Acupuncture – An Ancient Skill Still Useful Today.Acupuncture is an important part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (T.C.M.), which also includes use of herbs and massage.T.C.M. is a complete system of medical diagnosis and treatment, which has been practised in China for 1000s of years, and is now practised around the world.
The acupuncturist uses thin metal needles to stimulate specific pressure points on the body. There are around 1000 pressure points connected by 14 main meridians, plus a few dozen other meridians. Practitioners of T.C.M. use several diagnostic techniques to decide on the correct treatment for each individual. They look at the flow of ‘Chi’ (the body’s energy) through the meridians and the balance of ‘yin’ and ‘yang’. As it takes about 10 years to fully learn the theories and practice of T.C.M., I won’t go into detail here. Western doctors and scientists may find it all a bit strange, but it’s just a different way of looking at health and illness. As my acupressure teacher used to say, it’s like the map and the territory – the ‘territory’ is the same – the human body – but there are two different ‘maps’ – the map of anatomy, showing bones, muscles, etc; and the map of Traditional Chinese Medicine showing meridians and pressure points. (Just as you can have a map of a country showing roads, or a map showing rivers and moountains.)
In Chinese hospitals patients can choose to be treated by T.C.M. or by western, allopathic medicine. The two are considered to have equal value. People with a background in western science might consider acupuncture to be nonsense, but it has evolved over 1000s of years of clinical practise. It would not still be used today if it did not work – it’s just that science hasn’t yet found out how. I know the meridians exist - I’ve seen a meridian in my arm light up when over stimulated! (By a student, not an experienced acupuncturist, I hasten to add!) It was like having a tiny fluorescent light under my skin. The meridians can be detected electronically (it’s even possible to stimulate the points by a small electrical impulse instead of a needle). Many of them align with important nerves or blood vessels. I think it won’t be long before there’ll be a theory explaining how it all works that will satisfy the most sceptical of critics. In the West, acupuncture is recognised to be useful for pain relief. In fact, it is so good for this that it can be used instead of anesthesia for patients having operations. But it is very useful for much more than just pain relief. My best personal experience of it was when I had ulcerative colitis (before I switched to a gluten-free diet). My condition improved dramatically with each treatment. After three or four treatments I was pretty much back to normal. Acupuncture is used to successfully treat a wide range of conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, cardiovascular problems, cystitis, digestive disorders, infertility, migraine, P.M.T., prostatitis, rheumatism and arthritis, sciatica, …the list goes on and on. These conditions, and many more, all respond very well to acupuncture treatment. Remember though, that it is not the condition that is treated but the patient. The acupuncturist unblocks and balances the flow of energy so that the body can heal itself. It is a common mistake in the west to view Acupuncture as a tool to deal with symptoms. Some modern acupuncturists use it this way, but this doesn't make full use of it's potential to maximize health and well-being. One of the nicest things about acupuncture and T.C.M. is that the doctor is interested in all your symptoms, no matter how irrelevant they may seem. He or she will take the time to really listen to everything you say, look closely at you and feel your pulse – in fact 12 pulses, 6 on each wrist. (How many times have you been to a doctor who barely looks up from his or her prescription pad?)
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