ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture is a principle
it is not a technique. The roots of acupuncture originated in China some 3,500 years ago with recorded instances dating back before the birth of Christ. Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used systems of healing in the world. This is in sharp contrast to modern Western medicine, which has been in existence for a much shorter period of time. The American Medical Association was formed in 1847, and Chiropractic was founded in in 1894, about 3,800 years after the first mention of traditional Chinese medicine. Only in the last three decades has acupuncture become popular in the United States.
Acupuncture is a natural and holistic approach to health care. It is used to treat the mind, body and soul of the patient and to promote the flow of the natural life force called Qi (pronounced che?. There are various and
different types of acupuncture as well as various and different techniques in
acupuncture. For example, Chinese acupuncture is not the same as Japanese
acupuncture, which is not the same as Korean acupuncture. There is also animal
acupuncture for dogs, cats, horses, and other animals. These represent just
some of the types of acupuncture. Just as there are different
types of acupuncture there are different techniques utilized in acupuncture.
For example, there is the use of needles, which is what comes to mind when most
individuals think of acupuncture. But there is also electroacupuncture (EA), moxibustion
(the use of “herbal incense?, laser stimulation, electrical stimulation, and transcutaneous
nerve stimulation (TNS). These different techniques are applied to the
acupuncture points or needles to bring about the desired results. There is also
the use of soothing tones and music to help relieve stress and aide in
promoting acupuncture treatment. Also
included in acupunctures principles are spinal adjustment, nutrition, and
spirit (faith, belief, confidence). This is to say that acupuncture treats the
mind, body and soul of the patient. For a person to be healthy it is essential
that they have positive feelings about themselves, others around them, and the
world. Have you ever noticed that during times of stress you seem to be more susceptible
to disease? What a wonderful thing peace of mind and spirit is. It is essential
to have confidence and faith that you will make it through another day and that
a brighter day and better times are on the way. The
acupuncture principle also includes spinal adjustment when needed to help reestablish
the flow of Qi and to relieve spinal nerve symptoms that may interfere with the
natural flow of Qi. Just like chiropractic, acupuncture is used treat the body,
not the disease. Acupuncture
may also utilize herbs to aid the body with improved function. Many of these
herbs have specific uses and are often combined to help eliminate the body of
toxic chemicals. Many are combined to help improve certain bodily functions. So
why would your doctor recommend acupuncture? The simple answer is, to help
promote the natural flow of Qi. Trauma to any point on the body leads to
inflammation, which leads to a decrease in the natural flow of your life’s
energy (Qi). Stress also leads to disruption in the natural flow of Qi. When
there is a decreased flow of Qi we get stagnation of the life energy within the
body. Qi energy comes from the air, food, water, sensory stimuli, and
intellectual stimuli we take in. Your doctor utilizes acupuncture to help the
body reestablish this natural flow of Qi. Qi
flows through 71 meridians throughout the body. We typically associate 12 basic
meridians, named after internal organs of the body, with acupuncture. There are
an additional 12 musculotendinous meridians that are commonly used for pain
relief in various areas of the body. There are also internal meridians, extraordinary
meridians, connecting meridians, and divergent meridians in the body. The
12 basic meridians are pathways that connect the inner and outer body with the world
around us. Qi flows constantly through out all meridians. Qi enters at specific
points into one meridian and flows out the opposite end of the meridian. The
energy then enters the next meridian in sequence and continues it’s flow
throughout the entire body. This cycle takes 24 hours to complete. Each
meridian is most active for two specific hours at a time at a certain time of
day and is least active 12 hours later. That is not to say that during 22 hours
of the day the meridian is off, but the flow of Qi within the meridian is somewhat
decreased during these other portions of the day. Each
person is born with a certain amount of Qi to live with and this quantity of Qi
is all we need for the rest of our lives. But Qi is depleted during times of
stress, illness, trauma, and through other natural and unnatural life events. It
is the responsibility of each person to replace the Qi when needed with proper
nutrition, water, air, and sensory and intellectual stimuli. Without this added
input of energy the body will consume all of its Qi. Also,
during times of stress and trauma the flow of Qi may be interrupted within a
meridian. This leads to stagnation of Qi in this area.?Additionally, trauma and stress may lead to
an increased flow of Qi in other areas of the body. ?#060;/span>Acupuncture is utilized to help reestablish the natural flow of Qi
within the meridian and to balance out the flow of Qi throughout the entire body.
This leads to an improvement in the patient’s quality of life. You may be wondering by now what types of conditions will
acupuncture benefit. Well, we have all heard of acupuncture being used to help
people quit smoking or lose weight. Many have heard of the benefit of using
acupuncture for pain control. Acupuncture has been utilized to help increase
the immune response, promote internal organ function, treat allergies, and
other various treatments with good efficacy. In the late 1970s, the World Health Organization recognized the ability of acupuncture to treat many common ailments, including neuromusculoskeletal conditions such as arthritis, neuralgia, insomnia, dizziness, and neck/shoulder and back pain; addictions to alcohol, nicotine and other drugs; respiratory disorders such as emphysema, sinusitis, allergies and bronchitis; and gastrointestinal conditions such as allergies to foods, ulcers, chronic diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, and gastritis. In 1997, the National Institutes of Health found that acupuncture might be beneficial by itself or in combination with other therapies to treat addiction, headaches, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, lower back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and asthma. As stated previously, acupuncture predates Modern Western
Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, and Chiropractic. ?#060;/span>Acupuncture has been around a lot longer than most other forms of
natural health care. It does not require the use of traditional medications
that may affect the body as a whole. Acupuncture is a natural form of
Complimentary Alternative Medicine. Why not give acupuncture a try? You do not have to have
needles stuck all over your body, that is the Hollywood myth. You may find that
you feel better about yourself and the people around you. You may find a little
more peace within your world.
