In addition to studying Traditional Chinese Acupuncture (as an essential part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which includes Chinese Herbal Medicine) I also studied Western Medical Acupuncture, and hold a qualification for this -  and the Western Medical Acupuncture scope of practice as a registered Osteopath here in NZ.

So what is the difference between Traditional Acupuncture and Western Medical Acupuncture?  The primary difference is one of the underlying theoretical basis in understanding how Acupuncture works.  In Traditional Acupuncture the theoretical model thinks in terms of 'qi and blood', 'yin and yang', 'excess and deficinency' and so on. It may use the 'Five phase' theory (or five elements) and will talk in terms of things like 'deficiency of qi and blood, 'liver qi stagnation', 'excess above and deficency below' and so on. Broadly speaking, any pain, anywhere in the body - will involve some degree of 'qi stagnation'.  Or, for example, conditions such as menopause (night sweats, hot flushes, etc) can be seen as 'yin deficiency' (where 'yin' is seen as the nutritive, fluid component of the body - versus 'qi' which as seen as the more active, dynamic, overtly energising component). In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) a relative balance between 'yin and yang' is essential for good health - and imbalance will result in pain, symptoms, disease, and so on.

Perhaps think of the balance of the autonomic nervous system in Western medicine, and physiology.  Here there needs to be some relative balance beween the sympathetic and parasympatheic brances of the autonomic nervous system and dsysfunction will lead to symptoms and poor health.  (Although the concept of 'Yin-Yang' balance goes much further than this, and would, for example also include the function of the endocrine system, in other words the entire 'neuroendocrine system'.).

So one characteristic of Traditional Acupuncture is that it is more likely to treat the whole person (be 'holistic' if you like this word) and perhaps, any Traditional Acupuncture is more likely to also involve a 'constitional treatment' for the individual patient.  Of course Traditional Acupuncture will still treat 'where it hurts' and use local needles where the pain is, but it is also likely to use acupuncture points some distance away from where the pain is, for example, points in the hands or feet used to treat headaches.  We might also think about 'referred pain' (where pain may be referred further away from the site of injury.  For example, pain in the leg referring from the back; or pain down the arm referring from the shoulder).  Referred pain may also involve the 'meridians' of Traditional Chinese Acupuncure but the concept of 'meridians' involes a lot more than this. 

One characteristic of Western Medical Acupucnture is that the treatment may be focussed a lot more on the local area, where the injury is.  In fact, acupuncture needles may only be placed at the site of injury - with few, if any needles being placed in other areas.

From a theoretical perspective, Western Medical Acpuncture does not use the Traditional Chinese Medicine paradigm to explain how acupuncture works, and the effects and changes that happen in the tissues at and near the site(s) of the acupuncture needles. Instead, Western Medical Acupuncture thinks in terms of the physiological changes and what happens (or may happen) within the neuroendocrine system.  Yes, there are definite changes in the blood and tissues around the site(s) of the acupuncture -  and these may involve the release of endocrines, collagen formation (perhaps important in tissue healing). Acupuncture produces many effects by stimulating nerve fibes in the skin and muscle. Needling near nerves may set off action potentials, and action potentials spead around the network locally, an affect known as an 'axon reflex'.  Various substances are released, including one called calcitonin gene-related peptide, which causes local blood vessels to dilate, and so causing local blood flow to increase. Blood flow is also encouraged in deeper tissues, encouraging tissue healing.

Acupuncture also has a 'segmental effect', as action potentials travel up the nerve directly, where they tend to depress the activity of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, which will tend to have an analgesic effect and relieve pain.  Acupuncture may also have central regulating effects via other deeper structures, including the hypothalmus and limbic system.

Here is an article on How acupuncture works and what conditions it may help to treat. 

Here is another article on What acupuncture is and how it works

 

REFERENCE:   An Introduction to Western Medical Acupuncture

 

 

 

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