Informative Speech - Acupuncture

"Acupuncture: New Uses for an Ancient Remedy", is an informative speech.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this video are strictly those of the speech writer and speaker. The contents of this video do not represent the views or opinions of the account holder (squibitable). This speech is intended to serve as a reference tool.

Six months ago, my seventy-eight
year old grandmother was quickly losing

her independence.

Severe arthritis in both knees
hampered her ability to take care of

herself.

Shopping, getting around the
neighborhood, even walking down her

front steps was becoming almost
impossible.

Pain medications helped
somewhat, but the side-effects created

their own problems.

Then her doctor suggested acupuncture.

My grandmother was skeptical at
first but she was willing to try just

about anything.

She did and the results were miraculous.

After six weeks, her pain and
stiffness were significantly reduced.

She was able to take care of her
apartment again.

She could get on her own to go
shopping, to visit friends and family,

and to do the other things that her
arthritis had prevented in the past.

Acupuncture restored her quality of
life and her independence.

My grandmother's story is not unique.

Performed for well over two
thousand years in China and other

parts of Asia, acupuncture is
becoming more and more popular in

the U.S. and other western
countries for one simple reason: it works.

Impressed by my grandmother's
experience, I began acupuncture

treatments for my migraine
headaches and now my headaches

are completely gone.

Not surprisingly, I wanted to learn
more about this treatment that

produced such miraculous results
for both my grandmother and myself.

Today I will share part of what I
have learned by explaining what

happens when you receive an
acupuncture treatment, how

acupuncture works, the kinds of
medical conditions that can be

treated by acupuncture, and the
growing use of acupuncture in

combination with western medical
techniques.

Let's start by looking at a typical
acupuncture treatment.

Acupuncture is the insertion of
needles into the skin to achieve a

balanced flow of energy which in
turn restores and preserves health.

To prevent a chance of
contamination from one person to

another, acupuncturists in the U.S.
use sterilized needles that are

individually packaged and are
disposed of after a single use.

I realize that the notion of having
needles stuck into you may seem

frightening, but the needles are so
thin that the process is painless.

Acupuncture needles are much
smaller than the needles used for

drawing blood or getting shots.

Here are some needles that I received
from my acupuncturist.

After my speech I'll pass them
around so that you can see how

incredibly light and small they are.

They're so thin, about the thickness
of a human hair, that you can hardly

tell when they're inserted and
there's usually no sensation other

than pain relief once they have
been inserted.

After being left in for twenty or thirty
minutes while you lie in a darkened

room, the needles are removed
and the treatment is over.

Now that you know what happens
when you're treated by an

acupuncturist, you're probably
wondering how acupuncture works.

The process is explained by Dr.
Felix Mann, president of the Medical

Acupuncturist Society in his book
Acupuncture: The Ancient Chinese Art

of Healing and How it Works
Scientifically, "According to traditional

Chinese medicine, every life
process is based on the flow of vital

energy through the body.

This energy is known in Chinese as
xi and flows along channels or

pathways called meridians."

These meridians are shown in this
visual aid.

As you can see, they cover the
entire body, running from the top of

the head to the bottom of the feet
and down both arms.

When the freeflow of energy
through these meridians is blocked,

the result is pain, illness, disease or
other physical problems.

The aim of acupuncture is to
restore the open flow of energy

through these meridians.

This is done by placing needles at
specific points on the meridians.

Altogether, there are more than one
thousand acupuncture points on the

meridians.

These points have been mapped
out over the centuries with scientific

precision.

In China, there is a saying, "There
is no pain if there is freeflow. If

there is pain, there is no freeflow."

Although acupuncture is based on
different view of the body from that

held by western doctors, the
evidence is clear that it works in

treating a wide range of medical
conditions.

The World Health Organization lists
more than forty conditions that can

be effectively treated with
acupuncture, including ear, nose and

throat ailments, asthma and other
respiratory problems and nervous

system and muscular disorders.

A study in the Annals of Internal
Medicine confirms that acupuncture

can relieve low back pain while the
American Cancer Society reports that

acupuncture may even help smokers
kick the habit.

People also use acupuncture to
build immune system, to control

allergies and to combat depression
and anxiety.

Of course you can't use
acupuncture to heal a broken arm,

but people in Asia often use
acupuncture during surgery instead

of western anesthesia and it can
speed recovery time after surgery.

In light of all of this, it is not
surprising that a number of clinics

and hospitals are combining
acupuncture with western medicine

in an effort to provide the patients
the benefits of both.

For example, Massachusetts
General Hospital in Boston, the third

oldest hospital in the U.S., has
added acupuncture to its wellness center.

Positive results have also been
seen at the Mattel Children's Hospital

at UCLA.

Dr. Lani Zeltzer, director of the
hospital's pediatric pain program

confirms that acupuncture really
does help.

Most children accept acupuncture
and in fact really feel good about it.

Another example of the integration
of acupuncture with western

medicine is at the Wasser Pain
Management Center at Mt. Sinai

Hospital in Toronto, Canada.

Neurologist Alan Gordon, director
of the center, says that "introducing

acupuncture into the hospital
expands the treatment available to

chronic pain sufferers and provides
multiple options of care to our patients."

The National Institutes for Health
report that more than eight million

Americans have tried acupuncture
and its use throughout the rest of the

western world is growing fast.

Today we have learned what
happens during an acupuncture

treatment, how acupuncture works,
some of the illnesses that can be

treated with acupuncture, and the
growing integration of acupuncture

with western approaches to medicine.

I hope that you now know more
about this ancient medical practice

and the benefits that it can provide.

After years of skepticism about
acupuncture, the west is finally

beginning to recognize that
acupuncture is a highly effective way

to improve health and reduce pain
and suffering.

Just ask my grandmother.

[Applause]