whaat does the american medical assn. report of the viability of acupuncture?!
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Acupuncture is an ancient technique with its origins in traditional Chinese medicine. The internal study of the body was forbidden in China, so structural anatomy as defined by dissection was unknown. Twelve organs, or "spheres of function," were thought present, having minimal equivalency to anatomic definitions used in Western medicine. Body function was described in theories of energy flow, orch'i, from one organ to another. Each of these organs is described as having a superficial "meridian" with many numbered points, originally derived from Chinese astrologic calculations. By inserting needles into these points, acupuncturists believe energy flows can be manipulated or imbalance corrected, resulting in therapeutic effects on corresponding internal systems.
Western practitioners have increasingly begun to use acupuncture, but many may not be using techniques that correspond to traditional Chinese teaching. The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture is a group of more than 700 physicians who offer training and continuing medical education, and set "standards of practice" regarding use of these techniques in medical practice. Most often, acupuncture is used for acute or chronic pain relief, but some proponents also use it for smoking cessation and substance abuse treatment, asthma, arthritis, and other conditions. Endorphin release, stimulation of the peripheral nervous system, and pain mediation through the effects of other neuropeptides are currently thought to be the most likely conventional explanations for the effects of acupuncture.
Several variations on the general theme exist, including the use of heated needles, passing low-voltage current into the acupuncture point, and applying lasers to acupuncture points. Proponents from different traditions (i.e., Korean vs. Chinese) often disagree as to the "correct" location of acupuncture points for treating a given condition. Recently, the FDA reclassified acupuncture needles as devices that do not require clinical studies, thus easing requirements for marketing. Critics contend that acupuncturists, including many traditionally trained physicians, merely stick needles in patients as a way to offer another form of treatment for which they can be reimbursed, since many insurance companies will do so. Critical reviews of acupuncture summarized by Hafner4 and others19 conclude that no evidence exists that acupuncture affects the course of any disease.
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