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First of all, the patient is examined throughly
by the acupuncturist doctor (and after the
necessary laboratory and radiological analysises)
diagnosis is determined. The patient is laid
either facedown or on his/her back on the
examination table according to the condition of
the illness, if s/he wants, seated.
There are various types of needles in
acupuncture. The most frequently used ones are
steel needles, being almost as thin as a hair
and very sharp. With a special method, it is
applied under the dermis or inside the muscle
without a pain by the acupuncturist. Sometimes
these points are stimulated up to 20-30 seconds.
Frequently, after the application of the
acupuncture needles, the patient is examined for
15 or 45 minutes in a calm cabinet/room. The
length of the needles is between 0.5-8 centimes
and their diameters vary from 0.18-0.5
millimeters. The needles are generally used
either disposable or sterilized by the autoclave
(used for sterilizing in the surgery).
Under some circumstances, needle which may last
for 5 and 15 days (needle in the shape of
thumbtack) can be applied to the ears. Under-dermis
pins, which are called as Intra-dermal, can be
applied and may leave there for a week. Moreover,
Laser treatment can be applied to the
acupuncture points (especially children, very
old and patients those who have pin phobia).
In electro-acupuncture, alternative current, low
and ampere voltage can be applied on the
acupuncture points. According to the condition
of the illness the frequency (electrical
stimulation per second) varies between 2 and
2000 Hz. Electro-acupuncture was first applied
in 1958 after a tonsil surgery as a painkiller.
Furthermore, though very rarely, sono waves (ultrasound)
are also applied to the acupuncture points. The
goal is -no matter which method is applied- is
to stimulate the acupuncture point. Sometimes we
without knowing or not- are stimulating those
points almost everyday by either pressuring or
massaging. (For example, in the presence of the
forehead ache, we take off our glasses and
stimulate the inside starting region of our
eyebrows with our thumb and forefinger and
occasionally we ask our friends to knead our
shoulders and chew our waist).
There are various methods in acupuncture. These
are:
1- BODY ACUPUNCTURE: The points in the body are
used. As officially accepted by WHO (World
Health Organization), there are 361 points and
approximately 50 extra points.
2- EAR ACUPUNCTURE: Again it was determined by
WHO that there are 43 effective ear acupuncture
points (which is equal to %10 of the body points).
3- FACE ACUPUNCTURE: Some special regions of the
face.
4- NOSE ACUPUNCTURE: It is research is being
carried out especially by the American doctor
Ralph Alan Dale.
5- FOOT ACUPUNCTURE
6- HAND ACUPUNCTURE: Suchzok Acupuncture.
ACUPUNCTURE POINT:
1- Regions which have low electrical resistance,
2- As a matter of fact, the electrical potential
of that region is over than 300 mV,
3- It has high electrical capacity (0,1–1 mF),
4- The dermis breathing is higher in these
regions,
5- The heat of these regions is higher than the
other regions,
6- The sound signal of these regions is higher.
(2-15 Hz, in terms of amplitude is 0.5-1 mV).
METHODS APPLIED ON THE ACUPUNCTURE POINT:
1- Needle,
2- Laser,
3- Ultrasonic waves (sound waves),
4- Electro-acupuncture (application of specific
voltage and alternative current under a
particular frequency to the point),
5- Moxa (a plant [Artemisia Vulgaris] which is
used to heat the region),
6- Cupping (application of a cupping glass to
draw blood to the surface of the body for
relieving internal congestion [Traditional
Chinese Medicine therapy] ),
7- Tuina, An-Mo, Acupressure (application of a
specific massage to the acupuncture point),
8- The injection of particular medicines to the
acupuncture point (physiological serum, vitamin,
and etc.)
9- T.E.N.S (just giving electrical current
without pinning a needle to the skin).
CONTRINDICATIONS WHICH ACUPUNCTURE CANNOT BE
APPLIED:
1- Especially in the first 3 months of the
pregnancy some acupuncture points (such as,
under abdomen and waist points) definitely
cannot be used, only in the pregnancy vomiting
acupuncture can be used.
2- The occurrences which are going to be taken
into surgery,
3- In cancer occurrences, only in order to
reduce the pain,
4- Bleeding illnesses (i.e. hemophilia).
5- In the patients which anticoagulant (substance
that prevents coagulation) is being used should
be applied carefully.
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