As a healing system, acupuncture has been practiced for tens of hundreds of years in China and other parts of the Far East. Today, this enduring and powerful form of treatment is used by thousands of practitioners in Europe and the United States to treat a wide range of health conditions and is only growing more and more popular by the day because of its efficacy and safety. If you don’t know what acupuncture is, then you might be surprised to know that piercing needles into the skin is an efficient way of treating a wide range of health conditions, including bronchitis.
Experiencing Acupuncture for the First Time
People who have experienced acupuncture for the first time may know very little or nothing at all about the underlying reason of the treatment’s effectiveness. Most only try it because it was recommended to them by friends and family members who have enjoyed its benefits or out of desperation when all conventional modalities have been tried with little or no success.
A great number of people who have tried acupuncture suffer from some type of unresolved physical pain, usually low back pain. It’s common to see patients unable to sleep, feeling so miserable, and in extreme pain. With just one session of acupuncture, their pain disappears helping them to sleep soundly and enjoy life once more. I should know, I was one of those patients.
Two Schools Of Thought as To Why Acupuncture Works
There are two prevailing schools of thought explaining the reason why acupuncture works. The first and earliest school of thought is traditional acupuncture, which is the type of acupuncture that has been used for thousands of years. It follows an Eastern philosophy that thinks that when a needle is stuck into an acupoint, a point where a meridian or channel where energy flows lies underneath, it stimulates the meridian to help normalize the flow of life energy (Qi), balance the forces of yin and yang, and clear external and internal pathogens in the body.
Traditional acupuncturists believe that Qi flows along 12 primary meridians and if one or more of the meridian is out of balance, disease occurs. These practitioners use unique diagnostic tools derived from TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) to determine the condition plaguing the patient and then use acupuncture to treat the condition, oftentimes in combination with Chinese herbs.
Medical acupuncture is the other school of thought and people who practice it believe that the needles have the ability to activate the body’s central nervous system, which then leads to the production and chemicals in the body that help relieve the sickness.
Can Acupuncture Treat Bronchitis?
Acupuncture has worked for a lot of patients suffering from bronchitis. Many of them have tried all types of treatments with very little success. Not all people may find acupuncture an answer to whatever ails them. It all depends on how well they respond to the treatment. For those who feel that acupuncture can help resolve the symptoms of bronchitis, it not only can aid you to feel better, acupuncture can also bolster the function of your lungs as well as help prevent future attacks.
Bronchitis
The bronchus is the main passageway where air flows to and from the lungs. When it is infected, the bronchus becomes irritated and inflamed resulting in the condition known as bronchitis, with its main symptoms being a hacking cough. Some people with bronchitis may discharge yellowish gray mucus along with the cough.
Bronchitis – A TCM Perspective
TCM practitioners think bronchitis is caused by either external or internal pathogens.
As a rule, chronic bronchitis is the result of internal pathogens while acute bronchitis is brought about by external pathogens.
Acupuncture Treatment for Bronchitis
Most bronchitis cases can be resolved in the comfort of your own home. Both western and eastern medicine has no cure for chronic bronchitis yet.
Acupuncture treatment focuses on the restoration of the patient’s health system as well as the strengthening of his/her ling function and immune system. After completing a course of treatment, the symptoms are resolved and the patient becomes strong enough to repel future infections.
Acupuncture can also help lower the patient’s sensitivity to physical and chemical irritants and allergens, lessen congestion, and decrease the inflammation of secretions.
The number of treatments is determined by the acupuncturist depending on the patient’s physiology, symptoms and other factors. Chronic bronchitis cases usually require 15 treatments while acute bronchitis, just a few treatments.
Scott Paglia is a licensed and board certified acupuncturist in Bellingham, WA and provides master level pulse diagnosis, Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture in Whatcom County, WA.