Is it save for acupuncture?

hands

[quote:72790ed964="sonus"]I wonder if massage on the acupoints can effectively replace needle insertion in treatment.[/quote:72790ed964]

[quote:72790ed964="David King"]Both traditional Chinese therapeutic massage and acupuncture are taken as specialties of medicine in China and they are more or less related, but they are different. Nobody should or could replace one with another. I, personally, state that acupuncture does need a good training before practice.[/quote:72790ed964]

Of course, acupuncture and Chinese therapeutic massage ([i:72790ed964]tuina[/i:72790ed964]) are different. However, WHO in their [i:72790ed964]Guidelines on Basic Training and Safety in Acupuncture[/i:72790ed964] recommend teaching [b:72790ed964][i:72790ed964]acupressure[/i:72790ed964][/b:72790ed964] ([i:72790ed964]zhi-ya[/i:72790ed964]) to [i:72790ed964]primary health care personnel[/i:72790ed964] rather than acupuncture, as the former is much safer with little trainig. Below is the excerpt from the [i:72790ed964]Guidelines[/i:72790ed964]:

[size=11:72790ed964]"It would seem wiser, in such cases, to [i:72790ed964]train such personnel in acupressure[/i:72790ed964] ([i:72790ed964]zhi-ya[/i:72790ed964]) rather than in acupuncture itself. Training in acupressure would make no great demands, could be incorporated into the general training of primary health care personnel, and [i:72790ed964]would carry no risk to the patient[/i:72790ed964]. The use of acupressure in primary health care would have to be evaluated after a suitable trial period. Some personnel who show particular aptitude might be chosen for basic training in acupuncture, a training programme being arranged according to the applications envisaged".[/size:72790ed964]

NOTE: The WHO [i:72790ed964]Guidelines on Basic Training and Safety in Acupuncture[/i:72790ed964] were drafted by Professor [i:72790ed964]Zhu-Fan Xie[/i:72790ed964], Honorary Director of the Institute of Integrated Medicine, First Hospital of Beijing Medical University, China, based on the WHO Consultation on Acupuncture in 1996 in Cervia, Italy and the comments submited through the WHO Regional Offices and the World Federation of Acupuncture and Moxibustion Societies (WFAS).

Acupressure could be practiced by different allied health practitioners (nurses, physiotherapists, etc.) even when the contry/state law do not allow them to perform invasive treatments requiring penetration of the skin.

A simple blunt [i:72790ed964]non-penetrating[/i:72790ed964] tapping needle (Chinese [i:72790ed964]shi zhen[/i:72790ed964], Japanese [i:72790ed964]teishin[/i:72790ed964]) could be used to safely perform [i:72790ed964]acupresure[/i:72790ed964]. By the way, as far as i know, it was one of the original nine acupuncture needles, first described in the [i:72790ed964]Huang Di Nei Jing[/i:72790ed964] as having a round and blunt tip, “like a grain of millet” (see #3 on the picture below from [i:72790ed964]Dr. Zhu Lian[/i:72790ed964]'s book [i:72790ed964]New Acupuncture[/i:72790ed964]).

[img:72790ed964]http://eastbook.by.ru/chju-lyan/g8d1_02.gif[/img:72790ed964]

A [i:72790ed964]shi zhen[/i:72790ed964] needle could be ordered online, among others, from the Acu-International Supplies, Inc. (see https://www.acuinternational.com/ASPCart/prodetails.asp?prodid=715&start=1 ) or the Golden Spirit (see http://www.goldenspirit.com/JapaneseMeridiantherapy/Meridiantherapytools.htm ).

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Sergiy

Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 12:46 pm    

hands

[quote:2a72d8ba1c="sonus"]
According to the course materials, some acupoints are located near key arteries such as Jing-riverqu LU 8 and Taiyuan LU 9. How dangerous it is if TCM students fail to insert the needle on precise points but to arteries or nerves? Have you ever experienced such mistake of students and how to prevent the mistake?[/quote:2a72d8ba1c]

[b:2a72d8ba1c]PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN[/b:2a72d8ba1c]
(according to the [b:2a72d8ba1c][i:2a72d8ba1c]Guidelines on Basic Training and Safety in Acupuncture[/i:2a72d8ba1c][/b:2a72d8ba1c] by the World Health Organization)

Special care should be taken in needling points in proximity to vital organs or sensitive areas. Because of the characteristics of the needles used, the particular sites for needling, the depth of needle insertion, the manipulation techniques used, and the stimulation given, accidents may occur during treatment. In most instances they can be avoided if adequate precautions are taken. If they do occur, the acupuncturist should know how to manage them effectively and avoid any additional harm. Accidental injury to an important organ requires urgent medical or surgical help.

[b:2a72d8ba1c]Chest, back and abdomen[/b:2a72d8ba1c]

Points on the chest, back and abdomen should be needled cautiously, preferably obliquely or horizontally, so as to avoid injury to vital organs. Attention should be paid to the direction and depth of insertion of needles.

[b:2a72d8ba1c]Lung and pleura[/b:2a72d8ba1c]

Injury to the lung and pleura caused by too deep insertion of a needle into points on the chest, back or supraclavicular fossa may cause traumatic pneumothorax. Cough, chest pain and dyspnoea are the usual symptoms and occur abruptly during the manipulation, especially if there is severe laceration of the lung by the needle. Alternatively, symptoms may develop gradually over several hours after the acupuncture treatment.

[b:2a72d8ba1c]Liver, spleen and kidney[/b:2a72d8ba1c]

Puncture of the liver or spleen may cause a tear with bleeding, local pain and tenderness, and rigidity of the abdominal muscles. Puncturing the kidney may cause pain in the lumbar region and haematuria. If the damage is minor the bleeding will stop spontaneously but, if the bleeding is serious, shock may follow
with a drop of blood pressure.

[b:2a72d8ba1c]Central nervous system[/b:2a72d8ba1c]

Inappropriate manipulation at points between or beside the upper cervical vertebrae, such as GV 15 yamen and GV 16 fengfu may puncture the medulla oblongata, causing headache, nausea, vomiting, sudden slowing of respiration and disorientation, followed by convulsions, paralysis or coma. Between other vertebrae above the first lumbar, too deep needling may puncture the spinal
cord, causing lightning pain felt in the extremities or on the trunk below the level of puncture.

[b:2a72d8ba1c]Other points[/b:2a72d8ba1c]

Other points which are potentially dangerous and which therefore require special skill and experience in their use include:
- BL 1 jingming and ST 1 chengqi, located close to the eyeball;
- CV 22 tiantu, in front of the trachea;
- ST 9 renying, near the carotid artery;
- SP 11 jimen and SP 12 chongmen, near the femoral artery; and
- LU 9 taiyuan on the radial artery.

[b:2a72d8ba1c]Circulatory system[/b:2a72d8ba1c]

Care should be taken in needling areas of poor circulation (e.g. varicose veins) where there is a risk of infection, and to avoid accidental puncture of arteries (sometimes aberrant) which may cause bleeding, haematoma, arterial spasm or more serious complications when pathological change is present (e.g. aneurysm, atherosclerosis). Generally, bleeding due to puncture of a superficial blood vessel may be stopped by direct pressure.

Last edited by Sergiy on Sun Jul 09, 2006 12:47 pm; edited 1 time in total

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Sergiy

Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 11:44 am    

hands

Thank you for your clear response.
_________________
I love TCM

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sonus

Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 9:29 pm    

hands

Hi, Sonus,
Nice to have you here in the forum!

Sure it's not good to insert the needle into the key arteries!

So, TCM students need the clinical practice.

Nobody should do acupuncture without the guidance by the experienced acupuncture physicians.
That's also why acupuncture is taken as medicine in China, it's not magic, neither is so simple to perform it.

To prevent any harm or damage by acupuncture requires the good clinical practice.

Medboo training center never recommends or advocates anybody who's got no medical knowledge to practice acupuncture without good instruction or learning in clinic.

Because of the good training in China, I never experienced any mistake myself, neither encounter any students who've made such mistake.

Both traditional Chinese therapeutic massage and acupuncture are taken as specialties of medicine in China and they are more or less related, but they are different. Nobody should or could replace one with another.

I, personally, state that acupuncture does need a good training before practice.

--------------------------------

David King

Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 6:19 am    

hands

Hi, Sonus,
Nice to have you here in the forum!

Sure it's not good to insert the needle into the key arteries!

So, TCM students need the clinical practice.

Nobody should do acupuncture without the guidance by the experienced acupuncture physicians.
That's also why acupuncture is taken as medicine in China, it's not magic, neither is so simple to perform it.

To prevent any harm or damage by acupuncture requires the good clinical practice.

Medboo training center never recommends or advocates anybody who's got no medical knowledge to practice acupuncture without good instruction or learning in clinic.

Because of the good training in China, I never experienced any mistake myself, neither encounter any students who've made such mistake.

Both traditional Chinese therapeutic massage and acupuncture are taken as specialties of medicine in China and they are more or less related, but they are different. Nobody should or could replace one with another.

I, personally, state that acupuncture does need a good training before practice.

------------------------------------

David King

Posted: Tue Jun 27, 2006 6:17 am    

hands

Sorry for my poor Enlish. My subject is ''Does it safe for acupuncture?''
_________________
I love TCM

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sonus

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 2:06 am