TENS and Acupuncture: Understand the Relevance

Stimulation of transdermal nerve (TENS or TNS) is the use of electric current produced by a device to stimulate nerves for therapeutic purposes. The device is usually connected to the skin with two or more electrodes.

Acupuncture is a Chinese Medicine practice (listed as Alternative Medicine - Energy Medicine), which requires stimulating certain points on the body. The points on the body are called acupuncture points, they rely on the meridian system on the body of Chinese medicine.

Before understanding the difference between TENS and acupuncture, we will learn about the meridian system and the Medical philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Meridian (Chinese medicine) and acupuncture points - Quiz of Traditional Medicine 2,000 years of modern science challenge

The theory of Meridian (Chinese medicine) in traditional medicine since ancient times has been a mystery to science. How did Oriental Medicine discover meridians? What is the function of the Meridian? Before the miracle of this healing method, modern medical practitioners also began to grope the existence of the Meridian system.

Meridian theory has a long history and has been developed continuously with the practice of traditional medicine. Nearly 2,000 years ago, the famous Esoteric Scripture of the Yellow Emperor systematically recorded the location of the meridian lines.

Meridian lines magically connect the human body with the universe

The Meridian System plays an important role in physiology, pathology, and disease prevention. Ancient Oriental medicine experts believe that human beings are part of the structure of the universe, so it is necessary to maintain a harmonious relationship between Heaven and all things on Earth (the doctrine of Man and Heaven - human being as a minor. Space).

This view directed Oriental Medicine and was closely related to physics, astronomy, geography, and philosophy. Modern medicine cannot understand the meridians.

Eastern Medicine believes that the Meridian are the airways of the body as well as blood vessels that carry blood in the human body. The Sutras link the organs to each other and spread throughout the body.

According to Oriental medicine: the soul, the health, the organs, they are bound together. The control and movement of meridians not only affects the body but also the human spirit.

When the spirit recovers, the body also recovers. The spirit is also material, but it is more metaphysical and sophisticated. Therefore, Eastern medical concept Jing-Qi-Shen is the three treasures of human life and wants to cure the root disease to cure from the mind.

Jing consists of Jing prefixes (by parents born) and Jing suffixes (due to eating, breathing) when entering the meridian system will transform into Qi as endogenous capacity. Shen is the highest state of endogenous energy, when Qi is transported throughout the cycle of the cycle (which can compare functions like blood circulation).

Modern science recognizes the existence of meridians

Many scientists and Western medical doctors often assume that the existence of meridians is only theoretical. Especially with the ability to cure diseases of qigong: without using drugs, without needles, compared with exercise, it is too gentle ... so treating the disease makes them even more unbelievable.

However, in fact, many diseases that modern medicine cures are not cured but patients have passed acupuncture or practicing qigong but not cured. Brave scientists have begun to study meridians

Professor Popp, Dr. Schlebusch, and Dr. Maric-Oehler conducted experiments with an infrared camera. They heat certain areas of the body (using heated wormwood leaves) to see if the direction of a meridian becomes visible. Through infrared photographs, they can see the increase in temperature coinciding with meridians. This result is completely consistent with the description of China's 5,000-year-old ancient science on meridians.
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15750378

Scientists have also been able to demonstrate that the effect of acupuncture points can shorten the transmission of pain signals to the spinal cord. When a needle is inserted, the brain endorphin increases (the substance has an analgesic effect) and the informants (Narcotics narcotic and the body's natural neurotransmitter Neurotransmitters) are dispersed. This works by preventing the activation of pain and can even dissipate it.

A scientist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences invented a highly sensitive device and discovered that meridians exist in the form of luminescent lines. They shine 2.5 times more than light Photon particles.

Professor Li Dingzhong, a famous dermatologist and an expert on meridians, observed 305 cases of injured skin diseases that appeared along the meridians. This discovery has caused a great shock in the international medical world. His book Meridian Phenomenon was published in Japan.

The study of modern meridians is still based on phenomena, so far from being able to clearly see Qi and the meridian, far from being able to thoroughly understand the mystical body.

It is very unfortunate that the Eastern people were too hasty to throw away their thousands of years of traditional culture to turn to Western positivistic science. By the time Western scientists returned to learn oriental culture, what was left was the knowledge of dissemination and loss, mainly transmitted by word of mouth. Once these mysteries are clarified, a new scientific revolution will surely happen.

TENS and acupuncture: relationship

What is TENS? And does TENS work like acupuncture?

The similarity between TENS and Acupuncture

TENS: stimulates nerves - Essence, flooding a pathway with pain-low level stimulation stimulation from reaching the brain

Acupuncture: when a needle is inserted, the brain endorphin increases (the substance has an analgesic effect) and the informants (Narcotics narcotic and the body's natural neurotransmitter Neurotransmitters) are dispersed. This works by preventing the activation of pain and can even dissipate it.

Similarity between TENS and Acupuncture: Subcutaneous nerve irritation

The difference between TENS and acupuncture

TENS: Acting under the skin in an indirect and targeted way is the nerve - impacting on tissue and nerve

Acupuncture: acting under the skin in a direct way (invasive) and targeting the Qi in the body (including meridians, nerves, acupuncture points, etc.)

The characteristics of acupuncture-like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (acupuncture-like TENS): a literature review.

Acupuncture-like Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is used for pain relief. This study aimed to review the descriptions of the characteristics of acupuncture-like TENS reported within the published literature up to June 2011. A total of 88 items of published literature were retrieved.. 35 authors or groups provided 1 publication (Single Contributions - SC) and 10 authors or groups provided more than 1 publication (Multiple Contributions - MC). In order to gain the acupuncture-like effects of TENS, authors often characterised acupuncture-like TENS using: an intensity that caused muscle contractions (6MC, 17SC), or a sensation to tolerance threshold (3MC, 4SC); a 1-4 pulses per second (pps) pulse rate (5MC, 16SC); a 100-200 micros pulse duration (2MC, 8SC); stimulation to acupuncture points (5MC, 4SC), or myotomes (3MC, 3SC), or over the painful area (3MC, 1SC). Critically, unlike many authors included in the present review, the International Association for the Study of Pain core curriculum does not mention the triggering of muscle contractions when acupuncture-like TENS is defined. This may be an area that that they should reconsider. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22443026 

Acupuncture and TENS, which one has more use in healing?

With the above comparison, it can be seen:

• Acupuncture has properties that cover all the properties of TENS.
• TENS has the advantage of impacting on tissue and nerve.
• There are no clear scientific documents on how TENS affects the meridian system.

According to Wiki encyclopedia:
Electric stimulation to control pain was used in ancient Rome, 63 AD. In the 19th century, a device called Electreat, along with many other devices, was used to control pain and cure cancer. Only the type of electronics existed in the 20th century, but was incapable of mobility and restricted to stimulating control. C. Norman Shealy is mentioned in the development of modern TENS units.

So, TENS and acupuncture do not have a common origin in the history of development.

Acupuncture has many properties like TENS, especially modern acupuncture.

Video of modern acupuncture - Electroacupuncture:



Conclude:

• TENS has physical properties: effects on tissue and nerves. In terms of convenience, ease of use, TENS is better than acupuncture.
• Acupuncture is of the nature of physiotherapy and eastern mystical science. In terms of healing, acupuncture is better than TENS.

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