Photo by Vitaly NapadowA specialized MRI scan shows the effects of acupuncture. The top two images show the brain of a healthy subject. In the middle two images, a patient with carpal tunnel syndrome registers pain (indicated by red and yellow). The bottom images show the calming effect (indicated by blue) in the brain after acupuncture.
This article describes how scientists are using ultra-sound, thermal imaging, and neuroimaging to show the effects of acupuncture. Scientists found that many of the 365 acupuncture points correspond to nerve bundles or muscle trigger points and several meridians track major arteries and nerves.
Acupuncture is being used by U.S. Army and Navy doctors for musculoskeletal problems, pain and stress in stateside hospitals and combat zones, and by Acupuncturists without Borders in Haiti after the earthquake. Major medical centers like M.D. Anderson in Houston to Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York use acupuncture to counteract the side effects of chemotherapy.
Image via Wikipedia Scar from carpal tunnel surgery
read complete article at Wall Street Journal, Decoding an Ancient Therapy
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I love that we now have tools that allow us to investigate "alternative" medicine. Even if it is a placebo effect, it is a necessary effect to promote self-healing in chronic pain conditions. Furthermore, the side effects are less and the cost is close to nothing compared to the surgery performed. What if the surgery was not even necessary?