Author(s): Cagri Baris Gunec
The relationship between Chinese acupuncture points and blood and lymph vessels and nerves in Western medicine has been studied extensively over the past few decades, and there is a great deal of evidence to suggest that there is indeed a connection between the two. This review article will discuss the various studies that have been conducted to investigate this relationship and will provide an overview of the current understanding of the connection between Chinese acupuncture points and blood and lymph vessels and nerves in Western medicine.
The relationship between Chinese acupuncture points and blood and lymph vessels and nerves in Western medicine has been studied and discussed for centuries. It is still a subject of debate among Western medical practitioners and Chinese medicine practitioners today. Acupuncture, a form of traditional Chinese medicine, has been used to treat a wide range of illnesses and conditions for thousands of years. Acupuncture is based on the concept of qi, or life energy, which flows through the body along channels known as meridians. Acupuncture points are specific spots along the body where qi is believed to be concentrated, and it is thought that by stimulating these points with needles, the flow of qi can be improved, providing relief from symptoms of disease and promoting well-being [1,2].
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the world’s oldest medical systems, and it is built on ancient Chinese views about the interaction between people and the natural world. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the world’s oldest medical systems. The holistic approach that it takes and the symptombased approach that it takes to treatment are the two defining characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A blend of ancient Chinese medical practice and contemporary scientific medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was legally acknowledged in 1958 as a distinct medical system in China [3]. At the beginning of the 19th century, European and American missionaries who were primarily focused on evangelism were responsible for introducing Western medicine to China. At the start of the 20th century, as the imperial government began to crumble and Western ideas began to infiltrate Japan, the people of China began to look to Western medicine as a method to express their own sense of modernity. This occurred simultaneously with Japan’s adoption of Western ideals. As a consequence of this, practitioners shifted their attention toward the fundamentals of western medical practice. The formal hybridization of traditional Chinese medical knowledge and modern medicine practiced in the West may be traced back, in large part, to the systematization efforts that were initiated by the Chinese government [4]. The scientific understanding of the therapeutic processes of acupuncture has endured over the years and has been proven by employing the biomedical research technique. As a result, the impact of both Chinese and Western scientific medicine has grown. A primary objective was to steer clear of the reductionist biological approach, which places more importance on the illness itself than it does on the particular patient. When Westerners who had access to the most advanced medical technology chose additional treatments like acupuncture, this paved the way for the development of a subgroup of the acupuncture practice known as scientific acupuncture [5]. Acupuncture, as a newly developed and standardized therapeutic technique, has therefore switched its focus from conceptual elements of sickness to the diagnosis and treatment of such illness.
Acupuncture is just one of the numerous therapeutic procedures that are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to assist the body in mending itself. According to Armstrong (1972), the number 1584 was found. The term ?needle? originates from the Latin word ?acus,? which means ?needle,? and ?punctura,? which means ?a wound [6].? Acupuncture needles are often made of fine silver and come with a wire coating at one end to make them more manageable for the patient. Acupuncture is the placement of needles made of metal at certain points on the body in order to diagnose, prevent, and cure sickness. Every single acupuncture point is a component of one of the 14 different groups that are situated along a meridian. These groups all relate to different bodily systems. According to what Armstrong (1972) has said, ?the pain or sensation signifying disease in that organ is recorded along the path of that organ’s meridian.? (p. 1582) Acupuncture is believed to have originated in China between four and five thousand years ago. Fu Hsi is acknowledged in the history of China as being one of the early Chinese clinical practitioners and a significant player in the formation of the Chinese medical philosophy. He is known as ?the Father of Chinese Medicine.? Fu Hsi devised stone needles with nine distinct shapes so he could treat a variety of illnesses. The Yin and Yang concepts originated with Fu Hsi’s pa kua, which are more popularly referred to as octograms. According to what Li says, a healthy human body is the product of a balanced interaction between yin and Yang [6]. This theory is the cornerstone of traditional Chinese medicine and serves as the basis for both the investigation of the factors that contribute to human sickness and the formulation of treatment strategies that are likely to be most effective. (p. 133) Because of man’s place as a gear in the larger cosmic wheel, this theory maintains that universal law should be applied uniformly to all individuals [7].
As a result of the interaction of yin and Yang inside our bodies, we regularly feel the organs, including our heart, lungs, and other tissues, contracting and relaxing. Yin and Yang are two opposing elements in Eastern philosophy that are supposed to sustain cosmic balance. It is possible that the roots of acupuncture may be traced back to China and the Yin and Yang. In traditional Chinese medicine, a cosmology was established that consisted of five elements: water, fire, earth, metal, and wood. This cosmology also stated that Yin and Yang, two opposing forces, needed to be in harmony for health to prevail. The separation of functions is a method that may be used to classify everything from portions of the body to mental states to different types of sensory modalities [8]. According to Armstrong (1972), the number 1584 was found. To paraphrase (with credit going to Julien, 2001), ?The logic contained in classical Chinese thought, derived from observing the harmonic relationships of the universe, contemplating the cycles of nature, the functions of the organism, and their interrelations, developed a synthetic and dynamic reasoning that differs from Western, analytical and static, based on linear causality (cause/ effect relationships), and observation of objects or phenomena relatively isolated from one another.? Acupuncture’s notoriety skyrocketed when traditional Chinese medicine and Western medical practices started to intersect in the early 19th century. The cultural distance between Western colonialism and traditional Chinese medicine had an effect on both. The implementation of courses in Western scientific methods was one of the aims of the reforms that took place at the tail end of the 19th century [9]. In the past, it was thought to be irrational and should be eradicated from medical practice; nevertheless, its use in Western Europe implies that it has been beneficial over the years and thus suggests that it should have been used throughout the years.
The inaugural issue of the China Medical Missionary Journal (CMMJ), which was published in 1887 and functioned as a newspaper for medical missionaries working in China, was printed in Shanghai. The city served as the location of the printing plant. The China Medical Missionary Journal was published from the late nineteenth to the early twentieth century and detailed the attempts of Western medical missionaries to grasp Traditional Chinese Medicine. The journal provided in-depth coverage of topics such as the development of contemporary medical education in China as well as the findings of research contrasting traditional Chinese medicine with Western medical practices [10]. This journal was intended to be a scientific periodical that was examined by experts in the field and was devoted to giving readers an objective, scientific introduction to the fundamentals of traditional Chinese medicine. Because Western and Chinese medical traditions address medical problems differently and often in conflict with one another, this magazine was born out of those differences [11]. The negative perception that Western medical professionals have of Chinese medicine and healthcare was brought to light in an issue of the China Medical Missionary Journal.
The 1876 International Medical Congress was held in Philadelphia and was arranged by Chinese medical missionaries so that they may promote their work. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) was attacked at this meeting for having ?no scientific base.? Many Western physicians were under the impression that TCM was full of hocus pocus and old wives’ tales. Despite the fact that the definition of surgery in China is far more limited than it is in Western countries, the two concepts are believed to be equivalent. Palpation, fracture reduction, dislocation reduction, bone elevation, bone depression, shampooing, outward pushing, and acupuncture are the eight subcategories that make up Chinese surgery [12]. Westerners didn’t start taking Chinese medicine seriously until doctors in Shanghai stated that acupuncture was successful in curing cancer patients.
Acupuncture therapy started becoming less popular as the Jesuit missionaries and Western medical practitioners increased their influence. In addition to introducing Chinese people to Western medicine, the Christian missionaries who brought it there also spent almost a century sharing their religion with the Chinese people. In the 19th century, Westerners who visited China to learn about Chinese medicine encountered a range of emotions in response to what they learned. One American missionary who worked in China throughout the nineteenth century was of the view that traditional Chinese medicine was founded more on superstition than on scientific realities and that this mysticism had prevented Chinese doctors from acquiring knowledge of anatomy and chemistry. He said that ?Chinese posology is a system that only charlatans would purport to accept entirely,? which was his opinion of the practice [13]. An increasing interest in Western medicine among the Chinese people as a method of embracing modernity coincided with the fall of the imperial government at the start of the twentieth century. In the book Medicine among the Chinese, which was published in 1863, the French Consul Dabry de Theirsant provided a comprehensive account of the practice of acupuncture as well as the fundamental ideas that underpin Chinese medicine. Through the translation and publication of traditional Chinese medical books, Thiersant sought to bridge the informational divide that existed between China and the Western world.
Chinese acupuncture is based on the concept of qi, or life energy, which flows through the body along channels known as meridians. Acupuncture points are specific spots along the body where qi is thought to be concentrated, and it is believed that by stimulating these points with needles, the flow of qi can be improved, providing relief from symptoms of disease and promoting well-being. The theory of qi is not accepted by Western medicine, but acupuncture is still widely practiced in the West. It is often used in conjunction with Western medicine to treat a variety of illnesses and conditions.
The relationship between Chinese acupuncture points and blood and lymph vessels and nerves in Western medicine has been studied extensively over the past few decades, and there is a great deal of evidence to suggest that there is indeed a connection between the two. For example, studies have shown that acupuncture points are located in close proximity to nerve fibers, suggesting that stimulation of the acupuncture points could have an effect on the nervous system. Furthermore, studies have shown that stimulation of acupuncture points can lead to the release of neurotransmitters, which could then affect the flow of blood and lymph.
The Chinese established their own unique system of categorization, which was separate from the one used in the modern Western world. Traditional Chinese medicine was based on the idea that humans should work in harmony with the natural processes that were organized into numerous hierarchized systems that corresponded to the oneness of the cosmos in order for the practice to be effective. The order of completeness and rhythm predominated in traditional Chinese medicine, and the efficacy of the practice was predicated on the idea that humans should work in unison with natural processes. Traditional Chinese medicine did not completely give up its ancient practices with the advent of Western medicine in the 19th century. These practices are collectively referred to as ?traditional Chinese medicine.? Because of the new Chinese medicine’s strong tendency toward positivism, there have been questions raised regarding whether or not it is compatible with the logic and scientific norms of the West. As a direct result of this, philosophical mediums included in traditional Western medicine were progressively phased out, along with the underlying principles, superstitions, and religious beliefs that backed it. This was done in order to make room for more modern medical practices
According to Contactor, ?Traditional Chinese Medicine describes the life of the body (qi) based on the biological processes that are characteristic of Western medical theory? (2018). Therefore, the sources of vitality would be the parents, the food, and the air, and we would have to rule out the idea of any extra source that defies material explanation and logical understanding. This means that the sources of vitality would be the parents, the food, and the air. A departure was also made from the idea of trying to comprehend the illnesses that afflict a particular organism. Conventional Chinese Medicine (TCM) did not employ traditional differential diagnosis because it believed that Western diagnostic processes, which were focused on the illness process, were superior. As a consequence of this, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), often known as Chinese medicine, has demoted acupuncture to the level of only an abstract category of Chinese medicine. This is a break from the practice’s traditional connection to the neural systems of human beings. A more scientific method of approaching acupuncture began to develop around the 1970s, along with the change of what is now known as Classical Chinese medicine. In spite of the fact that scientific research has demonstrated that biochemical triggering can occur from the application of needles to specific points on the body, a movement began with the advent of neurofunctional acupuncture that allowed acupuncturists who were trained in Western medicine to reject Classical Chinese medical techniques. This was made possible by the fact that neurofunctional acupuncture allowed acupuncturists to treat patients without the use of needles. Even though neurofunctional acupuncture was performed, this outcome happened. It has become challenging to explain the advantages of acupuncture inside national health systems as a result of the absence of scientific support for the practice of acupuncture [14]. At the outset, both the usefulness of acupuncture and the issue of whether or not it should be used in any capacity was questioned.
In the West, acupuncture gained popularity in the second half of the 20th century, particularly among individuals without medical training. Due to acupuncture’s rising popularity, the Chinese have begun providing instruction to Westerners. Acupuncture and the usage of other forms of alternative medicine saw rapid growth as people looked for more individualized care as a result of societal shifts. Avoiding the reductionist biological perspective that puts the emphasis on the sickness rather than the individual patient was a priority [15]. Scientific acupuncture emerged as a subset of the acupuncture practice when Westerners who had access to the best medical technology opted for supplementary therapies like acupuncture. Even though it shares just the practice of inserting needles into the body with traditional Chinese acupuncture, scientific acupuncture has gained widespread institutional acceptance in the West because it was created and tested according to scientific principles. In the West, acupuncture’s scientific contribution was a crucial factor in establishing the practice’s credibility. It’s a contact lens [13]. This might be seen as the moment when this particular TCM acupuncture focus was formally institutionalized in China and then exported throughout the globe. Both the formal nomenclature of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the terms ?scientific? and ?neurofunctional? acupuncture owe a debt to this colonial hybridization of Western scientific knowledge and Classical Chinese medicine.
Acupuncture, which in the past was believed to be a component of traditional Chinese medicine, is now, rather ironically, being sought out by Westerners in conjunction with other forms of holistic therapy. The clinical application of acupuncture moved it closer to standardization due to a new and developed emphasis on the diagnosis and treatment of the ailment rather than on the conceptual qualities of the condition being treated [16]. In order to alleviate stress-related symptoms, boost the immune system, decrease sleeplessness, and treat cardiac issues after a stroke, more acquaintance with acupuncture therapy has been sought in the United States. In 1980, a research was conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles, to verify the scientific correctness of acupuncture. The study examined 40 patients and concluded that acupuncture had an accuracy rate of 75% in detecting musculoskeletal pain locations [17]. Additionally, his style of alternative medicine has been blended with standard Western medicine in order to treat patients suffering from cancer and lower the amount of narcotic medication they need. Acupuncture is becoming more popular, which has resulted in the proliferation of acupuncture training institutes around the United States [18]. In point of fact, there are 55 acupuncture schools in the United States, and a significant number of acupuncturists in the country get their licensure by participating in ongoing educational opportunities. In many Western nations today, acupuncture may be found practiced in both its traditional form in China as well as in its more modern offshoot, which was created from traditional Chinese medicine.
The first two surgical procedures using acupuncture as a kind of anesthesia or analgesia were carried out in the United States in the year 1972 at the Hospital of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York [19]. In practically every kind of surgical treatment imaginable, acupuncture has been successfully used. Acupuncture in the United States has been shown to have a great deal of potential for the future. It has a success record of 90 percent in open heart surgeries. Research on acupuncture is conducted in universities all over the globe in an effort to get a better knowledge of the human body. Contemporary medicine recognizes the special position that acupuncture has in the field.
Acupuncture is able to create possibilities for new discoveries to be made, which is to the advantage of the medical community all around the globe. This is made possible by the hybridization of traditional Chinese medicine with Western medicine [20].
Studies Investigating the Relationship Between Chinese Acupuncture Points And Blood and Lymph Vessels and Nerves in Western Medicine
Several studies have been conducted to investigate the relationship between Chinese acupuncture points and blood and lymph vessels and nerves in Western medicine [21]. These studies have mainly focused on the effects of acupuncture on the nervous system, blood flow, and lymphatic system.
A number of studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of acupuncture on the nervous system. One study found that acupuncture points are located in close proximity to nerve fibers, suggesting that stimulation of the acupuncture points could have an effect on the nervous system [22]. Furthermore, some studies have shown that stimulation of acupuncture points can lead to the release of neurotransmitters, which could then affect the flow of blood and lymph [23].
Studies have also shown that acupuncture can have an effect on blood flow. One study found that stimulation of acupuncture points can lead to an increase in blood flow to the area [24]. Furthermore, studies have shown that acupuncture can reduce inflammation, which can lead to improved blood flow [25].
Studies have also shown that acupuncture can have an effect on the lymphatic system. One study found that stimulation of acupuncture points can lead to an increase in lymphatic drainage, which can help to reduce swelling and inflammation [26]. Furthermore, studies have shown that acupuncture can reduce inflammation and swelling, which can improve lymphatic drainage [27].
In conclusion, there is a great deal of evidence to suggest that there is indeed a connection between Chinese acupuncture points and blood and lymph vessels and nerves in Western medicine. Studies have shown that acupuncture points are located in close proximity to nerve fibers, suggesting that stimulation of the acupuncture points could have an effect on the nervous system. Furthermore, studies have shown that stimulation of acupuncture points can lead to the release of neurotransmitters, which could then affect the flow of blood and lymph. Additionally, studies have shown that acupuncture can have an effect on blood flow and the lymphatic system. Therefore, it is clear that there is a connection between Chinese acupuncture points and blood and lymph vessels and nerves in Western medicine, and further research is needed to explore this connection further [28-36].
