper and other metals
    2. Current Needles
      1. Rounded-tips with gauge of a human hair
      2. Sterile, single-use surgical steel needles
      3. Inserted either free-hand or with plastic guide tube
      4. Designed to push tissue to the side as opposed to standard needles which cut the skin
    3. Basis
      1. Health is maintained by remaining in balanced state
      2. Qi energy flows through the body along Meridians and this is disturbed by illness
      3. Body is traversed by 12 main and 8 extra Meridians
      4. Meridians contain >400 acupuncture points in which the Qi flows closer to the surface
  4. Mechanism: Theories
    1. Gate Control Theory of pain
      1. Spinal cord transmits pain signals to the brain through high-traffic gates
      2. Acupuncture generates faster signals that block slower pain signals from reaching the brain
    2. Electrical Theory
      1. Body generates very low level electrical discharges (these can be detected by monitoring)
      2. Cell maturation and function is affected by electrical fields
      3. Acupuncture points are concentrated in areas of low electrical resistance
      4. Stimulating acupuncture points alters chemical neurotransmitters
    3. Neurohormonal theory
      1. Acupuncture stimulates natural endorphins from the brain and results in Analgesic effect
  5. Adverse Effects: Severe and typically preventable reactions
    1. Infection
      1. Associated with non-sterile needle use
      2. In U.S., practitioners should use sterile, single-use needles
    2. Organ puncture (esp. lung, bladder)
    3. Allergic Reactions to needle
      1. Associated with use of needle materials other than surgical steel
  6. Adverse Effects: General
    1. Localized inflammation at needle sites
    2. Localized bleeding at needle sites
  7. References
    1. Chon (2008) Mayo Selected Topics in Internal Medicine, Lecture
    2. Yuan (2006) Textbook of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, Informa
      1. Paid Link to Amazon.com (ISBN 0-443-03980-1)
    3. (1997) Acupuncture 15(5):1

Acupuncture procedure (C0394664)

Definition (MSH)Treatment of disease by inserting needles along specific pathways or meridians. The placement varies with the disease being treated. It is sometimes used in conjunction with heat, moxibustion, acupressure, or electric stimulation.
Definition (NCI)Treatment of certain painful conditions by passing long thin needles through the skin to specific points, resulting in regional anesthesia. The free ends of the needles are twirled or in some cases used to conduct a weak electric current. Anesthesia sufficient to permit abdominal, thoracic, and head and neck surgery has been produced by the use of acupuncture alone. The patient is fully conscious during the surgery. Acupuncture has been known in the Far East for centuries but received little attention in Western cultures until the early 1970s. (Taber's)
Definition (NCI)The technique of inserting thin needles through the skin at specific points on the body to control pain and other symptoms.
ConceptsTherapeutic or Preventive Procedure (T061)
MSHD015670
EnglishACP - Acupuncture, Acupuncture, Acupuncture procedure, Acupuncture procedures, ACUPUNCTURE THER, Acupuncture Therapy, THER ACUPUNCTURE
Spanishacupuntura
Parent Conceptsother medical treatment method (C0679631), Complementary therapies (C0936077), Alternative Medical Therapy (C1541282), alternative medical systems (C1515927), Puncture procedure (C0034117), Therapeutic procedure (C0087111), Procedure by device (C1285536), Ambiguous concept (C1274012), Duplicate concept (C1274013)
SourcesAOD, CSP, LCH, MEDLINEPLUS, MSH, MTH, MTHCH, NCI, PDQ, SCTSPA, SNOMEDCT
Derived from the NIH UMLS (Unified Medical Language System)



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