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AcupunctureWhat is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is the stimulation of anatomical points (acupoints) on the body by inserting very fine stainless steel needles into the skin, and utilizing a variety of techniques. American practices of Acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries.
Similar to other energy healing modalities, Acupuncture is based on the concept that disease can only manifest when a person's emotions are out of balance. The perspective from which an acupuncturist heals is based on concepts of "vital energy" (also known as "qi" in Japan or "chi" in China) and "energetic balance/imbalance."
In Western medicine, blood flowing through blood vessels and the messages traveling via the nervous system are monitored, whereas the acupuncturist assesses the flow and distribution of energy throughout the body, and discerns energetic disharmony within the body through very highly refined observational and diagnostic cues.
In the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) system, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, and yang represents the hot, excited, or active principle. TCM is based on the belief that health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state," and that disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to a blockage in the flow of energy along pathways in the body called energy meridians (also known as "energy channels").
There are 20 energy meridians throughout the body: 12 main pathways and 8 secondary pathways which form a network of channels. The 8 secondary channels supply energy to the main 12 channels of the body. In Acupuncture, each meridian is related to an organ and system of the body, the main 12 of which are:
1. Lung
2. Heart
3. Pericardum (heart protector)
4. Liver
5. Kidney
6. Spleen
7. Small Intestine
8. Triple Heater
9. Large Intestine
10. Urinary Bladder
11. Stomach
12. Gall Bladder
If an energy meridian is blocked or congested, the organs and systems related to that meridian will be affected.
Throughout these meridians there are approximately 2,000 "acupoints" in the body. These points are the locations where the energy of each meridian rises the closest to the surface of the body. Of these 2,000 points, more than 400 points are classified by the World Health Organization (WHO). Each point is listed by name, number, and the meridian to which it belongs.
Historically, acupoints are believed to be holes that allow entry into the energy meridians. These holes provide a gateway to influence, redirect, increase, or decrease the body's vital energy flow to correct many of the imbalances.
The acupuncturist learns how to diagnose the symptoms of a patient, and how to treat them by inserting very fine, stainless-steel needles into the specific acupoints on the surface of the skin. The insertion of these needles triggers specific reactions in the body that restore energy flow and balance. If the energy is stagnant, points will be stimulated to cause it to move. If energy is too cold, points will be stimulated to warm it. If energy is too weak, points will be stimulated to strengthen it. In this way, Acupuncture can effectively rebalance the energy system and restore health or prevent the further development of disease.
The points that the practitioner chooses to stimulate are often not at the same bodily location as the symptoms, the points being connected to the bodily locations via the energy meridians.
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| 2. | case study: Myelitis and subdural hematoma Blue has regained his abilty to walk. At the time of his last appointment he still was ataxic when h... more | by: topsvet date: 10/13/2008 |
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