4^th Global Acupuncture and Therapists Annual Meeting July 14-16, 2016 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Acupressure, a non-invasive form of acupuncture, uses physical pressure applied to acupressure points by the hand, elbow, or with various devices. Tui Na is a Traditional Chinese Medicine i.e. a TCM method of attempting to stimulate the flow of Qi by various bare-handed techniques that do not involve needles. Electropuncture is a form of acupuncture in which acupuncture needles are attached to a device that generates continuous electric pulses. Sonopuncture is a stimulation of the body similar to acupuncture using sound instead of needles. This may be done using purpose-built transducers to direct a narrow ultrasound beam to a depth of 6–8 centimetres at acupuncture meridian points on the body. Alternatively, tuning forks or other sound emitting devices are used. Auriculotherapy, commonly known as ear acupuncture or auricular acupuncture is considered to date back to ancient China which involves inserting needles to stimulate points on the outer ear. Scalp acupuncture, developed in Japan, is based on reflexological considerations regarding the scalp area.

People use acupuncture to relieve pain and treat certain health conditions. You can use it by itself or as part of a treatment program. Studies have found promising results for the use of acupuncture to treat nausea and vomiting related to pregnancy, chemotherapy, and post-surgery pain. Acupuncture also may be useful for stroke rehabilitation, headache and tennis elbow and so on.

Acupuncture often used with electrical stimulation in treating nerve conditions, is very effective at relieving the pain and restoring normal function.  There are several ways this is thought to work, all of which have been carefully researched mainly acupuncture stimulates the brain to release chemicals  such as neurotransmitters and opioids into the body that reduce sensitivity to pain and normalize the nervous system or acupuncture with electrical stimulation interrupts the pain signal allowing the nerve to calm down thereby reducing pain. Acupuncture promotes actual healing by altering the body's electrical system to allow the transfer of material and electrical energy between normal and injured tissue thereby reducing the amount of recovery time.

Acupuncture is used as a "physical therapy" to release the muscular, skeletal and emotional holding patterns that are the root causes of tension, pain, postural asymmetries, the precursors of injury, and the residues of internal disease. The aim of treatment is to create a harmonious balance within the musculoskeletal and meridian systems that generates healing and promotes overall health and well-being.

Acupuncture treats the whole person, it has something to offer almost every condition. In many cases, acupuncture aims to bring about a complete cure; in others, it aims to manage the problem. Acupuncture remains a substantial part of the Traditional Chinese medicine, which is used to treat many conditions including acne, alopecia, dermatitis, pruritus, psoriasis, rosacea, systemic lupus erythematous, urticaria, herpes zoster, chicken pox, impetigo, leprosy, vitiligo, and tinea.

Acupuncture works to balance blood sugar and promote weight loss by directly stimulating the pancreas, decreasing systemic inflammation, and regulating the digestive system. Depending on the symptoms present, acupuncture will balance the organ system dysfunction that resulted in the blood sugar deregulation. Many Chinese and Western herbs have been proven to be extremely effective in balancing blood sugar and reducing sugar cravings. Gymenma, cinnamon, ginseng and others have profound blood sugar lowering effects. Research has shown that acupuncture effectively lowers blood sugar and C-peptide levels in diabetic patients.

Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can provide a safe, effective alternative for many of the health complications that may arise before, during and after pregnancy. A growing number of women are choosing acupuncture to use throughout their pregnancy and as an optional treatment for an overdue or difficult labor. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine are an effective treatment for regulating menstruation and hormone levels, reducing stress and addressing any pre-existing medical conditions or concerns that a woman may have. There is strong evidence to support that acupuncture is highly effective at treating some of the most common problems experienced during pregnancy including morning sickness, heartburn, insomnia, water retention and sciatica.

Laser acupuncture has included advanced brain imaging, as well as several other modern protocols for measuring various physiological effects to the body. These studies show that laser acupuncture has physiological effects, not only locally, but also in the brain, similar to needle acupuncture. Laser on Urinary Bladder 67, for example, shows measurable effects in the brain. The effects were only detected when the laser was turned on. When the laser was turned off, no effects were detected. Good effects of laser acupuncture for the following conditions: hiccups, bed wetting, weight loss, post-operative nausea and vomiting, pain control, surgical anaesthesia, dental anaesthesia, carpal tunnel syndrome, dry eyes, and stroke-related paralysis.

TCM encompasses many different practices, including acupuncture, moxibustion (burning an herb above the skin to apply heat to acupuncture points), Chinese herbal medicine, tui na (Chinese therapeutic massage), dietary therapy, and tai chi and qi gong (practices that combine specific movements or postures, coordinated breathing, and mental focus). TCM is rooted in the ancient philosophy of Taoism and dates back more than 2,500 years. Traditional systems of medicine also exist in other East and South Asian countries, including Japan (where the traditional herbal medicine is called Kampo) and Korea. Some of these systems have been influenced by TCM and are similar to it in some ways, but each has developed distinctive features of its own.

The methods of acupuncture are based on the belief that the body contains patterns of energy flow referred to as qi. Proper, unimpeded flow of qi is believed to be essential for the maintenance of proper health, and needles applied to specific acupuncture points are believed to help correct and balance that flow. Due to its ability to stimulate the central nervous system, acupuncture has the potential to significantly affect the perception of back and neck pain.