Acupuncture & Acupressure - Traditional Chinese Medicine
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org,
please feel free to visit the school website)
Introduction
History
Basic Theory & Concepts
Causes Of Disease
Five Element Theory
Functions Of Channels & Collaterals
Organ Systems
Practice Of Acupuncture
Acupuncture Points
Practitioner Training
Safety Issues
Scientific Research
Case Studies - Does Acupuncture Work?
Financial Research
What can Acupuncture/Acupressure Treat?
Glossary of Terms
Acupuncture Is Evolving
Relationship Of Herbal Remedies To Acupuncture
Discussion & Opinions
Conclusion
Exercises & Techniques
Bibliography
Written by John Yamas O.M.D., L.Ac.
Introduction
What Is Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine?
According to the state of California, Department of Consumer Affairs book, A Consumer's Guide To Acupuncture And Oriental Medicine, this question is answered as, "The theory and practice of acupuncture is based on Oriental medicine (also known as Traditional Chinese Medicine), a comprehensive natural health care system that has been used in Asian countries for thousands of years to preserve health and diagnose, treat and prevent illness."
Acupuncture treats health conditions by stimulation of "acu-points" found at specific locations on the surface of the body. Acupuncturists stimulate the acu-points by inserting very thin needles through the skin to produce physiological effects. Other methods are also used to stimulate acu-points, such as heat or finger pressure. The general theory of acupuncture is that proper physiological function and health depend on the circulation of nutrients, substances and energy called Qi (pronounced "chee") through a network of "channels" or "meridians." This network connects every organ and part of the body, providing balance, regulation and coordination of physiological processes.
The book, The Web That Has No Weaver (1983) by Ted Kaptchuk, compares different views that people have on Chinese Medicine. One way in particular this book describes acupuncture is by comparing it to the experiences of blind men explaining what an elephant is like. One man might feel the trunk and explain it that way. Another would feel the ear and explain this, while another could feel the tusk or touch the skin and describe these sensations as what an elephant is like. If one understands the body in terms of only chemistry, they see acupuncture as working only one way. If they see our energetic nature, then they have a different view.
The following is one perception of acupuncture that I have experienced. I grew up with a religion that had a lot of dogma, which was supposed to be believed because it had been taught that way for generations. I grew up being skeptical of much of the doctrines. When I was presented with the concepts of meridians, I was not sure how much was fact and how much just superstition. It was hard to believe some of the things taught. However, after applying it for years and deepening my study at the energetic level, I can see that there is more to it than I ever imagined. It does work, even if you are skeptical.
One question that naturally arises when one learns new methods of healing is: how much of the healing comes from the individual applying the method, and how much is the method itself? I will present many ways that acupuncture is practiced. Some methods are developed by powerful people who would get great results using one of many styles. The results are attributed to their own special style. However, the main style, most commonly used in China and taught by my teachers from China, does receive consistent results. I treated my first patient in the fall of 1984 in the school clinic. He came by in January of 1985 just to let me know that he felt "1000% better," (his words).
Another challenge involved in studying Traditional Chinese Medicine is the comprehension of terms and concepts. These depend on one another to make sense. It is a different system than Western Medicine and has evolved in a different time period and in a different part of the world. Concepts like Qi and meridians are used. Once seen how they work together, they make sense, but they may take some getting used to for those who hear them for the first time. There have been many attempts to explain Chinese Medicine in Western terms. However, the main problem with this is the possibility of losing some of the meaning.
This course will explore acupuncture by showing how it relates to Asian medicine overall, the various ways that acupuncture is applied, and the different ways people perceive acupuncture depending on their awareness and backgrounds. In addition to helping alleviate a wide range of illnesses and being utilized as an amazing pain control mechanism, used at its highest level, Chinese Medicine and acupuncture can support one's nature and help nourish one's destiny while lowering overall health care costs in this country.
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History
Acupuncture is part of a system of medicine that was developed over the past 8,000 years in China. The core of all the systems was divided into eight branches.
- Meditation: Meditation's purpose is to enter the Wuji state. Wuji state means "empty circle." It is the pre-birth state or state of non-existence that gives birth to existence, which is termed Taiji (relativity/existence). It is the empty state before creation. The universe comes into existence from nonexistence. With cultivation, one can return to this nonexistence. Wuji is also a type of energy and is customarily referred to as Wuji Qi, which is prebirth Energy. This energy contains Qi healing information energy. Reaching the empty state of one's heart and mind, which is the Wuji state, is also self-realization and self-enlightenment. The purist and highest state for internal energy and spiritual cultivation is considered Wuji, attained when one is unified with nature and the universe. At one time, meditation was synonymous with medicine energy cures. Later in history it started becoming more obscure, then eventually, lost.
- Qi Gong and Nei Gong: These are self-cultivation practices. Gong is the Chinese word for "cultivation." Qi is the Chinese word for "air" but more commonly used for "energy" or "life force," and Nei is the word for "internal." In ancient China, Qi was a very complicated philosophical term. Nei Gong and Qi Gong are methods of internal energy cultivation. The word Qi Gong was first used by a Chinese Taoist monk named Xu Xun. It is found in his book, Teaching Record Of Jing Ming Zong (Quiet And Clear Sect), in the Jin Dynasty, about 300 B.C. There are different schools of Qi Gong that give different definitions to the word. Some are for nurturing the body and mind, while some are more for heart and mind. A simple explanation would be a Chinese version of yoga, as it has no martial origin, includes meditation and is used to connect to higher consciousness. It also includes breath work. This is the definition of Qi Gong by Da Dao Chan Gong written by Grand Master Fu: "The knowledge and practicing method, on the basis of Energy Science and through the ‘Great Way' of heart cultivation, physical practice and virtue building. The Intention is to bring about sudden or gradual awakenings in time for experiencing and realizing the truth of the universe to ultimately attain the true Enlightenment in life." This distinguishes it from a practice for purely personal power, as some use meditative methods.
- Nutrition: Chinese style dietetics was very prominent in Taoist medicine. There was an old saying, "Food is more important than herbs; Qi is more important than food, and emptiness is the most important, that is where everything comes from." Chinese medicine looks at the nature of individuals and adjusts foods according to this. Foods, like herbs in Chinese medicine, are classified by the organs that they enter along with their taste and nature. Ideal diet for an individual also varies as the seasons change due to changes in the temperature and humidity of the environment.
- Body Work Systems: Tuinai, Chinese Qi Gong massage, relies on Qi cultivation, including bone setting. Chinese style cranial sacral balancing is where modern cranial sacral therapy comes from. A Chua Qua deep tissue self massage focuses on the 27 zones of Karma that store and collect death hormones around the joints of the body. Energy is packed with intelligence, and the highest level in energy healing is without touch.
- Cosmology, the philosophy of living Tao: This is the Tao of physics.
- Feng Shui: Feng is the Chinese word for "wind," and Shui is the word for "water." Feng Shui is often referred to as "the art of placement." It is based on the belief that the placement of things affects the energy field of the area. The ancients used this system to treat land, buildings, houses and rooms as if they were the human body. It has been referred to as earth acupuncture. Pagodas were constructed according to Feng Shui principles on energy vortexes to harmonize the earth and affect weather patterns like droughts or heavy rains.
- Internal Herbal Medicine: This correlates with western vitamins and drugs. It works on the chemical nature of the body. It is a complete system of medicine in its own right. The main difference between herbal medicine and current drugs is the fact that herbal medicine has an over 2,000 year written history of development and refinement. This allows a better understanding of how herbs work together synergistically. A balanced formula is designed to eliminate side effects. Herbal medicine can also be used to strengthen the internal organs of the body.
- Acupuncture: The eighth branch on which this course is based.
A more traditional text book history of Chinese medicine can be found in Acupuncture: A Comprehensive Text (1981). Archeological finds of the late Shang Dynasty (c. 1000 B.C.) include needles and divination bones on which were inscribed discussions of medical problems. In the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.), the basics of Chinese medical theory and practice were firmly in place. Prominent among them were the concepts of yin and yang, the Five Phases, channel theory, various needling methods, pharmacopeias and a relatively sophisticated approach to therapy. By the 4th century A.D., the medical classics that laid the foundations of Chinese Medicine had been written.
The most important of these is the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic. This work is written in the form of a dialog between the legendary ruler, the Yellow Emperor, and his minister, Qi Bo, on the subject of medicine. The two parts of this work are quite different in scope. The first, "Simple Questions," discourses upon general theoretical questions, while the second, "Spiritual Axis," focuses more closely upon acupuncture. These are the oldest extant books on Chinese medicine.
The origins of acupuncture are also discussed in The Systematic Classic Of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Huang-fu Mi says, "The way of medicine has had a long history. In remote antiquity, Shan Nong [a legendary emperor and the immediate predecessor to the Yellow Emperor] acquired knowledge of medicines by tasting hundreds of plants. Later, the Yellow Emperor succeeded in taking all the relevant, abstruse and complicated problems and developed acupuncture based in theory, on the laws governing life. He did this by consulting with Qi Bo, Bo Gao, and Shao Yu, [supposed contemporaries and subjects of the Yellow Emperor, all of whom were said to be authorities on medicine] by studying the five viscera and the six bowels deep in the interior of the body as well as the channels and their connecting vessels, the Qi and blood, and the skin and complexion on the exterior aspect of the body. [In addition] he referred all of these things to heaven and earth to corroborate this lore regarding human physiology. As a result of all this the way of acupuncture came into being."
Books in the Jin Dynasty, around 265 A.D., gave a comprehensive description of the basic theories and knowledge of acupuncture and moxibustion. They laid a foundation for the development of acupuncture and moxibustion into an independent branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In the fifth century, Shen Hung Pen T'sao Ching wrote Three Levels Of Healing describing the following: The upper class of medicine, the heaven level, nourishes one's destiny. The Middle class of medicine, the human level, supports one's nature. The lower class of medicine, the earth level, treats illness. In 1026, an acupuncturist in the Song Dynasty wrote out the points on the fourteen meridians that, the next year, were to be put on life size bronze castings. The Enlargement Of The Fourteen Channels published in 1341 A.D. by Hua Boren of the Yuan Dynasty, systematically discusses the courses and distribution of the twelve regular channels, the Ren Channel and the DU Channel, as well as discussing the acupuncture points relating to them. The Compendium Of Acupuncture And Moxibustion (1601), by Yang JiZhao of the Ming Dynasty, systematically collects the literature and source material on acupuncture and moxibustion of past generations and presents methods of treatment secretly handed down to him by his ancestors. In the sixth century, acupuncture was introduced to Korea. In the same century, a monk named Zhi Cong traveled eastward by sea to Japan carrying with him several medical books on acupuncture. In the late seventeenth century, acupuncture and moxibustion methods spread to Europe.
From the 1840's up until the eve of the Communist revolution, China was under the reactionary rule of semi-feudalism and semi-colonialism. Science and culture were devastated, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture and moxibustion, was on the verge of extinction. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, as formulated by Chairman Mao Zedong, Chinese medicine and pharmacology was rejuvenated, and acupuncture and moxibustion became popular throughout the country. Things were formulated to follow the communist view of the world; therefore, some of the spiritual aspects got lost in the rejuvenation. Acupuncture anesthesia, a new technique, was developed to relieve pain by needling. During the Cultural Revolution, the interference and sabotage of the "gang of four" caused acupuncture, along with other branches of science, to suffer once again. With the downfall of the "gang of four," science and technology were revived.
Most Americans first heard about acupuncture during Richard Nixon's first trip to China. One member of his delegation had an acute appendicitis. He received surgery using acupuncture anesthesia. Until that time, Chinese medicine was dismissed by Western medicine in this country as unproven, since it was not understood. Since medicine in this country could not duplicate the same results, it was then said that acupuncture was good for pain but still with a lot of suspicion. Miriam Lee was originally an MD surgeon in China who became an acupuncturist. She practiced in the San Francisco Bay area in the mid 1970's and had a large following as she was getting outstanding results. She ended up arrested and jailed for practicing medicine without a license. Out of that came the first law in the United States legalizing the practice of acupuncture, signed by Governor Jerry Brown. Shortly after, acupuncturists became licensed primary health care providers in California.
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Basic Theory & Concepts
Meridians/Channels
The terms "meridian" and "channel" can be used interchangeably. These are energy pathways through the body. They are like rivers inside the body. Wherever a river flows, it carries water, which nourishes and sustains life on our planet. Similarly, meridians are like the rivers where Qi flows inside of us, energizing, nourishing and supporting every cell, tissue, muscle, organs and gland in the body. "Meridians not only feed vital energies to their related organs, they also reflect any pathological disturbances in those organs, thus providing physicians a convenient and highly accurate tool for diagnosis as well as therapy." (Daniel Reed, Guarding The Three Treasures, 1994). In addition to the meridians that pertain to the respective organs, the collaterals are their minor branches distributed over the entire body. In order to understand the meridians and how they work on the body, one must have some understanding of the Chinese Universe. "The cosmic element prevails throughout the entire field of traditional Chinese medicine. The same concepts and terminology which define the traditional Chinese view of the universe are also used to describe the myriad phenomena of health and disease. The Chinese regard the human body and all its functions as a microcosm of the grand cosmic order. They believe that the same forces that permeate the universe and animate nature in all its variety are also at work in man. The principles and premises of Chinese medicine are drawn directly from traditional Taoist philosophy, China's most ancient and singular school of thought." (Daniel Reid, Chinese Herbal Medicine, 1993.) Taoists were the liberals in Chinese history. They learned from empirical observation. Taoist thought stresses fluctuation and mutability and explains all natural phenomena in terms of the constant ebb and flow of cosmic forces.
Qi
A basic concept in Chinese medicine is the concept of Qi. While we can measure signs of Qi, we cannot, in a western sense, measure Qi exactly. It can be called a life-force or vital energy. Qi means breath and air and is similar to the Hindu concept of prana. Like the wind, we cannot see it, but we can see signs of it, experience it and see its effects. In other ways, Qi is like electricity. We cannot see electricity directly, however, we see its effects when we turn on a switch. However, describing it to one who has never seen it would be difficult. Using it everyday, we just take it for granted. In Chinese medicine, there are many types of Qi. There is hot-Qi and cold-Qi. There is the Qi that we come into the world with, and the Qi we acquire while we are on earth. There is nourishing Qi and protecting Qi. There is also the Qi of the different organs as well as Qi that we get from food. There is also outside evil-Qi that may invade the body. And of course, there is Yin Qi and Yang Qi; one of the other basic concepts in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).
Yin & Yang
The concepts of Yin and Yang are central to Taoist philosophy, as well as to Chinese medicine. The theory holds that every object and phenomenon in the universe consists of two opposite aspects, yin and yang, which are in conflict and are interdependent. The interplay between yin and yang sparks all change and movement in the universe. Ancient scholars used water and fire to symbolize the basic properties of yin and yang. The basic properties of yin stimulate those of water, including: coldness, downward direction, dimness, etc., while the basic properties of yang are like those of fire, including: hotness, upward direction, brightness, etc. The Chinese character for yin is the shady side of the mountain while the character representing yang literally means the sunny side of the mountain. The terms first existed over three thousand years ago. The yin-yang nature of a thing exists relative only by comparison to other things. So something that may be yang relative to one item may be yin relative to another.
Yin and yang each have their own domains within the human body, although these spheres of influence intersect. Yin controls the internal, the lower, and the front portions of the body, while yang dominates the external, upper and back parts. Half the vital organs of the body are yin, and half are yang. Yin organs govern blood, while yang organs govern Qi. The yin organs have matching yang organs making them pairs, and even within each yin or yang organ, the yin-yang balance of each one is different.
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Causes Of Disease
Imbalance of Yin and Yang & the Six Excesses
The occurrence of a disease can be the outcome of imbalance between yin and yang; the methods of treatment should aim at reconciling the two and restoring them to a condition of relative balance. In acupuncture, points on the right side of the body may treat disorders on the left side of the body, and points on the lower part of the body may treat disorders in the upper part of the body. The body is treated as an organic whole with the aim of treatment to readjust the relationship of yin and yang and promote circulation of Qi and blood. Foods and herbal medicines also address yin-yang imbalances by supplementing the deficient element. For example, in summer, more foods to nourish the yin might be eaten, and more points might be used to nourish the yin of the body. Finally, one can be too hot from having an excess amount of yang energy or hot from having a normal amount of yang energy but a deficiency of yin energy. If the person had an excess amount of yang energy, you might drain the excess, but if the case is a lack of yin, you would not want to drain energy from a deficient person.
The cause of disease in Chinese medicine is more than just an imbalance of Yin and Yang. While in the West we view the cause of diseases as viruses, bacteria or chemical compounds; in China, they see that many who are exposed to those things do not get sick, while others do get sick. The question is: why does the immune system get weak and allow these things to affect the body? Chinese medicine attributes the cause of most diseases to external cosmological and internal emotional factors. The few diseases, which do not fall under these categories, fall under miscellaneous causes.
The external cosmological causes of disease are called the six excesses or six evils. They are Wind, cold, summer-heat, dampness, dryness and fire. China is a country with severe climates and traditionally people did not have air conditioning or central heating.
Wind belongs to the element Wood and dominates in the spring. Wind may combine with heat or cold for "wind heat" or "wind cold." Symptoms of wind injury are stuffy nose, coughing or runny nose, headache dizziness or sneezing. There is also an inner wind unrelated to the weather that is caused by organ imbalances.
Cold is associated with the element Water and dominates in winter. Cold usually injures the body's yang energy. If cold enters the exterior surface of the body, it produces symptoms of fever, aversion to cold, headache and body pains. If it reaches the meridians, it produces muscle cramps and pains in the bones and joints. If it reaches as deep as the organs, it can cause diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pains and intestinal noises. There can also be an internal cold due to a deficiency of yang energy in the spleen and stomach causing nausea, diarrhea, coldness of the limbs, and a pallid complexion. Excessive consumption of foods with a cold nature can induce inner cold.
Summer-heat is associated with the element Fire and is most common during the mid-summer. Major symptoms of summer heat are excess body heat, profuse sweating, parched mouth and throat, and constipation. When summer-heat combines with dampness, it can produce abdominal pains, vomiting, and intestinal spasms.
Dampness is associated with the element Earth and is most active in late summer, when much of the world gets its monsoon season. Ailments of damp-excess can be induced by sudden exposure to fog or mists, immersion in water, exposure to rain, or living in an excessively damp location or climate. Dampness is characterized by heaviness and sluggishness in nature blocking the flow of energy throughout the body. Diseases caused by damp tend to be lingering in nature. An internal dampness condition can be caused by excess consumption of liquor, cold melons, and sweet or greasy foods.
Dryness relates to Metal and often occurs in late autumn when moisture is lacking in the atmosphere. Dryness excess is apt to consume yin fluid, especially the yin of the lung. Clinical manifestations are dry, rough and chapped skin, dryness of the mouth and nose, dryness and soreness of the throat, and a dry cough with little sputum or blood in the sputum.
Fire can come from any of the above five excesses when they become too extreme. The symptoms can be more intense versions of the original symptoms plus symptoms of intense heat. There can also be an inner fire from excess emotional activity or over indulgence with food, drink or sexual activity. Invasion of heat tends to cause skin infections of various types.
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Five Element Theory
Another theory which explains man's connection to nature is represented in the Five Element Theory or Five Phase Theory. Chinese Medicine comprehensively connects the physiology of the organs and tissues with many important environmental factors. These factors are classified into five categories on the basis of the five elements – wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Everything on earth is dominated by one of these elements and their constant interplay. The five element theory, combined with yin and yang, explain all change.
Nurturing Cycle
|
Controlling Cycle |
The five elements are names given to energies of the universe, and an attempt is made to explain them in terms that people can understand. Each force has a generative and controlling influence on one other force and, in turn, is generated or controlled by a different one. Even though these relationships are symbolic, it is easiest to understand them in literal terms. The generative or nurturing cycle proceeds as follows: Wood burns to generate Fire; Fire produces ashes which generate Earth; Earth generates Metal, which can be mined from the ground; when heated, Metal becomes molten like Water; Metal can also be used to dig or drill for water; Water promotes growth of plants, thereby generating Wood. The controlling cycle is complementary to the generative or nurturing cycle. Wood can control the Earth by breaking up the soil and depleting its nutrients. Earth controls water by containing it at one place and soiling its clarity. Water controls Fire by extinguishing it and limiting its growth. Fire can control metal by softening or melting it. Finally, Metal can control Wood by cutting it.
Points, Channels, and Meridians
By now you may be wondering what all this has to do with acupuncture. The elements all relate to organs, the organs all relate to meridians, and each organ has a certain amount of yin and yang. Each of the twelve regular meridians has five points that are below the elbow or knee that are called the five shu points. These are called the Jing-well, Ying-spring, Shu-stream, Jing-river and He-sea points. They are arranged in the order above from the distal ends of the limbs to the elbow or knee. These names image the flow of Qi along meridians as the movement of water. Water starts at the well points and increases in strength as it travels to each next point. The five Shu points are respectively attributed to the five elements.
Order of the Five Elements in the Meridians
| Yin Meridians | Yang Meridians |
| Jing-well – wood | Jing-well - metal |
| Ying-spring – fire | Ying-spring - water |
| Shu-stream – earth | Shu-stream - wood |
| Jing-river – metal | Jing-river – fire |
| He-sea - water | He-sea – earth |
If an organ is deficient and needs to be tonified or strengthened, a point should be selected which relates to the mother point of that meridian. For instance the lung meridian relates to metal, and the "mother" of metal is earth; so the "mother" point of the lung meridian could be used to tonify the lung. The "son" point of a meridian has a reducing effect and might be used in what is called an excess condition in which an organ or meridian has too much energy.
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Functions Of Channels & Collaterals
The following is an explanation of the Functions of the channels and collaterals from Navigating The Channels Of Traditional Chinese Medicine (1996) by Yitian Ni, OMD. First, they integrate the whole body. The channels and collaterals provide a network which a) connects the yin and yang organs to one another, b) connects the interior to the exterior, and c) links each part of the body to every other part, creating an organic whole. Second, they circulate the Qi and Blood. The channels and collaterals provide a passage for the circulation of the Qi and Blood, so that a) the organs and tissues can be nourished and lubricated, b) their functions can be regulated, and c) a relative equilibrium of normal life activities can be maintained. Third, channels demonstrate the location of disorders. The channels and collaterals can provide diagnostic information. When one organ or part of the body is diseased, the pathogenic effect can be transmitted in another area, and meanwhile be reflected on the body surface through the channel system. For example, if the lung is diseased, the pathogens can be transmitted to the large intestine, resulting in tenderness or other abnormality on the body surface along the Lung and Large Intestine Channels. The system will also reflect a disorder of one area to another. For example, if a patient feels stomach pain and chest stuffiness, it may be reflected at PC-6 (Pericardium Channel-6), a specific point. This may indicate a disorder of the Pericardium Channel. If there is tenderness or swelling at ST-36 (Stomach-36) or LI-11 (Large Intestine-11), it may suggest that the patient has indigestion or diarrhea. If there is tenderness at UB-12 (Urinary Bladder-12), it may indicate that pathogenic Wind Cold has invaded the body. The letters are abbreviations commonly used for the meridians, and the numbers refer to points along those specific meridians. The fourth function of the channels is to transmit the needling sensation. When acupoints are stimulated, the needling sensation can be transported along the channel system to the diseased area. When properly applied, this function regulates and activates the flow of Qi, balances Yin and Yang, and restores the normal function of the organs and channels. For instance, by stimulating PC-6, stomach pain and vomiting can be stopped.
The meridian system is comprised of the twelve regular channels, twelve divergent channels, twelve tendomuscular channels, twelve cutaneous regions, and the Eight Extraordinary channels. The Collateral system is comprised of sixteen Major Luo Collaterals, the Grandson Collaterals, the Superficial Collaterals, and the Blood Collaterals. The traditional name of each of the twelve regular channels describes important aspects of the meridian. The first is the name of the organs that it relates with. The second is its yin or yang nature and its pattern of distribution. Finally, is its designation as a hand or foot meridian, indicating whether it circulates on the hand or the foot.
Each of the twelve regular meridians or channels are distributed symmetrically on the right and left sides of the body. Each has its own regular pathway, which includes an internal and external course. They are organized into six yin and yang pairs, creating an internal/external relationship. Each channel pertains to one organ and is connected to the organ of its paired channel. For instance, the Heart Channel of Hand Shao Yin pertains to the heart and connects with the small intestine (the word shao is the Chinese word for lesser). This further demonstrates the internal/external relationship. The distribution of the six yin channels is mainly on the medial aspect of the extremities, and the anterior of the trunk. The three yin channels of the hand run from the chest to the hands, while the three yin channels of the foot run from the foot to the chest. The distribution of the Yang Channels is mainly on the lateral aspect of the extremities, the back, and the head and face. The three yang channels of the hand run from the hand to the head and face, while the three Yang channels of the foot run from the head and face to the foot. The connection points of the yin and yang meridians are such that all six yang meridians meet at the head and face. The six yin meridians meet in the chest and all the yin and yang meridians of the hand meet at the hand. Finally all the yin and yang meridians of the foot meet at the foot.
There is an endless circulation of Qi and blood through the meridians. The order in which this happens is: first from the lung meridian, to the large intestine meridian, to the stomach meridian, to the spleen meridian, to the Heart meridian, to the Small Intestine meridian, to the Urinary Bladder meridian, to the Kidney meridian, to the Pericardium meridian, to the San Jiao meridian, to the Gall Bladder meridian, then finally to the Liver meridian, but it continues on the Lung meridian to start the cycle all over again. It takes approximately two hours for the energy to travel through each meridian; therefore, in one 24 hour day, it makes a complete cycle. The energy is in the Lung meridian from 3-5 am. From following the order in two hour increments one can determine when the energy is in each meridian.
Each of the meridians has its own exclusive points where the Qi and blood converge on the body's surface. There are 361 acupuncture points on the major meridians. Each of the points has its own name. The name indicates its function, location or both. Each of the meridians has is own pathological symptoms and signs which are important as a guide for acupuncture practice.
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Organ Systems
To get some understanding of how the meridians work, one needs an understanding of how the organs work according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. In TCM, the organs go beyond just an anatomical description. They each have a generalization of the physiological functions of the human body. As our western system becomes more advanced, some of these functions are now being recognized by western medicine as functions of the organs. The six yin organs in Chinese medicine, the heart, liver, kidney, spleen, lung and pericardium, are called the six zang organs. They are responsible for manufacturing and storing essential substances including: vital essence, qi, blood and body fluid. The yang organs, the small intestine, gall bladder, stomach, large intestine, urinary bladder, and the san jiao, are known as the six fu organs.
1. Zang Organs: the Six Yin Organs:
The Heart Channel starts in the heart. It ends at the radial aspect of the small finger where it connects with the small intestine channel. This major pathway travels along the side of the arm that the little finger is on. It also passes through the diaphragm to connect with the small intestine, its related organ. An ascending branch of this meridian runs along side the esophagus and connects to the tissues connecting the eyeball.
Functions of the heart: The first function is controlling the blood and vessels. When blood supply is sufficient and blood circulation normal, the complexion will be rosy and lustrous, and vitality full. The second function is housing the mind. The heart is considered the main organ governing mental activities and generalizing the physiological function of the brain. Spirit, consciousness, memory, thinking and sleep are all dominated by this function of the heart. The third function is its opening to the tongue. The color, form, motility and sense of taste of the tongue reflect the heart. Carefully listen to peoples' voices and see what that says about their heart. Pathological manifestations of the heart meridian are palpitation, hypochondriac pain, insomnia, night sweating, dryness of the throat, thirst, pain in the medial aspect of the upper arm and feverishness in palms.
The Liver Channel starts from the medial side of the great toe running up the medial side of the leg. It curves around the external genitalia and goes up to the lower abdomen. Then, it curves around the stomach to enter the liver and connects with the gall bladder, its connecting organ. It goes up along the posterior aspect of the throat, connects to the eye and runs up to the forehead.
Functions of the liver: The first is storing blood. During rest, part of the blood remains in the liver; while during vigorous activity, blood is released from the liver to increase the volume of blood in circulation. Its secondary function is to promote the free flow of Qi throughout the body. If the liver Qi is stagnated, there will be distension and pain on the course of the liver channel, which may affect other channels and organs. Symptoms could be lower back pain, headache, body aches or joint pain. It could also affect the liver's ability to detoxify the body. The third function is to regulate mental function and the emotions. Prolonged mental depression or a fit of anger may weaken the liver so that it is unable to promote the unrestrained and free flow of Qi. Also, a dysfunction of the liver is often accompanied by emotional changes such as: depression, irritability, nervousness, dizziness or frustration. The fourth function is to regulate the function of the internal organs. Not just its relationship with its paired organ, the gall bladder, but it also harmonizes the relationship of the spleen, and stomach, and can regulate digestive processes; this can include bile secretion. It also can affect functions of the kidney and urinary bladder, including reproductive and urinary functions. The heart and lung can be affected from the liver channel with symptoms such as: chest pain, stuffiness of the chest, palpitations, and insomnia. Another function of the liver channel is regulating the endocrine system. Disorders of this meridian may result in diabetes, hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism. The liver also has the function of controlling the tendons. When the liver is supplied with ample yin and blood, the tendons are strong and free in extension and flexion. Finally, the liver opens into the eye. Although each zang-fu organ has some influence on functions of the eye, the liver directly communicates with the eye and has a closer relation to ocular function such as vision and movement of the eye. Pathological manifestations of the liver meridian can be low back pain, fullness in the chest, pain in the lower abdomen, hernia, vertical headache, dryness of the throat, hiccup, enuresis, and mental disturbance.
The Spleen Channel starts from the tip of the big toe then runs along the medial aspect of the foot at the juncture of the red and white skin. Then, it ascends in front of the medial maleolus on the ankle and up the leg. It follows up in back of the tibia, crosses then goes in front of the liver channel. Passing up the medial to the knee, it goes to the top medial side of the thigh and enters the abdomen, connecting to the spleen; then it connects with the stomach, its related organ. From there it ascends, traversing the diaphragm and running alongside the esophagus. When it reaches the root of the tongue, it spreads over its lower surface. A branch from the stomach goes up and flows into the heart to link to the heart channel.
Function of the spleen: Its first function relates to digestion and absorption. The spleen has the function of digesting food, absorbing its essential substances with part of the fluid supplied, and transmitting them to the heart and the lung, from where they are sent to nourish the whole body. Normal functioning of the spleen is required for good appetite, normal digestion and absorption, good nourishment and normal transmission of fluid. The second function of the spleen is controlling blood. The spleen has the function of keeping the blood inside the vessels. The third function of the spleen is to nourish the muscles and the extremities. The normal functioning of the spleen in digestion enables the muscles to receive adequate nourishment from the food essentials, and thus maintains muscle thickness and strength. The fourth function is to tonify Qi and blood. The nutritive Qi, Ying, is produced by the spleen and distributed through its channel to the whole body. Symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia and excess menstrual flow are treated with shu points on the spleen meridian. The fifth function of the spleen is to regulate the bodily fluids and prevent the formation of dampness in the digestive system. In Chinese medicine, dampness can mean moisture but it can also cause infection. Symptoms such as heavy sensation of the body or extremities, edema or excessive salivation are dampness symptoms. The final function of the spleen is to raise and stabilize the Qi. The spleen strengthens the smooth muscles of the internal organs and ligaments, which hold the organs in their proper place. Symptoms such as prolapse or difficulty concentrating can indicate a spleen disorder.
The Lung Channel originates in the middle of the body and runs downward to connect with the large intestine, its related organ. It winds back up and goes along the upper orifice of the stomach. It then passes through the diaphragm and enters the lung. It comes out of the lungs and goes through the throat before moving out and down below the clavicle to descend along its meridian points and the medial portion of the upper arm. It passes in front of the heart and pericardium channel. It passes down the medial side of the wrist, through the radial artery, and goes to the medial side of the thumb to connect with the large intestine channel. The lung is said to open at the nose.
Function of the lung: It is to dominate the Qi of the whole body and control respiration. Traditional Chinese medicine holds that the lung, owning to its dispersing nature, can promote the diffusion of Qi, blood and body fluid into every portion of the body. Dysfunction of the lung, in dispersion, may lead to tightness in the chest, nasal obstruction, cough and expectoration of phlegm. As the function of the lung greatly influences the functional activities of the whole body, the lung is said to dominate the Qi of the whole body. It is important for circulating the Wei, defensive Qi, to the body surface that protects the body's resistance from external attack. This also helps maintain normal body temperature and perspiration. The descending function of the lung Qi complements the ascending function of the liver Qi. The two together assist the other organs in maintaining their proper direction of Qi circulation and preventing excess Qi accumulations. The next major function of the lung is to regulate the body fluid circulation. Its dispersing function turns a part of the body fluid into sweat to be excreted, while its descending function continuously sends a part of the body fluid down to the kidney and on to the urinary bladder to be excreted as urine. This would include the volume and color of urine. Another function of the lung is to spread the Qi and lift the spirit. Hence the regular lung channel is effective for mental and emotional difficulties. The lung also dominates the skin and hair. The lung disperses nutrients to the body surface giving luster to the skin and gloss to the hair while regulating the opening and closing of the pores. The lung opens into the nose. Unobstructed breathing and a good sense of smell depend on good function of the lung. The lung channel is connected to the stomach, large intestine, throat, shoulder, upper back, arms, and thumb. Points along the lung channel are effective for disorders of all these areas.
The Kidney channel starts at the inferior aspect of the small toe and goes to the sole of the foot. From there, it curves around the medial aspect of the medial malleolus and connects with the heel, then goes up the back, medial side of the leg. It goes through the knee, thigh, tip of the coccyx, connecting with the Du channel, one of the eight extra meridians. Then it enters the kidneys, its pertaining organs, and connects with the urinary bladder. A portion of the channel re-emerges from the kidney and ascends passing through the liver and diaphragm. It then enters the lung and runs along the throat and terminates at the root of the tongue. From the kidney, the main branch goes to the symphysis pubis and travels up about 1.5 inches from the midline of the lower abdomen. When it reaches the chest, it continues up, but the distance from the midline of the body increases to about two inches. This channel ends at the clavicle.
Functions of the kidney: A first function is storing essence and dominating reproduction, growth and development. The essence in the kidneys is also referred to as the yin of the kidney, consisting of two parts: congenital essence, inherited from the parents, and acquired essence, transformed from the essential substances of food. The secondary functions of the kidneys are producing marrow, forming the brain, dominating the bones and manufacturing blood. The essence, which the kidney stores, can produce bone marrow and also produce the spinal cord. The upper part of the spinal cord connects with the brain, while bone marrow nourishes the bones and manufactures blood. The third function is dominating water metabolism. The fluid sent down by the lung reaches the kidney and is divided into two parts, the clear and the turbid. The clear is retained while the turbid flows to the urinary bladder to be expelled. The kidney also has the function of receiving air. The distribution of clear Qi inhaled by the lung depends on the descending function of the lung but also on the kidney's function of reception and control. The kidney is also said to open into the ear. Deafness in aged people is mainly due to deficiency and depletion of the Qi of the kidney. The kidney also helps promote the function of the stomach, spleen, lung, heart and liver as well as the function of the throat and tongue. Symptoms of all of the above can relate to a disorder of the kidney channel.
The last Zang organ is the Pericardium. It is not generally related as an independent organ but an attachment to the heart. Its main function is to protect the heart. The pericardium channel originates from the chest and from the pericardium it descends to the abdomen connecting with the upper, middle and lower jiao (center). A branch emerges from the chest and connects to the upper then lower arm. It runs between the lung and heart channel towards the hand down the medial side of the arm between the tendons of the palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis ending at the palm. From there it passes along the middle finger right down to its tip.
2. Fu Organs: the six Yang Organs
The Small Intestine is related to the heart, its externally-internally related organ. Its function is to receive and temporarily store partially digested food from the stomach. It further digests the food and absorbs nutrients along with part of the water in the food. The small intestine channel starts from the ulnar side of the tip of the little finger. It then moves up the arm, down through the heart, and finally ending in the small intestine.
The Gall Bladder is attached to the liver, the organ it is internally-externally related to. Its function is to store bile and continuously excrete it to the intestines to help digestion. The gall bladder channel starts at the external corner of the eye.
The Stomach is externally-internally related to the spleen. Its main function is to receive and decompose food. The function of the stomach is normal when its Qi is descending and abnormal when its Qi is ascending. The stomach and spleen act together and are the main organs carrying on the functions of digestion and absorption. It is said that the stomach and spleen are the source of health. The stomach channel begins at the side of the nose, passes up to the forehead, then down through the diaphragm, and into the stomach.
The Large Intestine is externally and internally related to the lung. Its main function is to receive waste matter from the small intestine and absorb part of its fluid content as it transports to the anus to be excreted from the body. The large intestine channel starts at the tip of the index finger and goes up into the shoulder. It then goes down connecting with the lung and moves into the large intestine.
The Urinary Bladder connects with the kidney, which it is externally and internally related to. Its main function is the temporary storage of urine and its discharge from the body when a certain amount has accumulated. Its function is accomplished with the assistance of the qi of the kidney. The urinary bladder channel starts medial to the eyes and goes over the head and splits to two pathways in the back of the neck that go down the back parallel to each other. It then goes down the back of the legs and reaches the lateral tip of the small toe to connect with the kidney channel. Unique to this channel is that it has points that relate to all of the organs as it travels down the back. The health of the organs can be determined by palpating these points. In western terms, this is called a facilitated segment. It becomes hypersensitive resulting in lowered stimulation as the affected nerve tends to overreact and fire excessively. The origin of nerve facilitation may stem from the spine, the soft tissue or the affected organ. Needling this point can help either condition.
The San (three) jiao also called the triple warmer is not an actual organ but a generalization of part of the functions of some of the zang-fu organs located in different sections of the body. The upper jiao representing the chest is a generalization of the heart and lung in transporting qi and blood to nourish various parts of the body. The middle jiao is a generalization of the function of the spleen and stomach in digestion and absorption. Finally the lower jiao is a generalization of functions of the kidney and urinary bladder in controlling water metabolism, as well as storage and excretion of urine. Note: The pathway of each organ channel is very specific and detailed. For a more in depth description, look to references: Essentials Of Chinese Acupuncture (1980) and Acupuncture Medicine (1982) by Yoshiaki Omura.
Extraordinary Channels
Two of the extraordinary channels have their own points. The others use points on the other meridians. The Du channel starts between the tip of the coccyx and the anus and runs up the center of the back ending right above the mouth. The Ren channel starts in the center of the perineum and runs up the center of the front of the body to just below the mouth.
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Practice Of Acupuncture
Different Methods Of Treatment
Two types of treatment in Chinese Medicine are acupuncture and acupressure. The most general difference between acupuncture and acupressure is that acupuncture generally involves the insertion of thin needles into the body, while acupressure involves finger pressure on points on the body.
In the Chinese system of acupuncture, usually a combination of acupuncture points are treated together to get a certain effect. Generally, one tries to get a connection to the energy of the body to make some change to a person depending on what condition the person is in. Too many points might disrupt the intended effect. While acupressure might also work on a point or two for a certain effect, many systems taught, as in Shiatsu, often work on many points along the meridians the help get the Qi flowing in general along the meridians. Other systems of acupressure, like Jin Shin Do, hold different combinations of acupuncture points to make different changes over the course of a treatment depending on what condition is presented to them.
The major difference of using needles is that they can actually go into the meridians, affecting them at a deeper level than pressure. For some people and some problems, the Qi is deeper, and for some, it is closer to the surface. Even though acupuncture is generally defined as the insertion of thin needles into the body, there is actually a non-insertion technique. In this care, a practitioner holds a needle, made completely of metal, as opposed to needles that have plastic handles or are silicone coated. Then she will hold it over the acupuncture point and emit Qi from her hand through the needle. The person receiving the treatment will generally feel the Qi as if a needle was inserted. In a similar way, cold lasers can be used to stimulate acupuncture points. They generally are tuned to a healing frequency, and in a few seconds, one will feel the energy move when placed over an acupuncture point and turned on. Now in some circumstances, frequencies from certain tuning forks are also applied to some acupuncture points to bring energy into the body, as well as other healing frequencies applied to points on the ears.
Sometimes when the term acupuncture is used, the term moxibustion can follow. Moxibustion is applying heat produced by ignited moxa-wool over the points of the skin surface. Usually the herb mugwort is used and often in combination with other herbs. Also seeds, metal balls or small magnets can be applied to acupuncture points to get results. The therapeutic and preventative results in moxibustion, acupuncture, and acupressure are achieved through promoting smooth circulation of the channels and adjusting Qi and blood by stimulating the points and channels.
Different acupuncture points have different functions; some relate to wind, and some clear heat or dampness. Others help different organs. In the Chinese system, one would determine what is going on and out of balance then find a treatment plan to correct the imbalance. A practitioner will consider several factors: is the disease in the exterior or interior of the body and how long has it been there? If there is pain, one might treat the local area or treat a distant area that affects the painful area. Usually a series of treatments is used to correct a condition, but I have seen one treatment clear blocked emotions or clear other major imbalances. The basic principles are not too complicated, but it takes a while to learn how to apply them when conflicting symptoms and signs are present. For instance, there are many causes of headaches. Proper point selection based on the causes of the headaches will give good results. Just using points for headaches may or may not give good results. One doctor that I studied with in the Gong Dong Provincial Hospital also incorporated acupuncture according to time. Based on the energies of the acupuncture points and the five elements, different points are open (or more active) at different times. There are books published now and even computer programs to determine what they are. Treating them at the open time will get better results than treating them at other times. A good book on this subject is called The Celestial Stems, Acupuncture Theory And Practice In Relation To The Influence Of Cosmic Forces Upon The Body (1985), by Royston Low PhD., N.D., D.O., M.B.N.O.A., F.B.Ac.A., DrAc.
Generally, a few points are treated together at one time to get a desired result. However, too many points treated at once may result in a more diffused effect. One of the old Chinese doctors I have studied with would needle one point at a time. He would allow that point to make its change, and then treat the second point. He believed that treating a few points at once was rushing things.
There are actually many different ways that acupuncture is practiced. In Japanese and Korean systems, often many needles may be used with very shallow needling. There are various Korean constitutional systems which divide people into different constitutions and certain point combinations are more effective for people with those constitutions. One Korean practitioner has found that he can use the hand to treat all of the meridians to affect all of the body. There is a Chinese system of scalp acupuncture, in which areas of the head are treated with needles to affect different parts of the brain. This does not follow meridian therapy.
In France, in about 1950, a Dr. Nogier saw a woman who had part of her ear cauterized. She told him that it was a local thing, and it cleared her sciatica. He met with other doctors once a month and worked with parts of the ear to see how it affected the body. They developed an energetic system that determines which points are active at different times and which parts of the body they affect. A good point will move the energy field of the body inward. An inappropriate one will move it outward. Remedies can also be tested in this system to see if they move the energy field inward, indicating that they will have a beneficial affect on the patient. In 1957, Dr. Nogier went to China to show them this system of treating the ear by acupuncture. A year later, charts showing ear acupuncture began coming from China. However, Essentials Of Chinese Acupuncture (1980), compiled by Beijing College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, says that such methods were recorded in the Neijing, written 300-500 BC.
There are also different treatments based on training levels. To be a licensed acupuncturist in the state of California, one must have thousands of hours of study in the field. This covers fields of theory of TCM, the organs, and Chinese herbal medicine, as well as Western medicine. If one is an MD, they can practice acupuncture without any special training. Some might take a 30 hour course and some might even take the more extensive class from the Acupuncture Medical Society, which has 50 hours of classroom training and 100 hours of videos they can watch. In some states, chiropractors can practice some acupuncture. Needling trigger points, points that release a lot of tension stored in the body, can be helpful without any study of TCM at all. Sometimes needling tender points can be as effective as injecting cortisone into the painful area. In some states, detoxification technicians, who are only trained to needle the ear, provide effective work helping people with drug withdrawal.
The practice of acupuncture with limited training provides an ongoing debate. Those who have a minimum amount of training see they are helping people and want to continue doing that work. Those who have spent years of their lives studying the whole system know that there is a lot more they can do for people than just those minimally trained. They would like everyone to be thoroughly trained. Their rational is that the public does not know the difference; they get needles and think that is what acupuncture is. If people are treated by welltrained individuals, they should get much better results and it can then be better included in our health care system. If the results are not as good, you will hear that acupuncture does not work well.
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Acupuncture Points
First Point location: A) Acupuncture points are located according to anatomical landmarks on the body surface, such as prominence of depressions of the bone, joint, tendon, muscle, skin crease, hairline, border of nail, nipple, umbilicus, eye and mouth can all be used. B) A method has been determined for locating points at a distance from anatomical landmarks based on proportional measurement. Portions of various parts of the body are divided into numbers of equal divisions each being called one cun. C) The length and breath of the patient's fingers are also used as a criterion for locating points.
Point functions: Points located on the extremities can be used in treating disorders of both the extremities and the remote areas supplied by their pertaining channels, while points of the head, face, and trunk are chiefly used in treating disorders in that area including their related organs. While most points commonly used are meridian points, there are off meridian points called extra points that are used with good results. Some of them are listed in the major acupuncture books. One book that lists a whole system of extra points is called Master Tong's Acupuncture: An Ancient Alternative Style In Modern Clinical Practice (1992), which is translated by Miriam Le, O.M.D., the acupuncturist who was responsible for acupuncture licensing in California.
Traditionally acupuncture points had Chinese names. This gave an idea about the point's location for energetic action. Gradually, the points were arranged on the meridians that they relate to and given a number. This makes it easier for foreigners to reference the points. A few points, for instance on the breast, are never needled but are only referenced for location. Different books reference different indications for the points. An example of that would be Lung-7, the seventh point along the lung meridian which is called Lie Que translated to mean Narrow defile. The indications for that point are headache, coughing, asthma, urticaria, facial paralysis, stiff neck, and diseases of the wrist joint. This point also has a traditional function that shows how it can be used in various treatments. This function opens up the lungs, disperses wind, and clears and regulates the Conception Channel. This is one of the most popular used acupuncture points. It is used for many conditions not shown on the indications list.
Perhaps the most commonly used point is Stomach-36, (zu san li), meaning foot three miles. This is the Sea and Earth pit of the stomach channel and the Sea of Nourishment point. Its name refers to this point's strong tonifying effect, which has been used since ancient times to build up strength and endurance. It was commonly needled or treated with moxa before a person embarked upon a long journey. The number three is considered an active or Yang number. Zu san li can also mean "three units on the foot," which refers to its location three units below Stomach-35, which is in the knee. Zu san li also shares a similar relationship and anatomical location with Shou san li (Large Intestine-10) or "hand three miles," located on the arm. Its traditional functions include: regulating, strengthening and tonifing the spleen, stomach, and the middle and lower burners; it also tonifies nutritive Qi, reduces digestive stagnation, redirects rebellious Qi downward, warms cold and drains pathogenic influences from the stomach. Its indications include a very large number of things from digestive problems to appendicitis and intestinal abscesses and anemia and many other things. This point can help either diarrhea or constipation. Once, years ago, I was walking in the forest and a root caught the tip of my toes sending me laying face first on the ground. I walked a couple of miles and hoped to get back to normal but felt out of sorts. Finally, I had someone hold points zu san li and shou san li and I immediately got back to normal.
One of the other most commonly used points is Large Intestine-4, (he gu) Joining Valleys. This is the source point of the large intestine channel. The name refers to this point's location between the first and second metacarpals which form a depression or valley when the thumb is abducted. The traditional functions of this point includes; dispersing wind, relieving exterior conditions, suppressing pain and clearing the channels. Some of the more common indications for this point are: common cold, headache, facial paralysis, neurasthenia, pain in general, diseases of the sensory organs and many conditions in the head.
Another common point located on the same meridian is Large Intestine-11, (qu chi), Crooked Pool. With the elbow flexed this point is located in the depression at the lateral end of the transverse cubital crease. "Crooked," like a bend in a river, refers to this point's location at the bend of the elbow in the crease. Like the Sea points, pool refers to the flow of Qi as it slows down and spreads out. The traditional functions of the point eliminate wind and exterior conditions, cool heat and alleviate dampness. They also regulate the blood. Typical indications for this point are: arthritic pain in the upper limb, paralysis, hypertension, high fever, measles, anemia, allergies, goiter, and skin diseases.
Another of the most commonly used points is Spleen-6 (san yin Jiao), Three Yin Junction. This is the point where the liver, kidney and spleen channels all intersect. This point is located three cun units directly above the vertex of the medial malleolus on the posterior border of the tibia. The name refers to this point's intersection with the three Yin Channels. The traditional functions for this point are: strengthening the spleen and transforming dampness, spreading the liver Qi and benefiting the kidneys. This point is indicated for conditions such as: incontinence, diseases of the reproductive system, distension or pain of the abdomen, diarrhea, eczema, neurodermatitis, and urticaria.
Finally, the last common point I wish to mention is Liver-3 (tai chong) Great Thoroughfare. This is the source, stream and earth point of the liver meridian. Its location is the depression distal to the junction of the first and second metatarsal bones. The name of this point refers to the point's function as a strategic and important passageway for the flow of channel Qi. Chong also suggests the intense quality of Qi which can be experienced when needling this point. The traditional function of this point pacifies the liver, regulates the blood, opens the channels, and drains liver heat. Typical indication for this point include: headache, vertigo, hypertension, insomnia, hepatitis, mastitis, irregular menstruation, and soreness of the joints of the extremities.
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Practitioner Training
Medicine in the USA is licensed on a state level. Forty states plus the district of Colombia have some sort of practice act requirement for practicing acupuncture. Most States use the certification by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. California does not; it has its own license examination. Typically a licensed acupuncturist or registered acupuncturist whose primary training is in acupuncture and/or Oriental Medicine has obtained a 3-4 year masters level degree or diploma from a school approved by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and is awarded the Dipl.Ac. (Diplomat In Acupuncture) designation upon successful examination by the NCCAOM (National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine). In California, one must pass the State Board exams. The all day written exam is given a month or so before the two day practical exams. Typically this requires training from 1363 hours to 2000 hours in acupuncture or 2000-3000 hours in Oriental Medicine. The trend is to increase these requirements. There is also still an apprenticeship route available. Over 4000 hours and other specific training are required for this to happen.
A medical doctor, osteopath or chiropractor may use acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy. The World Health Organization recommends that medical doctors have 200 hours of training and know when to refer to a more fully-trained acupuncturist or Oriental Medicine practitioner. These practitioners may have 300 hours or even less training. There are very few that actually get licensed in both. A detox technician typically has under 100 hours of training but they only treat drug addiction detoxification. They are limited to five points in the ear and should work under the supervision of a Licensed Acupuncturist.
Currently there are forty six colleges approved by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). For a list of approved schools, go to www.ccaom.org, www.nccaom.org, or www.acaom.org.
Types Of Needles
The needles generally used are surgical grade stainless steel and only slightly wider than a hair. Traditionally, gold needles were used to tonify the body, and silver ones to sedate the body. Most practitioners now generally use pre-sterilized needles instead of using an autoclave to sterilize the needles for reuse. Needles are generally pre-sterilized with ethylene oxide gas as other hospital instruments are. It is more reassuring for the public and eliminates one job for the acupunturist. Gold and silver needles are not available pre-sterilized. Gold is a soft metal, so it is difficult to reuse it. Some needles come with a silicone coating. This is supposed to allow an easier insertion; however, Qi does not travel well through silicone. There is also the concern that some of the silicone may come off the needle and remain in the body. It is good to purchase important items like needles from a company that you trust to do the best job even if it means paying more.
Since most of our nerves are on the surface of the skin one may feel pain if needles are not expertly inserted. To get past this layer many needles come with guide tubes so the needles can be tapped through the surface level to provide a comfortable treatment.
How Does Acupuncture Work?
One can answer that from an Eastern perspective. "Acupuncture originated centuries ago based on the theory that health is determined by a balanced flow of Qi, which is considered our vital life energy and is present in all living organisms. In theory, Qi circulates in the body along pathways, called meridians. The meridians are linked to specific internal organs and /or organs systems. Along these meridians are acupuncture points. Each point has a set of specific functions and/or indications. Needling points along the meridians allows the practitioner to directly influence the individual's Qi."
If one is talking to a western trained practitioner who is incapable of understanding the above, it could be explained in a different manner. "Research studies show that needling Pericardium 6 has an inhibitory effect on the area postrema (chemo receptor trigger zone for vomiting) located on the dorsal surface of the medulla oblongata... There is significance research that shows acupuncture reduces cortical levels, releases endogenous opiates, affects NE (norepinepherine) serotonin, increases NK cells (natural killer T-cells) as well as salivary IgA antibodies, to name a few. Functional MRI's are a great tool for mapping different areas of the brain that are affected with needles insertions." (Oriental Medicine, Spring 2005)
If one is interested in finding details about how western science understands acupuncture, they might want to refer the book, Scientific Basis Of Acupuncture (1989) by Prof. Bruce Pomeranz, M.D., Ph.D. He is on the faculty of both the Department of Physiology and Department at Zoology of the University of Toronto. This book summarizes major research between 1976 and 1988. I heard him speak at the Pacific Symposium of Oriental Medicine in San Diego in 1995. He stated that much more is known about how acupuncture affects the body on a physiological level than how medications used today affect our bodies.
Acupuncture has been shown to increase the production of endorphins in the body; endorphins are natural pain killers. This helps painful areas in the body and helps people feel generally good. In cases of nicotine addiction, when one is addicted to nicotine, the body generally quits producing endorphins. This makes withdrawal very difficult. Acupuncture treatments can start this production again to make quitting smoking much easier. In the case of a sore or injured back, there is often a band of tension going down the spine. This narrows the space that the nerves have to come out of the spine. They can then become inflamed as they get pressure on them. Acupuncture treatments can help loosen this band so the nerves are not impinged. This helps people with chronic back pain to have lasting results. It also helps the body process emotions that are locked up, which can cause chronic tension in the body.
In The Theory And Practice Of Spiritual Acupuncture, Allen Duerrstein states that, "The physical body is built upon the etheric network made up of the Nadis. The etheric vehicle is the blueprint that governs how our physical bodies are built, how well they function (including healing and repair), and what we look like in human form. A general rule-of thumb is: Where two Nadis cross, we have an acupuncture point; where seven Nadis meet, we find a plexus; where twelve or more Nadis intersect, we find a Chakra (center)."
"Each Nadi, or line of force, is composed of five filaments that may be likened unto a fiber-optic strand. In most people, these filaments are clogged, sluggish, and only sporadically conductive. Some methods are quite effective in temporarily or permanently clearing the filaments in order to allow a restored or full flow of energy. These include meditation, shock, acupuncture, and certain empowerments."
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Safety Issues
Safety issues are various. First, the use of sterile needles is very important to prevent spread of microbes. The next major concern is to avoid puncturing the lung. One does this by avoiding needling deep around the chest. Much care is also needed in treating pregnant women. Acupuncture is generally seen as safer than the use of medications, but some points have to be handled with caution. During acupuncture training, one learns of different points that can only be needled in certain directions and care must be made near vital organs and arteries. Also one needs to be aware not to cool or drain an individual energetically too much or do any treatment not consistent with the person's constitution. This is all thoroughly covered in proper training programs. It is very important not to practice acupuncture at all without proper training. Acupressure is less dangerous, but it can still be harmful if practiced incorrectly.
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Scientific Research
I took a course in college called History of Science; the text book we used was The Structure Of Scientific Revolutions (1962) by T. S. Kuhn. It was an eye opener. Whenever a new way of seeing the universe was proven in Western science at the time, it was bitterly opposed by the authorities. It was accepted by most other people, so when the authorities died off, it became common knowledge. Robert Becker, MD, the author of Body Electric (1985) covers this same subject in his book Cross Currents: The Perils Of Electropollution (1990), "The modern career scientist's business is one in which success is measured by the number of papers published. Maximizing this number leads to greater prestige, more grants, larger laboratories, and positions on decision making committees. Unfortunately, it is much easier to get a paper published if it does not challenge the present orthodox. As a result, few career scientists are willing to look at issues that cast doubt on established beliefs." In the section of Cross Currents, "Discovering Acupuncture" he writes,
"In order for a growth control system to start a healing process, it has to receive a signal indicating that an injury has occurred. During the 1960's and early 1070's, it was assumed that this signal was sent to the brain by the sensory nerves that supposedly produced the sensation of pain in the conscious mind. This seemed appropriately simple and in accord with current concepts of neurophysiology. Then President Nixon visited China. When one of the reporters accompanying him had to be operated on for acute appendicitis with acupuncture anesthesia, a whole new light was thrown on this area. Acupuncture became a common subject on the evening news..."
"Nixon's visit must have stimulated the people at the National Institute of Health, because they sent out the word to that they were interested in funding studies on acupuncture. This was my big opportunity, so I proposed to the NIH that I and my colleague, Dr. Maria Reichmanis, a biophysicist, look into the possibility that the acupuncture systems of points and meridians carry the electrical signals of injury. We reasoned that if we could find reproducible and significant electrical parameters associated with the points and meridians, then these would be shown to actually exist."
His study was funded, and they found that acupuncture points exist that had specific, reproducible, and significant electrical parameters in all subjects tested. They concluded that the acupuncture system was really there and proposed a good theory of what they were and how they worked. They proposed a number of crucial follow-up studies, but their grant was not renewed. This is not too surprising considering that acupuncture challenged the world view of the time on how the body works.
Time has passed, and as more people experience acupuncture, they know it works. More medical schools, like Stanford, are incorporating it in their training. The following studies are taken from the publication, Acupuncture Today. In the April issue 2005, a study was done by visiting PubMed, a search service maintained by the National Library of Medicine which provides database and abstracts from more the 4,500 biomedical journals published in the US and elsewhere. They looked for any studies published in the last ten years referencing the words "acupuncture," "chiropractic" and massage therapy." For acupuncture, the total number was 2,795; for Chiropractic 1,425 and massage therapy 173. Obviously a lot of research is being done. Usually on every month's cover of Acupuncture Today they have a brief synopsis of an acupuncture study. In April 2005, the affects of acupuncture on the herpes virus was examined. This study was conducted with 189 patients with herpes infection showing an 80.4% rate of clinical resolution of symptoms with 17% simple improvement of symptoms and 2.6% no improvement. In March 2005, acupuncture, Moxibustion, and herbs were shown to help chronic pelvic inflammation. This study consisted of 36 women. Twenty five percent were listed as cured, while 63.9% rated obvious effect and 11.1 % listed as no effect. In February 2005, a study showed acupuncture being more effective for low back pain than physical therapy. This study consisted of 146 patients with chronic low back pain who were randomized to receive either physical therapy or a course of six acupressure sessions over a 4-week period. Patients in the acupressure group experienced greater short-term and long-term reductions in low back pain than those in the physical therapy group. That same issue also contained an article about treating osteoarthritis of the knee successfully with acupuncture. This article says, "In one of the largest trials of its kind published to date, researchers in Maryland have found that acupuncture applied to specific points on the leg can provide significant pain relief and improve function in patients who have osteoarthritis of the knee. The results of the trial, published in the Dec. 21, 2004 issue of the Annals Of Internal Medicine, suggest that acupuncture may be a safe, effective therapy that can be used in conjunction with other forms of care in the treatment of osteoarthritis..."
The above are just what happened to be in the past three issues. There is a wealth of information out there. What is harder to find is a lot of double blind studies, like those used when different drugs are given to see how they affect symptoms. One of the problems with that is in categorizing the causes of donations by TCM; a headache or insomnia may have different factors that cause them. Therefore, different points are needled to change the condition. In a true double blind study, neither the person giving the treatment nor the person receiving it knows who is getting the real treatment. Another problem was discussed at the Integrative Medicine Roundtable, part of the California State Oriental Medical Association's International Expo North 2004 held on September 17 & 19, 2004 at the San Francisco Airport Westin Hotel. The problem is that the people who design the research studies on acupuncture have not been acupuncturists. One senior Chinese doctor said that it is hard to intellectually convince a Western trained physician that acupuncture works, but whenever he treats them, they understand it right away. As more acupuncture colleges are starting doctorate degrees with training in research, the quality of research available should improve. The understanding that humanity is more than just a bunch of chemical reactions should finally let this research be received with an open mind.
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Case Studies - Does Acupuncture Work?
This section could easily be longer than this whole course if I went into much detail. I will keep it short just to give some examples showing that acupuncture definitely works, and it works very well. Sometimes, I might add herbal combinations or other supplements to change the internal environment of the person so they can heal faster.
One nine year old girl that I have been treating recently was using an asthma inhaler 2-3 times a day. After two treatments, she was only using it about once every three days. After a few more treatments, she was not using it at all.
Her father was using antihistamines constantly for months for allergies; after beginning allergy treatments, he stopped using them completely. After a few treatments, he said he is not having any allergies. Also, he used to have trouble getting up in the morning and needed coffee. Now he gets up and feels fine without using any caffeine.
Usually for cases of cold or the flu, I use herbs, as some have strong antiviral effects that can work well to deal with those problems. One woman called saying she was sick and asked if I could get her in that day. I treated her; she called me when she got home to tell me how much better she felt right away, even before taking her herbs.
Another woman, who had an athletic scholarship to college, came into my office. First, she had gone to student health services with an injury to her foot. They told her it would take a miracle for her to compete in the regional championship that was to happen the next weekend. I gave her a treatment. The next week I saw her picture on the cover of the sports section of the local newspaper as she was credited as helping her team win the regional championship.
One man, for whom I have repeatedly cleared bad migraine headaches with acupuncture treatments, has since moved to Washington D.C. to lobby the federal government to cover acupuncture through the federal insurance system.
Another woman was sick in bed for months. I treated her for allergies, and she has been fine ever since. She still gets occasional treatments, but she has been working for the past year and not missed one day of work. Acupuncture works fine. How well it works may have more to do with the practitioner and the condition of the patient. Such factors as diet, the internal environment of the body and stress level, all these can affect the rate of results.
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Financial Research
People who have been paying a lot every month for prescription medications notice they save money right away when they no longer need those drugs. AOMAlliance.org shows several examples of the cost effectiveness of acupuncture.
Twenty eight patients with severe osteoarthritis of the knee, each awaiting arthroplasty surgery, were randomized to receive a course of acupuncture treatment or be placed on a waiting list to receive similar acupuncture treatment starting nine weeks later. Of the 29 patients, 7 were able to cancel their scheduled surgeries at a cost savings of $9,000 per patient.
Half of 78 stroke patients receiving standard rehabilitation care were randomly chosen to receive adjunctive acupuncture treatment. Patients given acupuncture recovered faster and to a greater extent, spending 88 days/patient in hospital and nursing homes compared to 161 days/patient for standard care alone. Cost savings: $26,000 per patient.
Fifty-six patients in a worker's compensation clinic were randomized to receive either physical therapy/occupational therapy/exercise or the standard care plus acupuncture. Of the 29 treated with acupuncture, 18 returned to their original or equivalent jobs and 10 returned to lighter employment. Of the 27 who received only standard therapy, 4 returned to original or equivalent jobs and 14 to lighter employment.
One hundred twenty patients with migraines were randomly assigned to an acupuncture group (AG) or a conventional drug therapy group. AG patients received acupuncture twice a week for a maximum of thirty treatments. Four sites in Italy, two hospital and two university public centers provided acupuncture, the two university sites also provided the pharmacological therapy. Severity and frequency of headache and days of missed work were evaluated 12 months after admission. The AG had an absence rate of 1120 working days per year while the drug therapy group had a total absence rate of 1404 working days per year. Cost savings: $35,480 per year for the sixty patients receiving acupuncture compared to those in conventional drug therapy. For more studies and references to above studies go to www.aomalliance.org and under site index click on "cost effectiveness of acupuncture."
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What can Acupuncture/Acupressure Treat?
The World Health Organization recognizes acupuncture and Traditional Oriental Medicine's ability to treat over 43 common disorders including:
- Gastrointestinal disorders, such as but not limited to food allergies, peptic ulcers, chronic diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, gastrointestinal weakness, anorexia and gastritis.
- Urogenital disorders, including stress incontinence, urinary tract infections, and sexual dysfunction.
- Gynecological disorders, such as irregular, heavy, or painful menstruation, infertility in women and men, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
- Respiratory disorders, such as emphysema, sinusitis, asthma, allergies and bronchitis.
- Disorders of the bones, muscles, joints and nervous system, such as arthritis, migraine headaches, dizziness and low back, neck and shoulder pain.
- Emotional and psychological disorders, including depression and anxiety.
- Addictions, including nicotine and drugs.
- Eye, ear, nose and throat disorders.
- Supportive therapy for other chronic and painful debilitating disorders.
- Circulatory disorders, including anemia.
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Glossary Of Terms
Autoclave: high pressure steam sterilization machine (for needles and other instruments).
Channels: also called meridians, energy pathways through the body.
Chua Qua: deep tissue self massage focusing on the 27 zones of karma that store and collect death hormones around the joints.
Clears: eliminates pathogenic influences such as heat, summer heat, and fire.
Collaterals: minor branches of the meridians distributed over the entire body.
Cun: measurement of the body, portions of various parts of the body which are divided into equal divisions each being one "cun," used for locating points.
Endorphins: natural pain killers released in the body.
Feng Shui: the art of placement. Feng: wind, Shui: water.
Fu Organs: yang organs: small intestine, gall bladder, stomach, large intestine, urinary bladder, and the sanjiao (triple warmer).
Jin Shin Do: type of acupressure that holds different combinations of acupuncture points making different changes over the course of a treatment.
Meridians: also called channels, energy pathways through the body.
Moxibustion: applying heat produced by ignited moxa-wool over the points of the skin's surface.
Nei Gong: internal cultivation.
Opens: clears obstructions and frees the passageways of the sensory orifices, the ears, and the eyes.
Shiatsu: type of acupressure that works on many points along the meridians to help get the Qi flowing in general.
Shu Points: five points in the twelve major meridians including: Jing-well, Ying-spring, Shu-stream, Jing-river, and He-sea.
Taiji: relativity/existence.
Tonifies: strengthens, supplements, and vitalizes organs, Qi, source Qi, protective Qi, nutritive Qi, Essence, and Blood.
Tuinai: Chinese Qi Gong massage, including bone setting, Chinese style cranial sacral balancing.
Qi: life force, vital energy.
Qi Gong: internal energy cultivation.
Wei: defensive Qi, protects body from external attack.
Wuji: "empty circle," pre-birth energy, state of non-existence.
Yin and Yang: balance between two opposite aspects.
Zang Organs: yin organs: heart, liver, kidney, spleen, lung, and pericardium.
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Acupuncture Is Evolving
Some of the major professional organizations have been pushing for a doctorial degree as entry into the profession. This will increase the amount of training required to be able to practice. They feel it will give the profession more recognition within the medical community and public. It is also assumed that more training will produce better results, so it will become more a part of our medical system. Acupuncture colleges have started offering a Doctorate Degree in the last couple of years. They offer more specialized training in different fields. This is similar to western medicine where in addition to general practitioners there are surgeons, gynecologists, internists, dermatologists and other specialists. People often do specialize in their acupuncture practice, but this offers more training in some of those areas.
The class, "The Theory and Practice of Spiritual Acupuncture" by Allen Durrstein, details the depth of spiritual healing available through the use of acupuncture. Most of these concepts have been kept secret through various lineages, only taught to the disciples of teachers. Since most of the energy in acupuncture regulation and professional societies is to get it included as part of the medical system with full insurance reimbursement, the people active in the field fear this may take them further from their goal. Nevertheless, this still has a lot to offer humanity and can help change the consciousness of our society.
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Relationship Of Herbal Remedies To Acupuncture
The health of the human body is a vast subject, and many things affect our health. Some of them are external pathogens like parasites, yeasts, bacteria and viruses. Others are emotional conditions, environmental influences, diet and genetic factors. Chinese herbal medicine has over 2000 years of written history with massive research conducted over that time, and it is still continuing in hospitals throughout China today. Chinese herbal medicine has worked out the energetics of the thousands of herbs studied. Each herb is listed by its taste and nature (whether hot, cold, cooling or warming) and by which meridian it enters plus which part of the body it affects. Through many generations, herbal formulas have been developed. They were not just herbs put together with similar actions, but it has been determined which ones work synergistically with each other providing a much greater effect than just using them by themselves. During times of change, like after the Mongol invasion of China, traditional herbal formulas no longer worked to fight off some diseases; therefore, new, more effective ones had to be created.
Although Acupuncture is a very powerful health care modality and some systems use only acupuncture, herbal medicine has been a major part of Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Individual herbs and herbal formulas are classified according to 17 different actions that they possess. While the energetic action of acupuncture can change the chemistry of the body, herbal medicine can change it to a greater degree. In a situation where one has a parasite, bacterial infection or viral infection, herbal formulas can work very powerfully on stubborn conditions. I have certainly treated a variety of patients who have had at least two rounds of antibiotics for a bacteria infection and had them clear quickly with a strong herbal formula. Acupuncture can help strengthen the organs and move energy in the body, but herbal medicine can add a lot more energy to the body if it is very deficient. European natural medicine also looks at the environment of the body. If it is in a healthy state, it is harder for an illness to be present. If it is toxic or weak, it is harder to become healthy. A comparison might be made with a healthy garden with good soil versus one with poor soil and overgrown with weeds. Herbs can enrich the environment of the body targeting organs that need the most help.
While there are good acupuncturists who just use needles and no herbal medicine, daily treatments may be needed for some conditions. With properly selected herbal formulas, people can have one treatment and pick up herbs that they can take every day to improve their condition. By changing their condition with herbal remedies, they will need fewer treatments.
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Discussion & Opinions
The major ongoing controversy in periodicals is fighting over visions of the future of Oriental Medicine. The California Journal of Oriental Medicine, published by the California State Oriental Medical Association and the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, has been long advocating the view that the doctorate degree should be the entry into the profession. Along with this is coming up with more money to fund research proving to the western medical community the effectiveness of acupuncture. In a sense, this creates a way to be more like them so acupuncture will be part of the system. The AOM ALLIANCE publishes the AOM ALLIANCE Forum, "Your most reliable source for AOM national news and information." The publication's purpose is to make their opinions known: acupuncture is the safest medicine out there. It does not recommend adding more required courses that might take away from the diversity of different practitioners. Acupuncture Today reports on both sides of the issue but has not officially taken a position of their own. All sides come with passion for the profession. One of the main issues is whether or not emulating a health care system that is not working well is the best way to help it. Another is if an extra year and more of training will keep some good people from being able to get into the field. Similar issues are involved with coming up with a lot of money for more double blind research. About 25 years ago, I was looking at how allergies were being treated by the western medical system. There were two groups of practitioners: traditional ones and those practicing newer methods. Both groups were publishing research and neither of them gave much credibility to the research done by the other group. On that note, I wish to share a letter submitted to Acupuncture Today by a chiropractor responding to an article detailing the need for more acupuncture research. His experience with the health care system has been similar to mine.
"Dear Editor: I read with interest the article by Warner Seem regarding the integration of research into the acupuncturist's practice ("Making Research Practical: New Research Services in the Works," November 2004). Western-trained, my first impression was, 'Good ... the medical doctors and lawyers will require this of us to Communicate.' Eastern-trained, I chuckled. If I may, I'd like to offer some insight based on experience of 20 years of clinical practice regarding research, medical doctors, lawyers, insurance companies, and patients.
The medical doctors will want to talk research. They always say (in a cavalier tone), 'Where is your double-blind, placebo-controlled research?'
The lawyers say, 'What is your science? Bring me your research.' As an acupuncturist, you will deal with lawyers during automobile crash cases and malpractice.
The insurance companies don't care about your research. They manage money. Their job is to make money, not pay it out. (Don't do business with insurance companies if you can help it. It's a waste of your qi.) For the most part, patients don't care about your research. They just want to feel better and go play, dance, or lift their grandkids. Generally speaking, most patients do not request your acupuncture research.
Chinese medical doctors laugh at the Western medical doctors who criticize acupuncturists for needing more research to validate acupuncture. Thousands of years of history, experience, positive results, refinement, observation, etc., have led us to today's acupuncture. The Western medical doctors will try to control and suppress acupuncture in one way by saying it has little Western-model research to prove its effectiveness.
Western Medicine is mechanistic and reductionistic. Acupuncture and other natural health care practices, like herbology, naturopathy and chiropractic, are empirical and vitalistic. The two styles don't mix. There will always be a separation of the two methods of health care. Each is critical of the other. And yet, both systems have some merits and some flaws. Sound familiar? For further definition on study on this concept, seek the author, Harris Coulter, a medical historian.
Here's some advice for my fellow acupuncturists: Don't feel down and suppressed if a Western medical doctor uses that 'show me your research' line. The medical doctors live and die by those research documents they spew out at an alarming rate. Results are your most convincing evidence that acupuncture works.
Speaking of research, the research industry has lost credibility. There is research published and research professionals who can be paid to write and say anything these days. Research can be found to support any angle of a health care position – and if you, the natural health care professional, comes up with research contrary to a Western medical view on health, they call it 'junk science.' Go figure.
Thousands of years of acupuncture refinement and repeated success with patients will verify you. Debating research with a medical doctor will squander your qi, which is better served treating your patients.
— Mark Dirck, DC, DIACA, FASA Independence, Missouri
I realized many years ago the result of premature acceptance of acupuncture by western standards. If acupuncture was proven beyond a doubt thirty years ago in this country, it would probably have become a technique used by Western medicine for certain situations. Its heart and soul would be missing, however, and there probably would not be any licensed acupuncturists practicing who specialize in acupuncture alone.
The exciting thing about practicing is seeing dramatic changes in peoples' lives. It is not just helping a problem, but I often hear the phrase, "I feel like I am getting my life back." Done properly, you are not just helping a person with a problem they have now but helping with his or her health for years to come. Like any form of medicine, you can focus on treating symptoms or you can focus on the underlying causes. You might get impressive short term results working with symptoms, but the patient will be dependent on you. If you truly help, they will be free.
At least 12 years ago, I heard Devi Nambudripad discuss NAET, Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Technique, at a symposium in southern California. It is a treatment using acupuncture that reprograms the body so you will not react to things that you are currently sensitive to. I was skeptical because I knew that when one has many allergies, there is an environment going on in the body promoting that. I was concerned that if I just cleared someone for one thing, they might start to react to something else. That is not uncommon with food sensitivities. If some people stop eating some foods they react to, they start reacting to other foods that used to be fine. So I did not study her technique at that time. Then about eight years ago, a twenty-two year old woman came to see me who was not able to tolerate any foods. The year before, she was a healthy wilderness ranger hiking a lot and living outdoors. In the time before she saw me, she had seen many doctors both western trained and alternative. She initially tolerated herbal formulas to strengthen digestion, but eventually, she would stop tolerating them. This inspired me to immediately travel to southern California to learn NAET. With this technique, I learned how to strengthen the body for optimal results. The next year she was back being a wilderness ranger and has been better for years without further treatments. I have treated many others with similar major digestion problems who have seen many specialists with no results. They all seem to get better after these treatments. It is often a lot more impressive when someone is already in pretty good shape. They often feel better than they have in years, or possibly ever, feeling those results in a very short time.
I do incorporate other modalities into my practice. Oriental Medicine was always inclusive, adjusting for the problems of the time and using what worked. I realize some want to try just one thing and see if it works. Often that can be enough, but the goal of Oriental Medicine is to get people as healthy as possible, not prove that one modality works. When you get too attached to one modality, you might lose track of the big picture. If one is baking a cake or composing music, it is the unique blend that provides superior results, not just one ingredient or instrument. The main rational for requiring a doctorate degree in Oriental Medicine at the entry level is so practitioners will be competent in all areas and then get the superior results that the system is capable of providing.
We live in a country where we spend more on health care than any other country. Our life expectancy is in the lower end of the developed world, and a record number of people are taking a record amount of medications. With one hundred thousand people per year dying from prescribed prescription drugs and almost that amount from improperly prescribed ones or mistakes in medicine, health care is one of the largest causes of death in this country. Some are concerned that with using drugs for depression, we may be trying to find a drug solution to a spiritual problem. Others are concerned that the use of medications for pain, while suppressing the pain, are also preventing the body from going through the stages it needs to heal, including emotional spiritual healing, keeping patients addicted to the pain medications. There are a large number of people with chronic pain syndromes now that did not exist before. Acupuncture and herbal medicine can effectively deal with most of these problems in a cost effective manner.
An example of the cost effectiveness can be made with a couple of examples. Southern China has a number of people with Hepatitis B. While I was in the Guang Dong Provisional Hospital in Southern China I studied with the specialist who deals with people with Hepatitis B mainly using Chinese herbal medicine. Chinese medicine is relatively effective for Hepatitis A, B, and C while western medicine is not. Stanford currently has a special program involving Oriental medicine and Hepatitis B, so progress is being made.
Many years ago, when I was relatively new to Arcata, a young woman came to see me who had Hepatitis B and D. She was not given a good prognosis from the specialist she was seeing. I treated her with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. She totally recovered. Years later, she brought her daughter by to see me. Her treatments and herbs did not cost a lot of money. Her insurance even helped with the acupuncture. A couple of years later a man who worked in a hospital came to see me. He had Hepatitis B but he had been going to Stanford hospital and getting treated by western medicine for a year and a half. During this time his body deteriorated a great deal and the hepatitis progressed a great deal. At that stage, I was not able to help him, and he passed away.
Another young woman came to see me about six years ago with an autoimmune disease. I have known a few people cured with Chinese Medicine but I have not treated very many so I traveled to learn new effective protocols. She could not afford to see me for follow-up treatments but the state of California is paying $14,000 a month to cover a medication that covers her symptoms. The state currently makes me charge sales tax on any herbal medication or other supplements I sell. This amounts to a discriminatory tax against a cost effective medial system to support a non-cost effective one. The sales tax on the medication they buy for her would certainly be more than enough to cover her treatments. More recently a man about my age came to see me with the same autoimmune problem, and he seems to be doing well with treatments.
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Conclusion
Traditional Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture and acupressure, is an effective system of medicine that has been around for thousands of years proving itself by adjusting to new diseases. In contrast, the conventional medical system that our country employs is a relatively experimental system using mainly drugs that have not been around very long. One consequence of the lack of relative effectiveness of western medicine to produce a nation of healthy people is that it has increasingly gotten more expensive. So expensive that it is hard for the average person to afford it. Traditional Chinese Medicine is relatively affordable. Most discussions about how to handle our health care crisis involves experts that seem to have no knowledge of TCM. It is still a system that people generally seek out and use because it is worth paying for and enables its consumers to make more money and enjoy a much happier life.
There are old stories I heard growing up about the mission hospitals in the jungles where the natives would go only when they were ready to die. Their local healers gave up on them, so they went to the hospital and would usually not make it. In this culture, people generally go to their doctors, which to them are their native healers. It is what they were taught to believe in growing up. When that fails, they might consider an alternative at the last minute. It is a lot harder to help someone at this time, even though, it can still be done. It is much more rewarding to work on someone who can feel better than they have in years than one whose life is measured in degrees of pain. This is a powerful system and has much to offer everyone. I encourage everyone to study the principles presented here thoroughly. I also encourage you to be aware of your body and find what makes it thrive. Qi Gong is also a good way to connect to your own life force as well as strengthen it both for your own health and for the ability to help others. It would be preferable to live in a nation where people are thriving and achieving their potential rather than trying to decide where to get the money to pay for all the medications they need.
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Exercises & Techniques
Locate points described in the point sections or by looking on an acupuncture chart. Rub the points and rub near the points and put pressure on them. Note whether they are tender or not. They will be tender when there are blockages related to the meridians or organs they relate to. Do this at different times and see if the tenderness changes at different times. Notice if you feel any energy move along the meridian that the point relates to. Later just be aware of the point without touching it. See if the point opens up some with your awareness placed there.
Try to sit and meditate. Let your energy sink to your lower dan tian, the area below and in back of your navel. Let it be there for a while. Be aware when you are agitated. Where does it go? Does it rise? Does it gather in you head or shoulders? That is an expression of yang energy rising. Let it sink and rest there again. Be aware of what moves it out of place. Once you are comfortable with it there, breathe in and bring it up your central channel. The central channel connects the middle of the body from your lower Dan tian up to the area behind you third eye in the middle of your head. Let it go back down as you exhale. This is a process that can help clear your central channel. It may take years to completely do it, but it is a process. After doing this for a while, hold the energy in the center of your head in back of the third eye or higher up. But always let it down afterwards, and do not keep it up there after you stop.
To do the following exercises first get in preparatory position. That is standing upright with feet shoulder distance apart and parallel. The shoulders are relaxed and the knees slightly bent. Slightly stretch the neck upward and tuck in the chin. Relax the waist and thigh and sink your Qi to the Lowest Dan Tien, the energy center below the navel.
Close your eyes. Open your hands and have the palms face each other. Then move them above each other so they are still parallel but not facing each other, then move them opposite each other again. Can you feel the energy change as they approach each other and move away? Next hold your hands parallel and facing each other; in front of the belly button, slowly move them closer together then farther away from each other. Do this 10 – 18 times. Breathe naturally while doing this, and put your mind intention on your hands. This is called "pulling the Qi."
Stroking the Qi is also achieved from the preparatory position. One holds the left arm out with palm facing up and the right hand with palm facing down, about 1-2 inches above the left shoulder. Stroke outward
slowly to the end of fingers and turn around stroking from under the armpit outward again with right palm facing up. Do this several times. Your mind should be on the area stroked. The area stroked will have sensations of numbness, twitching, heat and mild needle sensations.
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