In its most traditional form, acupuncture is performed by penetrating the skin of certain points of the body with thin, small needles. Chinese medicine indicates that by penetrating certain points of the body, it affects the flow of qi, or life force, through the body’s channels, referred to as meridians.
The premise of acupuncture is based on a theory that all the body’s functions are dictated by the qi, and if there are disruptions to the energy’s flow, it can cause pain. By placing the needles in anatomical points, the flow is opened, restored or enhanced.
Actuation, or the processes of the body that encourage circulation
Warming, or the body’s limbs
Containment, or body fluids
Defense, against pathogenic or spiritual invaders
Transformation, or food, drink and breathing to increase flow into the body’s channels
The body’s 12 meridians are located throughout the body; eight are considered “extraordinary,” or essential to the qi’s existence. Meridians also represent the locations that are considered points for needle insertion during therapy.
However, the qi has no known physiological counterpart; and modern practitioners typically focus on pressure points on the head, neck, legs and hands. It is not known how many pressure points – or clusters of nerves or sensitive spots – a human has, though practitioners believe that it is in the hundreds.
Acupuncture is considered minimally invasive; the needles, tiny in circumference, are never inserted deeply into skin.
Some of the conditions acupuncture practitioners say can be helped through the therapy include:
Muscle pain and tightness
Anxiety
Sleep disturbances
Depression
Cancer
Drug dependence
Fibromyalgia
Arthritis
Bell’s palsy
Autism
Acupuncture for Children with Cerebral Palsy
Part of having cerebral palsy means finding new ways to cope with various physical symptoms, some of which acupuncture is believed to remedy.
The most comprehensive study of acupuncture and children was funded by the National Institutes of Health and performed by the University of Arizona Pediatrics Department. The study involved several children; its goal was to determine to what extent muscle hypertonicity could be eliminated.
One child in the study had severely tight muscles that were impeding the development of his internal organs. The 5-year-old had limited vocal ability, and his affect was more or less flat. He underwent acupuncture at seven channels on his lower and upper extremities; the treatment lasted a few hours. Researchers noted a decrease in hypertonicity that was short in duration.
After a second treatment, the child began crying at the insertion of the needles, and researchers removed the needles.
Auricular treatment without needles was implemented, and it was noted that his muscles were not as hard as they were before treatment. In this treatment, the points were stimulated by an ear probe. By the end of 16 treatments with the ear probe, the child’s limb thrusting was reduced by 50 percent.
Another randomized controlled trial at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center indicated that acupuncture may provide relief to children with spastic cerebral palsy. The evaluation-blind trial assessed children ages 12 to 72 months with spasticity.
After 16 weeks of acupuncture treatment, one group of children displayed improvement in their gross motor functionality that exceeded researcher’s expectations. The conclusion of the study is that acupuncture can, if done properly and early, help children improve their ability to function physically, but further study is needed.
One area of promise is in the area of laser acupuncture, which targets points by using low-energy, pulsating laser beams instead of traditional needles.
The beam radiates against the skin and stimulates the point in a way that a needle would. A study performed on 29 children in China with brain damage, when they received laser acupuncture on various scalp points, experienced improvements in cerebral blood flow, which can enhance physical function.
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