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As
early as 1979 the World Health Organization compiled a list of 104
conditions that acupuncture can treat, including migraine, asthma, addictions, gastrointestinal
disorders, osteoarthritis , and paralysis. The National
Institute
of Health (NIH)
consensus Conference on Acupuncture in 1997 stated, "The data in
support of acupuncture are as strong as those for many accepted Western
medical therapies. One of the advantages of acupuncture is that the
incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many
drugs and other accepted medical procedures used for the same
conditions."
To
treat a
patient, the
acupuncturist uses hair- thin needles to stimulate special points on
the body, which are carefully chosen based on the appropriate TCM
diagnosis. The
needling is
mostly pain free when it is done with skill. When the needle activates
the energy in the meridians, the patient may feel tingling,
heaviness, or warmth around the point being needled.
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