By Zunli Mo
Acupuncture is an ancient and traditional method for treating medical problems. The goal of acupuncture therapy is to increase the state of well-being and reduce pain and suffering.
The acupuncturist accomplishes this by stimulating certain areas with fine, slender needles at "acupoints". The insertion of the needle at these acupoints causes the release of internal energy that helps restore the body to its natural state. Acupuncture has been utilized for thousands of year in China and continue to be a part of modern medicine.
One of the major principles of traditional Chinese medicine is that disease is due to an internal imbalance. For example, if one organ of the body is malfunctioning this will be felt as a group of symptoms, often involving other organs as well. Therefore, restoration of the function of the single organ will affect each of the others, thereby returning the body to a state of health; the symptoms will then disappear.
Western medicine tends to approach disease by assuming that it is caused by an insult, such as a virus or bacteria, or a slow degeneration of body functions. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine works under the holistic assumption that the body is one unit, and each part of it is intimately connected. Traditional Chinese medicine states that the body has the potential to cure its own diseases if pushed (or needled) in the correct way. This is the explanation of how one acupoint can be used to treat many symptoms caused by different illnesses.
The concept Yin and Yang plays an important role in acupuncture. In Chinese medicine, the healthy body is a delicate balance of Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are essentially polar opposites, such as hot and cold, and because of this one must be present to allow the other to exist
The state of the body is determined by the internal balance of Yin and Yang. Each of the organs of the body has an element of Yin and Yang, although one organ may be more Yang in its nature, while the other is more Yin.
Amined as a complete functioning system, the Yin and Yang properties within it are in balance. The balance of Yin and Yang is not always exact, but if the balance is unequal, for instance if Yin consistently outweighs Yang, then the body is unhealthy and disease results.
The perspective from which an acupuncturist views health and sickness hinges on concepts of "vital energy" "energetic balance" and "energetic imbalance". While the Western medical practitioner monitors blood flow and the activity of the nervous system, the acupuncturist assesses the flow and localization of this "vital energy" within its pathways, known as "meridians and channels". The channels are a system of conduits that carry and distribute Qi, or vital energy, throughout the body. Each of the organs of the body is represented by a channel, and diseases of a particular organ can be treated by using acupoints on the channel representing that organ.
Acupoints are quite specific areas on the channels. They represent points of maximum influence on the flow of vital energy, or Qi, through the channels.
This can be demonstrated clinically by thinking about the alterations in the body after a muscle tear. The traditional Chinese explanation is that the channel running through the torn muscle has been physically disrupted resulting in local pain. In order to treat the pain, the continuity of the channel and the flow of vital energy though the channel must be restored. This can be achieved by the selective use of acupoints on the appropriate channel, which restores the flow to Qi and relieves the pain.
In addition to being effective for many acute and chronic common illnesses, Traditional Chinese medicine has much to offer to those who wish to raise their quality of life. Practitioners of Acupuncture and herbal Medicine operate with prevention in mind, attempting to correct small imbalances of Yin and Yang before they become big health problems.
Editor's Note: Zunli Mo, L.Ac., O.M.D., PhD., a diplomate of the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturist, is a licensed acupuncturist and practitioner of herbal medicine. He graduated in 1982 form the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the leading institution in the world, with training in both Chinese Traditional and Western medicine. He has practiced acupuncture and herbal medicine for over 20 years in China and Japan as well as in the United States. His office is located at 42 Four Seasons Shopping Center (east), Suite 133, Chesterfield, MO 63017. Phone: (636) 795-4003. |
