Acupuncture: Help or Hype
Tracy Wilson
5 of 205 of 20 Items
05:03
Feature
Acupuncture: Help or Hype?
Tracy Wilson
1 Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used medical procedures in the world. Originating in China more than 2,000 years ago, acupuncture began to become better known in the United States in 1971, when New York Times reporter James Reston wrote about how doctors in China used needles to ease his pain after surgery.
2 The term acupuncture describes a family of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other Eastern countries. The acupuncture technique that has been most studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation.
3 Acupuncture needles are metallic, solid, and hair-thin. People experience acupuncture differently, but most feel no or minimal pain as the needles are inserted. Some people are energized by treatment, while others feel relaxed. Improper needle placement, movement of the patient, or a defect in the needle can cause soreness and pain during treatment. This is why it is important to seek treatment from a qualified acupuncture practitioner.
4 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners in 1996. The FDA requires that sterile, nontoxic needles be used and that they be labeled for single use by qualified practitioners only.
5 Relatively few complications from the use of acupuncture have been reported to the FDA in light of the millions of people treated each year and the number of acupuncture needles used. Still, complications have resulted from inadequate sterilization of needles and from improper delivery of treatments. Practitioners should use a new set of disposable needles taken from a sealed package for each patient and should swab treatment sites with alcohol or another disinfectant before inserting needles. When not delivered properly, acupuncture can cause serious adverse effects, including infections and punctured organs.
6 Acupuncture is one of the key components of the system of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In the TCM system of medicine, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, while yang represents the hot, excited, or active principle. Among the major assumptions in TCM are that health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state" and that disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians. It is believed that there are 12 main meridians and 8 secondary meridians and that there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body that connect with them.
7 Preclinical studies have documented acupuncture's effects, but they have not been able to fully explain how acupuncture works within the framework of the Western system of medicine that is commonly practiced in the United States. It is proposed that acupuncture produces its effects through regulating the nervous system, thus aiding the activity of pain-killing biochemicals such as endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites in the body. In addition, studies have shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones and, thus, affecting the parts of the central nervous system related to sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes that regulate a person's blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature.
Question
Which of these would be LEAST likely to be included in a research paper about the positive aspects of acupuncture?
Responses
A Most people feel no pain at all from acupuncture needles.Most people feel no pain at all from acupuncture needles.
B James Reston wrote about how acupuncture eased his pain after surgery.James Reston wrote about how acupuncture eased his pain after surgery.
C Deadly infections can result from improper sterilization of acupuncture needles.Deadly infections can result from improper sterilization of acupuncture needles.
D Relatively few complications have been reported to the FDA regarding acupuncture treatments.Relatively few complications have been reported to the FDA regarding acupuncture treatments.
C Deadly infections can result from improper sterilization of acupuncture needles.
From which source would you likely find research studies involving acupuncture?
Responses
A Journal of PediatricsJournal of Pediatrics
B Journal of Eastern MedicineJournal of Eastern Medicine
C Journal of Behavioral MedicineJournal of Behavioral Medicine
D Journal of Traditional Western Medicine
B Journal of Eastern Medicine
The Dream Machine
Lindsay Rock
Question
The author uses paragraphs eight, nine, and ten
Responses
A to explain how the Dream Machine brought Derek back from ancient Greece.to explain how the Dream Machine brought Derek back from ancient Greece.
B to illustrate how to program the Dream Machine to take someone into the past.to illustrate how to program the Dream Machine to take someone into the past.
C to show that Derek succeeded in using the Dream Machine to complete his project.to show that Derek succeeded in using the Dream Machine to complete his project.
D to demonstrate that Derek’s presentation was better than those of his classmates.
C to show that Derek succeeded in using the Dream Machine to complete his project.
The Junior Representative
Mary McCormick
Catherine is a student who read about Jamal's experience. She expressed a strong opinion that Jamal enjoyed every bit of his special day as a junior representative. Which is the BEST example from the text that supports Catherine's opinion?
Responses
A The kids who got to visit the nation’s capital had a very big day in store.The kids who got to visit the nation’s capital had a very big day in store.
B Another fine show was when several new Americans reenacted their Pledge for Citizenship.Another fine show was when several new Americans reenacted their Pledge for Citizenship.
C Jamal, however, enjoyed this exchange of words mostly because one day he wanted to be a great debater.Jamal, however, enjoyed this exchange of words mostly because one day he wanted to be a great debater.
D Jamal wrote an essay because he really loved the government and knew that one day he wanted a career in the US Congress.