Nikki Sui

Acupuncture (from Latin, 'acus' (needle) + 'punctura' (to puncture)) is the stimulation of specific acupuncture points along the skin of the body using thin needles. It can be associated with the application of heat, pressure, or laser light to these same points. Clinical practice varies depending on the country. Traditional acupuncture involves needle insertion, moxibustion, and cupping therapy. It is a form of alternative medicine and a key component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). According to TCM, stimulating specific acupuncture points corrects imbalances in the flow of qi through channels known as meridians.[7] TCM theory and practice are not based upon scientific knowledge, and acupuncture is described as a type of pseudoscience. Many within the scientific community consider it to be quackery. Massimo Pigliucci and Maarten Boudry describe it as a "borderlands science" lying between normal science and pseudoscience. It aims to treat a range of conditions, though it is most commonly used for pain relief. It is rarely used alone but rather as an adjunct to other forms of treatment. 

Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy using moxa made from dried mugwort (Artemisia argyi). Available scientific evidence does not support claims that moxibustion is effective in preventing or treating cancer or any other disease,[1] but it plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China (including Tibet), Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia. Suppliers usually age the mugwort and grind it up to a fluff; practitioners burn the fluff or process it further into acigar-shaped stick. They can use it indirectly, with acupuncture needles, or burn it on the patient's skin.

Cupping involves warming the air inside a glass, metal, or wooden cup and inverting it over a part of the body to treat various health conditions. Cupping is based on traditional Chinese medicine. 

A flammable substance, such as alcohol, herbs, or paper is placed in a cup made of glass, metal, wood, or bamboo. The material inside the cup is set on fire. As the fire goes out, the cup is placed upside down over qi pathways, places on the body that according to traditional Chinese medicine, are linked to the patient's illness. It is usually left in place 5 to 10 minutes.

As the air inside the jar cools, it creates a vacuum, which causes the skin to rise. This is thought to open up the skin's pores and create a route for toxins to escape the body. The skin under the cup reddens as blood vessels expand. In a more modern version of cupping, a rubber pump attached to the jar is used to create the vacuum.

Cupping is considered relatively safe. However, the treatment may be slightly painful or even cause burns. Cupping leaves purplish marks on the skin, which usually heal after several days. It can also cause swelling due to the buildup of excess fluid around the cupped area.

Gua sha  means "scraping sha-bruises", is a traditional Chinese medical treatment in which the skin is scraped to produce light bruising. Practitioners believe gua sha releases unhealthy elements from injured areas and stimulates blood flow and healing. Gua sha is sometimes referred to as "spooning" or "coining" by English speakers, it has also been given the descriptive French name, tribo-effleurage.

 

Gua sha is a part of acupuncture therapy, but not limited by law to acupuncture practice. Gua sha involves repeated pressured strokes over lubricated skin with a smooth edge. Skin is typically lubricated with massage oil and commonly a ceramic Chinese soup spoon was used, or a well worn coin, even honed animal bones, water buffalo horn, or jade. A simple metal cap with a rounded edge is commonly used. In cases of fatigue from heavy work, a piece of ginger root soaked in rice wine is sometimes used to rub down the spine from head to feet.