5^th International Conference and Expo on Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine July 27-28, 2017 Illinois, Chicago, 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.

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.

Japanese traditional medicine uses most of the Chinese therapies including acupuncture and moxibustion, but Kampō in its present-day sense is primarily concerned with the study of herbs. In the United States, Kampō is practiced mostly by acupuncturists, Chinese medicine practitioners, naturopath physicians, and other alternative medicine professionals. Kampō herbal formulae are studied under clinical trials, such as the clinical study of Honso Sho-saiko-to (H09) for treatment of hepatitis C at the New York Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and liver cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C at the UCSD Liver Center.

Traditional Korean medicine encompasses many different practices, including Acupuncture, moxibustion (burning an herb above the skin to apply heat to acupuncture points), Aromatherapy (treating bodily ailments using essential plant oils), Meditation (Self-directed practice for the purpose of relaxing and calming the mind and body), Herbal medicine (tudy and practice of using plant material for the purpose of food, medicine, or health) With the increase in the number of Korean immigrants coming to the United States in recent years it has become important for modern medicine to understand these traditional healing techniques and how they are used. Statistical analysis of experiments involving more traditional remedies including herbal supplements and acupuncture have found that a patient's mental state is more relaxed.

Acupuncture is used mainly for functional problems such as those involving noninfectious inflammation, paralysis, or pain. For small animals, acupuncture has been used for treating arthritis, hip dysplasia, lick granuloma, feline asthma, diarrhea, and certain reproductive problems. For larger animals, acupuncture has been used for treating downer cow syndrome, facial nerve paralysis, allergic dermatitis, respiratory problems, nonsurgical colic, and certain reproductive disorders. Acupuncture has also been used on competitive animals, such as those involved in racing and showing. Veterinary acupuncture has also recently been used on more exotic animals, such as an alligator with scoliosis, though this is still quite rare.

Oriental medicine has been practiced for more than 2,500 years and includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, moxibustion, Oriental massage and Oriental nutrition. It is a system of medicine that categorizes body patterns into specific types of diagnoses with corresponding treatment plans. Oriental medicine is practiced in China, Japan, Korea, Viet Nam, Thailand, Tibet and India. One may be surprised to find that Oriental medical theory and practice has spread to France, England, Spain, Germany, Russia, much of Middle and South America, and Africa. It has gained worldwide acceptance and recognition as effective medical treatment. Due to the sheer weight of evidence, Oriental medicine demands that it be taken seriously as a clinical approach of considerable value. Over 15 million Americans have turned to it, making it the complementary treatment of choice for Americans everywhere.