painkillers
An injury -> Neurotransmitter -> “informs” injured organ or
production tissue of the damage
Greater the amount of pain transmitter attached to the injured organ, the greater the perception of pain!
- When endorphins attach to the receptor sites, the pain transmitter is not produced and pain is reduced.
- Opiates such as heroin, codeine, and morphine work in much the same way as endorphins , preventing the production of the pain transmitters.
- Therefore, user must continue to take the drug!
acupuncture
- Acupuncture has been used for more than two thousand years in China and Japan.
- Eventually, acupuncture in Western medicine came to be mainly used for pain relief and much later for the treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting.
- Acupuncture is said to be effective only at certain points on the body surface, known as acupuncture points.
Ancient practitioners drew up illustrations in which ‘points’ were joined by lines that in Western practice are called ‘meridians’.
Due to the increased awareness of Acupuncture, it is important to note that it's healing properties is connected to the nervous system of the body.
IN CONCLUSION
While our brains control nearly everything we do, the brain does not work alone. The brain is the central part of a complex body system known as the nervous system. The nervous system allows us to respond to the world around us. Both our involuntary actions, such as our blink reflex to bright light, as well as our voluntary actions, such as choosing picking up a glass of water, can be attributed to our nervous system.
Resources:
- DiGiuseppe, Maurice et al. (2003). Nelson Biology 12. Nelson Canada ELHI (1 Edition). Toronto, Ontario: Thomson Canada Limited
- Bowsher, David (date) Mechanisms of Acupuncture. Theory and Basic Science. Pgs.69-82