What is western medial acupuncture?
Western medical acupuncture is a therapeutic modality involving the insertion of small needles; it is an adaptation of Chinese acupuncture using current knowledge of anatomy, physiology and pathology and the principles of evidence based medicine. While Western medical acupuncture has evolved from Chinese acupuncture, its practitioners no longer adhere to concepts such as Yin/Yang and circulation of qi, and regard acupuncture as part of conventional medicine rather than a complete "alternative medical system". It acts mainly by stimulating the nervous system and its known modes of action include local antidromic axon reflexes, segmental and extra-segmental neuromodulation and other central nervous system effects. Western medical acupuncture is principally used by conventional healthcare practitioners, most commonly in primary care. It is mainly used to treat musculoskeletal pain, including myofascial trigger point pain.
Acupuncture likely affects homeostasis through the somato-autonomic reflex and modulates any imbalance between the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic systems (rest and digest). It also stimulates somatic afferent nerves in the skin and muscles, leading to somatic sensory information being carried to the cortex of the brain and various nuclei in the brainstem and hypothalamus. This afferent input significantly affects autonomic functions and modulates various biomechanical responses.
Acupuncture-induced analgesic (pain reducing) effects have been used to alleviate a wide variety of painful conditions. Acupuncture induces afferent nerve signals that modulate spinal signal transmission and pain perception in the brain, while activating areas of the brain that contribute to inhibitory modulation of descending pain pathways. Acupuncture also activates afferent nociceptive nerve fibers, spinal and complex brain neural pathways, and various signal molecules.
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References:
White A; Editorial Board of Acupuncture in Medicine. Western medical acupuncture: a definition. Acupunct Med. 2009 Mar;27(1):33-5.
Li F, He T, Xu Q, et al; Acupoints – Narrative Literature Review. Pain Medicine 2015; 16(10): 1905–1915.
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