 |
|---|
|
|---|
Acupuncture is said to be the crown jewel of complementary and alternative medicine Acupuncture is part of Oriental medicine, which is an ancient system of healing practiced for thousands of years in China, Japan, Korea, Viet Nam, Thailand, Tibet and India. Modern-day practitioners can now be found in France, England, Spain, Germany, Russia, Middle and South America, Africa, and Austria. The World Health Organization has recognized the efficacy of acupuncture for decades, but only now is western medicine beginning to acknowledge its value as part of mainstream medicine, through the sheer weight of empirical evidence. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) have declared acupuncture an effective treatment for over 50 conditions. Other components of Oriental medicine are:
A typical acupuncture treatment begins with an inquiry into your medical history and your complaints. The acupuncturist will then look at your tongue and read your pulse on both wrists. After that, a diagnosis will be made pertaining to the balance of organ systems and yin and yang in your body, and points will be chosen along specific Qi pathways in your body. Qi (say “chee”) can be described as life force, or a cross between energy and thought. It circulates in your body, much like blood runs throughyour blood vessels. If there is any blockage of Qi from an accident or surgery, poor diet or an unhealthy environment, inherited conditions, medications, illness or stress, the effect is similar to that of a blood clot in your circulatory system: the free circulation stops at that point and influences the entire system and the body. This is what leads to pain or illness, according to Chinese medical theory. Inserting fine needles into specific points along these Qi pathways is one way of restoring order to your system. For purposes of healing, we can say that the Qi In your body is your real healer. Once we unblock and balance it, your body can start to heal itself.
For a more detailed explanation of this medical system, I refer you to the website of the California State Oriental Medical Association
|
|---|
Acupuncture, however, is said to be the crown jewel of complementary and alternative medicine.
The pathways (or meridians) are all related to specific organs, so any manipulation of your Qi on the surface of your skin will help to harmonize your organs, too. Most people who try Acupuncture regularly discover that not only do their complaints go away, their overall feeling of well-being and the quality of their life improve vastly.  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|