Exploring the Principles of Acupuncture for Weight Loss and its Clinical Application in the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Heat Accumulation

Acupuncture for weight loss. Currently, there are many methods for treating obesity, such as weight loss medication, exercise, surgery, acupuncture, mechanical devices, and dietary therapy. Western medicines for weight loss can be categorized by their mechanisms of action: appetite suppressants, such as catecholamines, serotonin receptor blockers, and those affecting both CA and serotonin; energy-boosting drugs, such as central nervous system stimulants, thyroid hormones, and growth hormones; and drugs that inhibit intestinal digestion and absorption, such as lipase inhibitors and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors.

To date, there is no truly ideal, safe, and effective drug for treating obesity. Drugs that were once highly promising have been restricted due to addiction and cardiovascular adverse reactions. The US FDA first banned fenfluramine, and the European Medicines Agency further banned 13 other drugs, including phentermine and amphetamine. Overall, the current situation of Western medicine for weight loss is not optimistic. Exercise is a popular choice for many people because long-term exercise can increase energy expenditure.

Improving glucose and lipid metabolism effectively reduces weight and can also improve cardiopulmonary function, lowering the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Furthermore, patients experience significant improvements in their mental state and overall well-being. However, the choice of exercise, the development of a weight loss plan, and the test of self-will all directly affect the effectiveness of weight loss. With the advent of modern technologies such as ultrasound and electronically assisted liposuction, surgical liposuction has been further refined, achieving satisfactory results in localized fat reduction. However, the risk of postoperative complications remains.

The pros and cons need to be weighed based on the patient's requirements. Weight loss devices primarily utilize low-frequency, safe pulsed electrical energy with various waveform modulations and music tuning to replace traditional acupuncture and massage. By selecting specific acupoints and massaging obese areas of the body, they adjust the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, endocrine function, and water and electrolyte metabolism, promoting the breakdown and metabolism of fat tissue, increasing muscle rhythmic contractions, and regulating visceral function to achieve weight loss. Weight loss devices can also be combined with external weight loss medications using iontophoresis for treatment.

Clinical applications have shown that acupuncture has limited effectiveness in weight loss and is prone to rebound. Modern medicine has proven that acupuncture for weight loss has no significant adverse reactions and is remarkably effective. It also offers advantages such as individualized treatment, definite and stable efficacy, good long-term results, few adverse reactions, and affordability. Furthermore, it has therapeutic and ameliorative effects on various obesity-related complications. Therefore, acupuncture has become increasingly popular among obese individuals as a weight loss method. However, weight loss requires dietary adjustments and psychological well-being; only by following a comprehensive and scientific approach can it be effective.

Only then can weight loss be achieved without rebound. The principle of acupuncture for weight loss: As early as before the Han Dynasty, traditional Chinese medicine books recorded the symptoms, causes, and pathogenesis of obesity, as well as the harmful effects of obesity. The *Neijing* (Inner Canon of Medicine) describes "obese noblemen" and "at fifty years old, they are overweight and their eyesight is failing." The *Suwen* (Plain Questions) states, "Obesity causes internal heat, and sweetness causes fullness in the middle." Although there are no specific records of acupuncture treatment for obesity, there are principles for treating obesity and methods for treating its main symptoms.

The principles and methods of acupuncture for weight loss are recorded in the *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), Chapter 10, "Therefore, when needling obese people, follow the principles of autumn and winter; when needling thin people, follow the principles of spring and summer." This means that when needling obese patients, the treatment principles of autumn and winter should be followed, such as deep insertion and prolonged retention; while when needling thin people, the treatment principles of spring and summer should be followed, such as shallow insertion and quick withdrawal. Through years of clinical practice, valuable experience has been accumulated in the clinical treatment of obesity with acupuncture, achieving satisfactory results. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that obesity is mainly caused by the following factors: excessive consumption of fatty and sweet foods.

A diet high in rich and fatty foods; spleen and kidney qi deficiency; phlegm and dampness accumulating in the skin; and other related issues. Acupuncture can suppress appetite, reduce gastrointestinal motility, regulate spleen and stomach function, regulate qi and promote bowel movements, eliminate excess fat, remove phlegm and dampness, and reduce fat accumulation, thereby achieving weight loss. Modern medical research has also confirmed that acupuncture can correct abnormal appetite, reduce basal gastric activity, and delay postprandial gastric emptying. Acupuncture can also lower peripheral 5-HT levels in individuals with simple obesity, correcting digestive, respiratory, cardiovascular, and endocrine dysfunctions caused by excessive 5-HT levels.

Acupuncture effectively regulates endocrine disorders, a condition extremely common in obese individuals. The reason women gain weight after childbirth is not due to overnutrition, but rather the disruption of their endocrine balance. Similarly, endocrine disorders during menopause can also cause weight gain. Acupuncture corrects endocrine imbalances and accelerates fat metabolism by regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortex and sympathetic-adrenal cortex systems, thus achieving weight loss.

Obese individuals have higher levels of lipid peroxides than normal. Acupuncture can enhance the function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal cortex and sympathetic-adrenal medulla systems, promoting fat metabolism, increasing heat production, and consuming accumulated fat. Fundamentally, acupuncture for weight loss treats the underlying disease, adjusting the body's imbalanced state. Obesity is also a form of imbalance, a disorder of Yin and Yang, and the functions of the internal organs. These are addressed by stimulating specific acupoints, primarily along the spleen and stomach meridians, using small silver needles.

This method improves common symptoms in obese individuals, such as excessive appetite, low energy expenditure, and poor excretion, thereby regulating disordered organ functions. After acupuncture treatment, most people can clearly feel a decrease in their previously excessive appetite, and improvements in gastrointestinal function and mental state. Acupuncture for weight loss. (I) Differentiation and Treatment. Based on the symptoms of obesity, treatment is differentiated into the following syndrome types: 1. Gastrointestinal Heat Accumulation Type. [Clinical Manifestations] This type of obesity is often accompanied by increased appetite, excessive hunger, obesity, and a ruddy complexion.

Symptoms include: high energy, abdominal distension, dry and bitter mouth, constipation, yellow urine, easy mouth ulcers, halitosis, strong body odor, burning pain in the stomach, red tongue with a yellow and greasy coating, and a wiry, slippery, and forceful pulse. [Treatment Principle]Clear stomach heat and purge internal heat. [Basic Prescription]Zhongwan (CV12), Daimai (GB21), Quchi (LI11), Zusanli (ST36), Xiajuxu (ST37), Weishu (BL21), Dachangshu (BL25). [Additional Acupoints]For constipation, add Tianshu (ST25) and Zhigou (TE6); for dry mouth and sore throat, add Hegu (LI4) and Lieque (LU7); for increased appetite, add Neiting (ST44) with acupuncture or bloodletting; for upper abdominal distension, add Huaroumen (ST21); for lower abdominal protrusion, add Daju (ST37); for upper limb obesity, add Biruo (GB2) and Biaohui (GB20).

For lower limb obesity, add Biguan and Jimen acupoints. [Procedure]Based on the thickness of the patient's abdominal fat, use 30-gauge 1.5-2 inch filiform needles for abdominal acupuncture, and 1.5-inch filiform needles for acupoints on the limbs and back. Disinfect the selected acupoints routinely with 75% alcohol or povidone-iodine. For Dai Mai acupuncture, the needle tip should be pointed towards Shenque acupoint. After insertion, perform a rotating technique until the needle sensation radiates around Shenque acupoint. For other abdominal and limb acupoints, use a straight insertion method, and perform lifting, thrusting, and rotating techniques until the patient experiences a sore, numb, and Qi-de-qi sensation.

Electroacupuncture device is used on acupoints on the abdomen and limbs, using continuous wave at a frequency of 10-15 Hz. The intensity is adjusted to the patient's maximum tolerance, and the needles are retained for 30 minutes. Treatment is given once daily for 5 consecutive days, followed by treatment every other day. A course of treatment consists of 10 treatments. [Explanation] Zhongwan (CV12) is the Mu point of the Stomach and the meeting point of the six Fu organs. Ancient people said, "Zhongwan is where the central Qi and Ying Qi of a person originate." Zusanli (ST36) is an acupoint on the Stomach Meridian, which has the effect of regulating the stomach and clearing stomach heat, thereby reducing excessive appetite; the Dai Mai (Girdling Vessel) acupoint can unblock the Qi of the Dai Mai meridian and regulate all meridians.

It can also enhance the local stimulation effect to treat obesity with enlarged waist and abdomen; Quchi is the He-Sea point of the Large Intestine Meridian of Hand Yangming, and Xiajuxu is the Lower He-Sea point of the Small Intestine. "Both the Large and Small Intestines belong to the Stomach". Using the reducing method on both points can clear the heat of the stomach and intestines and suppress appetite.