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WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE?

Acupuncture and moxibustion are important component parts of great Chinese medicine and pharmacology. Acupuncture, simply stated, is a health science which is used to successfully treat both pain and dysfunction in the body.

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Acupuncture has its roots deeply planted in China. In fact, authorities agree the science is about 5,000 years old. Its use spread throughout ancient Egypt, the Middle East, the Roman Empire and later into Western Europe. But, Acupuncture did not become known on a national level in the U.S. until 1971.

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At first glimpse, Acupuncture appears strange, as its primary notoriety is the utilization of needles placed in the skin at various location to relieve pain or affect a body part. Many practitioners use electronic stimulation, laser beam to treat an Acupoint. The principle of Acupuncture does not change, only the technique.

Early Chinese physicians discovered there is an energy network traversing just below the surface of the skin which communicates from the exterior to the internal organs and structures at over 1,000 “Acupoints” on the body. This energy works in harmony with the body’s circulatory, nervous, muscular, digestive, genitourinary and all other systems of the body. When this vital energy becomes blocked or weakened, an effect in a body system or anatomic location becomes evident. Stimulation of one or a combination of key “Acupoints” on the body may restore harmony to the affected area.

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Historians have stated, “More people have benefited from Acupuncture over the course of fifty centuries than the combined total of all other healing sciences, both ancient and modern.”

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Far too often in the medical professions, a patient is told after extensive examination, “There is nothing wrong,” “It is all in your head,” or “Sorry, you’ll have to learn to live with it.” The examining doctor unable to find the cause of the problem has little else to tell the patient. Fortunately, many physicians are now referring their patients for an Acupuncture evaluation.

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The human body’s energy flow courses over twelve meridians or channels that are normally well balanced. If a disruption of energy flow exists, it can alter the entire system, producing pain or symptoms in the body.

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For example, if we were to compare a 175 pound man on one end of a seesaw and a 45 pound child on the other end, it becomes obvious the seesaw would be “broken” due to the fact the heavier person would be sitting on the ground and the lighter would be dangling in the air. Even though the seesaw is producing a symptom of being broken-extensive, examination would not reveal anything wrong with the seesaw. The obvious answer is in the balance. Correction of the balance corrects the problem.

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This is Acupuncture’s goal, to restore normalcy to the body’s energy balance by utilizing a combination Acupoints located on the twelve meridians.

ACUPUNCTURE EXAMINATION

Perhaps the cornerstone of Acupuncture examination is pulse diagnosis whereby the trained practitioner, by feeling the pulse, is able to determine the balance of the twelve (12) meridians. This ancient method of diagnosis is giving way to modern electronic evaluation referred to as Electro Meridian Imaging. The practitioner places a small painless electronic pen on the skin over specific Acupoints. By way of a sensitive metering device, the electro potential of the point is measured. This examination is extremely reliable and is quickly becoming the standard method of diagnosis internationally.

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Many physicians utilize applied kinesiology, which is an examination involving testing certain muscles and correlating them to the associated meridian. Case history and consultation play a vital role in determining what is abnormal as does detail physical examination.

WHAT CONDITIONS ARE ACCEPTED?

Acupuncture textbooks list well over one hundred different conditions that respond well to Acupuncture. The World Health Organization, working in close harmony with the International Acupuncture training center of the Shanghai College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, has indicated Acupuncture is effective in the following conditions:

  • sinusitis

  • acute/chronic pain

  • neck/back

  • flu/colds

  • allergy

  • shoulder/elbow/wrist

  • fatigue

  • toothache

  • hip/knee/ankle

  • asthma

  • gingivitis

  • intercostal neuralgia

  • conjunctivitis

  • eye disorders

  • sciatica

  • gastritis

  • ulcer

  • myopia (in children)

  • colitis

  • constipation

  • blood pressure

  • diarrhea

  • hemorrhoids

  • cholesterol

  • migraine

  • headaches

  • skin conditions

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This is only a partial list of the numerous conditions Acupuncture has been credited with helping.

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