What is Acupuncture ?
Acupuncture is a medical therapy that originated more than 3000 years ago in China. It is based on the
Chinese philosophy that life energy (Chi [pronounced "chee"] in Chinese, or Ki ["key"] in Japanese) flows
throughout the body in energy channels called meridians. You can think of the meridians as rivers flowing
through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues. An obstruction in these energy rivers is like a dam
that backs up, causing an imbalance in the body and leading to an unhealthy physical or mental state.
When Ki flows properly through the meridians, the body is in a balanced healthy state.
When an obstruction in one of the meridians interferes with the flow of Ki, physical or mental illness
results. Needling of the acupuncture points can unblock the obstructions at the dams and reestablish the
balanced flow of energy through the meridians, allowing the body to return to a normal, healthy condition.
The scientific explanation for the success of acupuncture is that the insertion of needles stimulates the
body to release chemicals that can change the individual's perception of the pain or trigger the body to
release other chemicals or hormones that help the body regulate and heal itself.
Acupuncture is one of many therapies an Oriental Medicine (OM) practitioner may use to help restore the
body to health. An OM diagnosis involves understanding the patient's individual pattern of disharmony and
symptoms, determining which meridians are out of balance, and then deciding upon the appropriate
therapies in order to return the body to harmony.
Acupuncture is a medical therapy that originated more than 3000 years ago in China. It is based on the
Chinese philosophy that life energy (Chi [pronounced "chee"] in Chinese, or Ki ["key"] in Japanese) flows
throughout the body in energy channels called meridians. You can think of the meridians as rivers flowing
through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues. An obstruction in these energy rivers is like a dam
that backs up, causing an imbalance in the body and leading to an unhealthy physical or mental state.
When Ki flows properly through the meridians, the body is in a balanced healthy state.
When an obstruction in one of the meridians interferes with the flow of Ki, physical or mental illness
results. Needling of the acupuncture points can unblock the obstructions at the dams and reestablish the
balanced flow of energy through the meridians, allowing the body to return to a normal, healthy condition.
The scientific explanation for the success of acupuncture is that the insertion of needles stimulates the
body to release chemicals that can change the individual's perception of the pain or trigger the body to
release other chemicals or hormones that help the body regulate and heal itself.
Acupuncture is one of many therapies an Oriental Medicine (OM) practitioner may use to help restore the
body to health. An OM diagnosis involves understanding the patient's individual pattern of disharmony and
symptoms, determining which meridians are out of balance, and then deciding upon the appropriate
therapies in order to return the body to harmony.
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The photos below show the Japanese Acupuncture clinic and some of the equipment that is used at the clinic.
Magnet Cupping
TENS unit
Treatment Room #2
Treatment Room #1
Treatment Room #3
Waiting Room
Clinic Entrance Sign
Acupuncture Educational Literature
Preventive Medicine ?
Acupuncture is one of the most popular preventive medicines in Asia. In Japan and China, people see acupuncturists for regular
health maintenance, to help prevent illness, and to stay mentally balanced and think clearly. People in Asia know that major
illnesses do not show up suddenly one morning; incurable illness are an accumulation of years of the wrong diet, excess daily
stress, too little exercise, too little water, daily smoking, daily drinking of alcohol, and so on. Knowing this, people in Asia go to
acupuncturists and herbalists to achieve physical and mental balance so that they do not reach the point of no return.
Consider the well balanced scales of justice associated with the zodiac sign Libra. This type of balance for your body and mind is
the ultimate goal of acupuncture. You can bounce back easily if you are slightly off balance, but the further you go from the point of
balance, the harder it is to bounce back. When it becomes too hard to bounce back, you have reached the point of no return: a
terminal illness that even acupuncture or herbal medicine cannot cure. Though acupuncture and herbal medicine are not as
widely accepted in Western cultures, I believe that daily, weekly, or even monthly maintenance is the key to maintaining your
physical and mental health.
Think about the care you offer to a new car. It may run well with very little maintenance, but you take it to a service station for
regular oil changes and tune-ups. New cars run very well with very little maintenance, and people pay careful attention to
providing that maintenance for their cars. After 80,000 miles or so, the car starts to require more maintenance to achieve the
same performance.
The human body similarly needs maintenance, and more of it as we age. Children bounce back easily: they may have a high
fever one evening but be ready to go out and play the next morning. Adults may take more time to recover from illnesses that they
barely noticed when they were younger. I suggest that patients who are between the ages of 45 and 55 start paying more careful
attention to their bodies. Keep in mind that while you can have medical procedures to repair parts of your body that start to fail
over time, you cannot replace your body in the same way that you can buy a new car when the old one stops running.
Work to achieve balance in your hormone levels, structure, mental health, immune system, and all the systems of your body. The
more balanced you are, the healthier you will feel!
health maintenance, to help prevent illness, and to stay mentally balanced and think clearly. People in Asia know that major
illnesses do not show up suddenly one morning; incurable illness are an accumulation of years of the wrong diet, excess daily
stress, too little exercise, too little water, daily smoking, daily drinking of alcohol, and so on. Knowing this, people in Asia go to
acupuncturists and herbalists to achieve physical and mental balance so that they do not reach the point of no return.
Consider the well balanced scales of justice associated with the zodiac sign Libra. This type of balance for your body and mind is
the ultimate goal of acupuncture. You can bounce back easily if you are slightly off balance, but the further you go from the point of
balance, the harder it is to bounce back. When it becomes too hard to bounce back, you have reached the point of no return: a
terminal illness that even acupuncture or herbal medicine cannot cure. Though acupuncture and herbal medicine are not as
widely accepted in Western cultures, I believe that daily, weekly, or even monthly maintenance is the key to maintaining your
physical and mental health.
Think about the care you offer to a new car. It may run well with very little maintenance, but you take it to a service station for
regular oil changes and tune-ups. New cars run very well with very little maintenance, and people pay careful attention to
providing that maintenance for their cars. After 80,000 miles or so, the car starts to require more maintenance to achieve the
same performance.
The human body similarly needs maintenance, and more of it as we age. Children bounce back easily: they may have a high
fever one evening but be ready to go out and play the next morning. Adults may take more time to recover from illnesses that they
barely noticed when they were younger. I suggest that patients who are between the ages of 45 and 55 start paying more careful
attention to their bodies. Keep in mind that while you can have medical procedures to repair parts of your body that start to fail
over time, you cannot replace your body in the same way that you can buy a new car when the old one stops running.
Work to achieve balance in your hormone levels, structure, mental health, immune system, and all the systems of your body. The
more balanced you are, the healthier you will feel!
Japanese Acupuncture Clinic |
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