FAQ
The American medical community has less experience with medicinal herbs, and your doctor may be reluctant to recommend them. However, Chinese herbology has 50 years of clinical experience combining with Western medicine, particularly in the treatment of serious in-patient conditions. More and more research is becoming available. There are now English language texts on the pharmacology of Chinese herbs, new research is being published, and there is at least one well-referenced online resource available to patients and practitioners about drug-herb interactions. This is the Safetychecker database, maintained by Healthnotes, Inc. and licensed to various health care companies.
On the other hand, natural does not automatically mean safe. Medicinal herbs do affect your body, and can do so in adverse ways. Some herbs are toxic if not properly prepared or if given in the wrong dosage. Almost any herb can cause adverse effects if its properties are not those you need. It takes years of specialized training and supervised clinical application to become adept in the clinical use of herbs. For your safety, please insure that anyone recommending Chinese herbs to you is NCCAOM Certified as a Diplomate in Chinese Herbology or in Oriental Medicine (which includes the herbology certification). Other certification programs may be acceptable, however most state legislatures and Oriental Medicine colleges recognize the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine for these purposes. www.nccaom.org
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical treatment using very fine, sterile needles inserted at particular points on the body. (Actually, we have some needle-free alternatives, mentioned later.) Acupuncture can be used for a wide range of internal, neurological and musculo-skeletal problems, although in the West, many people know it only for its excellent ability to treat pain.
Point selection is based on a number of criteria, taking into account not only the actions of each point, but how they interact with other points, and how they affect your overall health, as well as the specific problem you are being treated for. Each point can be manipulated using a different technique, depending on your particular needs. There are also several overall systems of treatment, such as Wrist and Ankle Acupuncture, Scalp Acupuncture, Korean Hand Therapy, Balance Method, Auriculotherapy and Five Element approaches. An advanced practitioner will be able to apply the system that best suits your condition, and chose the best combination of points and needling techniques within that system.
There are some interesting specialty applications of acupuncture, including facial treatments (rapidly gaining popularity as an alternative to cosmetic surgery) and modern versions of Scalp Acupuncture which are used in China as the primary treatment for stroke victims (after the patient has been stabilized with allopathic care in a hospital).
Acupuncture points can also be stimulated without needles. Pressure from hands or mechanical devices can be used, as can electrical stimulation, heat, cold, or laser light. These alternative stimulating methods allow us to use this incredible healing system on even the most sensitive or immune-compromised individuals.
How does acupuncture work?
A diseased state can occur in your body as the result of various causes, such as trauma, toxic substances, or dysfunction of the body’s internal mechanisms. Our emotional state can also affect the function of the body (and of course, our state of mind is affected by the physical state of our bodies). Internal physical and emotional problems can manifest externally, in skin and muscle tissue. Specific points or regions can become painful, tense, or sensitive. Traditional Chinese Medicine developed a system of therapy that uses these points both for diagnosis and treatment. Acupuncture and other traditional therapies affect the body’s internal condition by manipulating these outer layers of tissue. The mechanism of acupuncture has been explained by Oriental medicine for centuries using traditional concepts, while modern medicine is really just beginning to propose explanations for its effectiveness.
A MODERN MEDICINE PERSPECTIVE
Here are a few known mechanisms recognized by modern allopathic medicine. Ongoing research suggests other possibilities, which are still being studied.
Biochemical Defense Mechanism: The tiny prick of an acupuncture needle creates a site of injury at the cellular level. The body s response to injury is a release of chemicals vital to cellular repair. In this way, an acupuncture needle insertion initiates both tissue and cellular biochemical defenses. This helps to reduce local inflammation and relieve pain.
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