Acupuncture: New Uses for an Ancient Remedy



Acupuncture: New Uses for an Ancient Remedy

Specific Purpose: To inform you about the use of the ancient Chinese remedy of acupuncture in modern Western medicine.

Central Idea: I want to inform you about the use of acupuncture in Western medicine by explaining what happens when you receive an acupuncture treatment, how acupuncture works, the kinds of medical conditions that can be treated with acupuncture, and the growing use of acupuncture in combination with Western medical techniques.

Introduction

I. Six months ago, my 78-year-old grandmother was quickly losing her independence.

II. Pain medications helped somewhat, but the side effects created their own problems.

III. Then my grandmother tried acupuncture.

A. After six weeks, she could once again do the things her arthritis had prevented

her from doing.

B. Acupuncture restored her quality of life and her independence.

IV. Performed for over 2,000 years in China and other parts of Asia, acupuncture is

becoming more popular in the United States and other Western countries.

V. Impressed by my grandmother’s experience, I began acupuncture treatments for my

migraine headaches, and now the headaches completely disappeared.

VI. I wanted to learn more about this medical treatment that produced such incredible

results for both my grandmother and me.

VII. Today I will share part of what I have learned by explaining what happens when you

receive an acupuncture treatment, how acupuncture works, the kinds of medical

conditions that can be treated with acupuncture, and the growing use of acupuncture

in combination with Western medical techniques.

(Transition: Let’s start by looking at a typical acupuncture treatment.)

Body

I. Acupuncture is the insertion of needles into the skin to achieve a balanced flow of

energy, which in turn restores and preserves health.

A. Acupuncturists in the United States use sterilized needles that are individually

packaged and are disposed of after a single use.

B. The needles are so thin that the process is essentially painless.

1. Acupuncture needles are much smaller than the needles used for drawing

blood or getting shots.

2. Here are some needles I received from my acupuncturist and will pass around

after my speech.

a. They are so thin that you can hardly tell when they are inserted.

b. There is usually no sensation other than pain relief once they have been

inserted.

C. After being left in for 20 to 30 minutes while you lie in a darkened room, the

needles are removed, and your treatment is over.

(Transition: Now that you know what happens when you are treated by an acupuncturist, you’re probably wondering how acupuncture works.)

II. Acupuncture works by improving the flow of energy in the body.

A. The process is explained by Dr. Felix Mann in Acupuncture: The Ancient

Chinese Art of Healing and How It Works Scientifically.

B. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that every life process is based on the flow

of vital energy through the body.

C. This energy – known in Chinese as qi – flows along channels or pathways called

meridians.

1. The meridians cover the entire body, running from the top of the head to the

bottom of the feet and down both arms.

2. When the free flow of energy through these meridians is blocked, the result

is pain, illness, disease, or other physical problems.

D. The aim of acupuncture is to restore the open flow of energy through the

meridians.

1. This is done by placing the needles at specific points on the meridians.

2. Altogether there are more than 1,000 acupuncture points on the meridians.

3. In China there is a saying: “There is no pain if there is free flow; if there is

pain, there is no free flow.”

III. The evidence is clear that acupuncture works in treating a wide range of medical

conditions.

A. The World Health Organization lists more than 40 conditions that can be

effectively treated with acupuncture.

B. A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine confirms that acupuncture relieves

low back pain.

C. The American Cancer Society reports that acupuncture may help smokers kick

their habit.

D. People also use acupuncture to build the immune system, to control allergies, and

to combat depression and anxiety.

E. You can’t use acupuncture to heal a broken arm, but people in Asia often use it

during surgery instead of Western anesthesia, and it can speed recovery time

after surgery.

IV. A number of clinics and hospitals are combining acupuncture with Western

medicine to provide their patients the benefits of both.

A. Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston has added acupuncture to its wellness

center.

B. Dr. Lonnie Zeltzer of the Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA says that

acupuncture “really does help. Most children accept acupuncture, and in fact,

really feel good about it.”

C. Neurologist Allan Gordon, Director of the Wasser Pain Management Center at

Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada, says that adding acupuncture to the

hospital expands “the treatment available to chronic pain sufferers” and provides

“multiple options for care to our patients.”

D. The National Institutes for Health report that more than 8 million Americans

have tried acupuncture, and its use throughout the rest of the Western world is

growing fast.

Conclusion

I. Today we have learned what happens during an acupuncture treatment, how

acupuncture works, some of the illnesses that can be treated with acupuncture, and

the growing integration of acupuncture with Western approaches to medicine.

II. After years of skepticism, the West is finally beginning to recognize that

acupuncture is a highly effective way to improve health and to reduce pain and

suffering.

III. Just ask my grandmother.

Bibliography

"Acupuncture." Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, 2006.

Web. 12 Dec. 2006.

Lemorick, Michael D. “When It’s a Child Who Is Hurting.” Time 28 Feb. 2005: 55.

Research Library. Web. 7 Nov. 2006.

Mann, Felix. Acupuncture: The Ancient Chinese Art of Healing and How It Works

Scientifically. Rev. ed. New York: Vintage, 1973. Print.

Shekelle, Paul, et al. “Acupuncture for Low Back Pain/In Response.” Annals of Internal

Medicine 143.9 (2005): 691. Research Library. Web. 11 Nov. 2006.

“World Health Organization; New International Guidelines to Promote Proper Use of

Alternative Medicines.” Biotech Week 21 July 2004: 787. Research Library.

Web. 6 June 2006.

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