The term acupuncture comes from the Latin acus (needle) and punctura (puncture). The growing interest in understanding and applying acupuncture in the West has led to the creation of international research groups with the aim of elucidating its mechanisms of action. This is why the so-called Contemporary Acupuncture takes a step forward with respect to classical Chinese acupuncture, because it uses the anatomical and pathophysiological knowledge available today, under the umbrella of evidence-based medicine.
The list of diseases that can be treated with acupuncture is very wide because it has four fundamental pillars of action:
- Analgesic
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antidepressant
- Anxiolytic
Acupuncture: treatment in rheumatology.
In the specialty of Rheumatology, the efficacy of Acupuncture is based on the growing scientific evidence shown in recent publications. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in Rheumatology and the musculoskeletal system, the most frequent applications are related to treating any type of pain of the musculoskeletal system, both acute and chronic, due to its important neuromodulation effect.
3 Acupuncture techniques according to the disease
The main specialized techniques of Acupuncture are the following:
- Body acupuncture: consists of the insertion of fine beveled needles in specific points of the body for a specific purpose. It is the queen technique par excellence.
- Auriculotherapy: consists of inserting needles or placing semi-permanent titanium seeds in specific external areas of the auricular pavilion. It is an extremely useful technique to control processes in which people try to get rid of a toxic habit, such as smoking, or seek to reduce states of anxiety and depression such as those associated with overweight or fibromyalgia.
- Electroacupuncture: is the application of low intensity modulated current. It has a variable frequency, thanks to small electrodes, which amplifies the classic effect of body acupuncture. It is a very useful technique to treat chronic pain: osteoarthritis, low back pain, tendinitis or neck pain, among others.
Several prestigious scientific societies have published in their clinical practice guidelines recommendations in favor of acupuncture as a therapeutic procedure. Some of these societies are the American College of Physicians, the American Pain Society and the British “NHS” NICE Guidelines, considered the most restrictive in terms of efficiency.
It is important to emphasize that acupuncture is a medical procedure and, as such, should always be practiced by a qualified and accredited professional to ensure proper practice. Specialists affirm that acupuncture should be the first choice in the treatment of pain in the locomotor system.