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What exactly is Oriental Medicine anyway? Are there different styles of acupuncture? How do I choose an acupuncturist? How many sessions will it take? What's it good for? What does it treat? What encompasses Oriental bodywork? What role do herbs play in Oriental Medicine?
What is Oriental Medicine?Oriental Medicine is a multi-faceted system of natural medicine created by the ancient Chinese people at the very dawn of their civilization, five to ten thousand years ago. It has remained the primary system of health care throughout the Far East ever since. Though the precise applications and external details have changed and evolved in response to the times and circumstances, the essential underlying principles have remained exactly the same. Historically, China has played the largest role in its development, but many other countries and cultures have also contributed their unique perspectives: Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia, Tibet, and so on. This is why we must call it Oriental Medicine rather than simply Chinese Medicine. Even some of the exotic ideas and medicinals from the ancient civilizations of Persia and India have found their way across the Silk Road to be appreciated and preserved under the umbrella of Oriental Medicine. More recently, the Western Sciences from Russia, Europe, and the United States have been strongly influencing the direction of current research. Ever since the reign of Mao Zedong, there has been a strong push in China to blend Oriental Medicine with modern Western technological medicine. This has resulted in a hopeful hybrid of the two that is called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and is taught in very sophisticated doctoral-level programs throughout China and the West. However it remains but one of the many styles of Oriental Medicine: unified in theory, differing in practice. Oriental Medicine has been making inroads in the West since the early 1900s. First in France, then throughout Europe and North America, and now pretty much around the globe, the practice of acupuncture especially has proven itself as a viable system of medicine and a useful tool to have around. According to the traditional method, the medical art is passed down from doctor to student through apprenticeship. This has been the primary means of transmission for thousands of years. Many Oriental Medicine practitioners still learn this way. However, most are now taught in nationally accredited schools and colleges, where thousands of students study now as we speak, ensuring the preservation of this rich treasure-trove of an art and one of the worlds most extensive 'living compendiums' of medical experience: Oriental Medicine. Of course on one level, medicine is medicine. No matter how you look at it, the purpose is the same: to relieve the suffering caused by disease and other forms of personal hardship. What distinguishes Oriental Medicine from modern Western medicine is the perception of an inherent vitality and spirit within all natural things. It is taught that there is a delicate web of balance between the various forces of nature, and when all of the forces are reciprocal and uninhibited, a healthy wholeness arises. Conversely, if and when any forces become inordinantly excessive or deficient in relation to each other, disease inevitably occurs. This is the foundation of Oriental Medicine. Thus every therapy, be it acupuncture, herbs or bodywork, seeks to first measure the qualitative relativity of all forces (internal and external, physical and mental, social and environmental, etc.), and then through discriminating the patterns present, affect the energy in such a way so as to restore balance, wholeness, and finally health. These “natural forces” that we’re talking about are commonly known. They are simply the essential forces or building blocks of the natural universe: air, wood, water, fire, metal, earth, light, darkness, wind, and so on. The inexhaustible studies of Western science over the past 500 years have produced an impressive list of these forces and all their permutations. However, in doing this, in scrutinizing the details and minutia in this way, the primary and fundamental quality of wholeness and the vitality therein has been incidentaly ignored and neglected. The relationships between the parts themselves is often overlooked. This has resulted in a medicine often amazing in dealing with acute and part-specific conditions, but often unable to contribute much towards the resolution of more long-term and multi-systemic conditions. For this very reason, the ancient Orientals did not go very far along the path of reductionist science with its measurements and quantities. Instead, they emphasized the relationships between things and the vitality of this natural wholeness, focusing on shared qualities and using symbols and poetics to describe their findings. The patterns within the body must match those outside of it, such as the orbit and spin of the earth, the turning of day to night and season to season. Through many years of watching and observing, they were able to relate these patterns to the workings of the human body, mind, and spirit. For example, the relationship between winter and summer can be found in the body as the relationships between cold and heat, water and fire, kidney and heart, and ultimately, essence and spirit. These patterns are diagnosed by simply observing the situation and circumstances with as many senses as possible. Background information is carefully considered. Smells and sounds are noted. The tongue and eyes are closely observed. The texture of the pulse is intricately studied. Everything is added together into a theoretical approximation of the whole and what is deficient or excessive can be plainly seen. Once the diagnosis is obtained, then a technique or therapy must be chosen to strengthen or cleanse, stimulate or sedate, the respective natural forces that are out of balance. In this way the natural vitality is allowed to fully circulate throughout the body and mind, thus bringing relief from many pains and sufferings. Only when one is overtaxed or contaminated in some way beyond one's natural means, will one fall prey to disease. To gain and retain this natural wholeness is the primary intention, thus the methods used must be natural, non-toxic, and otherwise free from trauma or stress. The therapeutic methods most commonly used in Oriental Medicine are acupuncture, moxibustion, bodywork, qigong, diet therapy, and herbal medicine. They all follow the same underlying principles described above.
Acupuncture is just one branch of the Oriental Medicine tree. It involves the use of fine needles inserted into the skin at specific "points" throughout the body in order to treat and prevent disease. The acupuncture points are doorways into the stream of "qi," or "energy," that circulates continuously throughout the body, uniting every organ and tissue into an intricate web of wholeness receiving nourishment and releasing waste products. Over thousands of years, Oriental Medicine doctors have recorded what effect placing a needle into the different points on the qi pathways (meridians) has on the health of the patient. For example, one point might boost the patient’s energy; another might calm the spirit; another can help stop diarrhea, while another might help the bowels to move. For any kind of imbalance or dysfunction you can think of that negatively affects the health, one or more acupuncture points exist to help put it right. Problems that affect our health are treated in acupuncture in one of two ways – by inserting acupuncture needles local to the problem, or treating the problem from a distance. Some of the most effective and strongest points for treatment are found on the arms and legs, below the knees and elbows. These points are often a long way away from the actual site of disease. For example, a sore throat can be treated by needling a point on the hand or fingers, and a headache by needling the feet. Other times, points will be chosen close to the site of injury or disease or to the source of the disease. Some acupuncturists specialize in ear acupuncture, using ear points in addition to points on the rest of the body. Auricular acupuncture, as this is called, treats all ailments by placing needles on points in the ears that correspond with affected body parts and systems. What will actually happen when you go for your treatment can vary slightly from acupuncturist to acupuncturist. Some will ask you to wear loose clothing and simply move aside whatever clothes are in the way of the needles. Others will ask you to remove your outer clothes and either lie under a sheet or put on a loose gown. You might be treated sitting up, or lying on your back or side or tummy. What will be the same, no matter what method your acupuncturist uses, is that he or she will work with you to make sure you’re comfortable and warm, and feel safe and secure as the treatment takes place. The actual needling process surprises most first-time patients. After sterilizing your skin with alcohol or iodine, the acupuncturist will insert a needle. Most patients are surprised to discover that they usually can’t feel the actual insertion! What you will feel, and be asked to report to your practitioner, is the sensation of qi arriving at the point of insertion. The sensation of qi generally lasts only for a moment and then subsides, and it’s a curious sensation that people describe in many ways, and that may well feel quite different in different parts of the body. It’s often described as a sensation of distention or heaviness; of tightness or pressure; of a very small cramp or ache that arrives and then leaves; of movement up or down the body from the place the needle is inserted. Sometimes the sensation is felt at a distance from the actual insertion point. On rare occasions it can be a slightly uncomfortable sensation, but even then it comes and goes quickly. In some treatments or acupuncture styles, qi sensation isn’t always required. In a typical treatment, 4 to 20 needles will be inserted, depending on what’s being treated and which points your acupuncturist feels are important to stimulate to obtain a good result. Once the needles are in place, you will rest quietly and comfortably for a period of time that could range from 10 minutes to an hour while the needles do their job. Many patients snooze happily during their treatments. Your practitioner may or may not remain in the room with you during this time, but either way, you’ll be checked on regularly to make sure you’re comfortable and secure. During this time, the practitioner may warm your needles with moxa, an herb with healing properties that is used in many forms. Your practitioner may attach wires to your needles and run a gentle, battery-originated electrical pulse that feels much like the tapping of raindrops. Or perhaps your treatment will be combined with the adjunctive therapies of cupping or gua sha, which are two other ways to release congestion and move the blood. Cupping involves using glass or plastic jars to create suction on the surface of the skin. Gua sha uses a smooth-edged spoon or stone to gently scrape the surface of the skin, causing redness and thereby increasing circulation. Some practitioners also perform tui na or an mo (two types of Oriental bodywork) as part of the treatment, or they might do some qi gong work or give you some qi gong exercises to perform at home. How many treatments you’ll require and how long it will be before you see a change in your condition varies a lot depending on what’s wrong, how long you’ve had the problem, and what sort of external factors are involved (work, rest, diet, toxins, etc.). Once a differential diagnosis is made, your acupuncturist will be able to give you some idea of what to expect and what length an expected course of treatment would be.
The word "needle" strikes terror into the hearts of anyone who ever heard a pediatrician say, "OK, now, this won’t hurt a bit!" Acupuncture needles aren’t the needles you remember from your childhood or even from your last trip to the GP. First of all, they aren’t hollow and they don’t insert anything into your flesh or remove anything from your veins. Secondly, they’re thin, really thin, and very flexible. Think of the thinness of a hair, and the flexibility of a guitar string, with a thicker end used as a handle. And the tips are rounded on the microscopic level, not sharpened, so as to cause as little discomfort as possible upon insertion. Nowadays, most acupuncturists use a plastic insertion tube that the sterile needle resides in until it’s inserted into your body. The tube is pressed on the skin and the practitioner taps the handle-end of the needle, which inserts the needle past the superficial nerve endings in your skin. The practitioner then manipulates the needle to achieve the proper depth and sensation. Many people feel nothing more than the pressure of the tube and the tap. But if you do – speak up! All acupuncturists know different ways to either distract you or relieve the discomfort of needle placement and will be happy to make you more comfortable. As far as blood-borne disease transmission from dirty needles goes, there is very little to worry about. It is nationally required that every licensed acupuncturist practice 'Clean Needle Technique,' which states that all needles must be completely sterilized before use. It is possible to use an autoclave to sterilize old needles, but due to the inexpensive price most acupuncturists use disposable needles that are used only once and then discarded. Most needles are packaged in a disposable fashion to accommodate this and it is the accepted form of practice. If you are concerned, simply ask your acupuncturist how he or she handles the problem. Once the needles are in place, you should lie or sit quietly to avoid tightening the muscle around the needle, which can cause discomfort. If you do forget and move too much, just go back to your original position and the discomfort usually goes away in a moment. Your practitioner will work with you to make the experience as pleasant and painless as possible.
Are there different styles of acupuncture? Yes, oh yes. Acupuncture as we know it today originated in China, however there were a few other ancient cultures which practiced some form of needle insertion for medicinal purposes, such as Ayurvedic medicine from India and Mayan medicine from Central America. That being said, these other traditions are very rare and mostly forgotten, so when we use the term 'acupuncture,' we are referring to the Chinese tradition. Originally bone and stone instruments were used, and later metal needles were developed in thinner and thinner gauges. In the thousands of years that have lapsed since the first efforts were made to puncture the skin, there have been many styles and systems created and developed out of the core theories. In Vermont, you’ll find many different kinds of practitioners. Some studied as apprentices, and learned very personal styles from their individual teachers. Some have studied at schools and learned a more standardized system. The most common style, and the one taught throughout China, is TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). The "Traditional" part is misleading however, as this is the style that is most modern and is beginning to integrate with Western medical ideas. It is the nationally-sanctioned form of medicine in China, codified by a board of experienced acupuncturists and herbalists in the 1950s. Another style found in Vermont is known as the Five-Element style. This is also known as the Worsley technique after its creator J.R. Worsley, a British fellow, who apprenticed with a Chinese master and went back to England to open a school. His methods emphasize the theories surrounding the Five Elements (Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal) and have grown into a sophisticated and sensitive system, widely known for its success in treating emotional imbalances. Techniques developed in Japan are often very different from those in China. The needle stimulation is often much milder and the sensation more subtle. In some styles, the needles are not even inserted, simply held above the acupoints. The Japanese have shown a high level of sophistication in keeping the ancient theoretical concepts relevant in the modern world. Korea and Vietnam also have their own styles and techniques. More recently, the modern world has created many hybrids. Some practitioners hook the needles up to electric currents. Some apply any number of alternative stimulations to the acupuncture points: magnets, lasers, tuning forks, essential oils, colored light, and so on. Some specialize in using particular body parts such as the ears, scalp, or hands to treat diverse disorders. Some use muscle testing as part of their diagnosis. Others use modified ohms-readers. Really, the sky is the limit. Remember that acupuncture is simply a branch from the Oriental Medicine tree. When the roots are watered and nourished with study and observation, many branches and branchlets can grow.
Yes! Yes! Yes! Children respond incredibly well and quickly to acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. In very young children and infants, the meridian system is thought to be immature and often no needle is used at all. Instead a special kind of massage with gentle finger pressure and sometimes a little moxibustion is used. There is a Japanese system designed specifically for children called sho-ni-shin, that uses various rollers and probes to stimulate the points and channels without needles. Older children may receive a needle or two if it is indicated, though rarely are the needles retained. The stimulation that children need is much less than that required by us stubborn and insensitive adults. Generally, they respond very quickly and are miraculously tolerant of the procedures (if their parents are, that is). Regardless of age, Chinese herbal medicine can always be used. The teas often have an "interesting" flavor, but you would be surprised how willing these young souls can be when they feel they are being helped. Besides, there are many techniques and admixtures that can help the medicine go down. Herbs offer a very effective means to break the cycle of colds and ear infections that antibiotics just don’t seem to take care of.
How do I choose an acupuncturist? Make sure you choose a licensed acupuncturist. They will use the initials LAc or Lic. Ac. after their name. In Vermont, we follow the national standards for education and training, and any acupuncturist licensed to practice in our state will have had many thousands of hours of study, lectures, and clinical experience prior to becoming licensed. Also, all LAcs are required to take a certain number of hours of continuing education in every 2-year period. Be informed that MDs, dentists, vets, chiropractors, and naturopathic physicians are not required to receive as much training and experience with acupuncture before they can begin needling in a clinical setting. This is another political shortcoming that the VAAOM is working to rectify. And of course, you must find a practitioner with whom you’re comfortable. If you don’t resonate on a personal level with your practitioner, or if you dislike their approach to treatments, it doesn’t necessarily mean Oriental Medicine is wrong for you. Try another practitioner, or ask for a referral. Oriental Medicine has many faces, and one of them may suit you better than another.
How many sessions will it take? This depends a lot on the circumstances. Some symptoms resolve with just 2 or 3 sessions. Some take much longer, and may never resolve completely. For more severe or painful symptoms, 2-3 sessions per week may be called for. A course of treatment is generally 10 sessions for most problems. Often, for management of chronic long-term issues a monthly or bi-monthly visit is appropriate to keep the symptoms under control. In a preventive sense, many people come in for tune-ups of 2-3 sessions, 2-3 times per year, such as at the turn of the seasons or at the onset of a particularly stressful situation. At any rate, the work you do to adjust your bad habits, follow dietary advice, get regular exercise, and take your herbs will always reduce the amount of work the needles must do. Prognosis is a tricky part of medicine, no matter which modality, but generally your practitioner should be able to give a rough estimate within the first 3 sessions.
Most insurance companies in our part of the world don’t pay for acupuncture or Chinese herbal medicine treatments yet. Much of the work done by the VAAOM is attempting to change this. But at this point, most Vermont carriers do not cover Oriental Medicine treatments. However, because the logistics are changing rapidly, it’s a good idea to check with your insurance company before you assume you're not covered, because many carriers do have some sort of acupuncture coverage. Also, many private companies have their own plans that do leave some room for Oriental Medicine. Most referrals from an MD as part of a Workman’s Comp claim are covered. Be sure to ask your acupuncturist what they know about these second-party reimbursement possibilities. How much your treatment will cost depends on many factors and can vary widely from practitioner to practitioner. Generally, in Vermont you can expect to pay somewhere between $50 and $125 or so per treatment. Depending on what you’re being treated for, you may require as many as 3 treatments/week or as few as 1 every month or so. Prescribed herbs, liniments, patches, ointments and so on will cost extra. There may be deals for students, seniors, multiple sessions in a week, and so on. It's a little different with every individual practitioner. If you need treatment but truly can’t afford it, talk to your practitioner. There may be a sliding fee scale available, or a time payment plan, or you may get a referral to someone who has these options in place. We’re here to heal, not to add to your suffering! Insurance coverage for acupuncture is indeed on the rise. As employers continue to recognize the benefits of acupuncture and other complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies, they are starting to integrate these therapies into their existing insurance plans. According to a recent survey published in September 2004 employer coverage for acupuncture increased 14 percent from 2002 to 2004, making it one of the fastest-growing CAM therapies to be included as a covered service for American workers with health benefits. In the state of Vermont, the following plans are currently in effect: Worker’s Compensation MVP-IBM’s PPO Plan - The PPO plan will pay 75% of acupuncture services. These guys don't need a referral, just approval by their in-house adjuster. This plan is unique to IBM, and only applies to those employees who carry it (it is the Premier Plan.) They are paying because they don't have an in-system provider, but it is a step. MVP has recently started to provide coverage for acupuncture for their IBM policy. However, they will only cover acupuncture for MD's and not licensed acupuncturists. This is an issue we've discussed handling through a "Parity Bill"legislatively; however we've never mounted a campaign to change it. City of Burlington's Blue Cross Plan has had an acupuncture rider for several years, I understand it's a little like pulling teeth dealing with them, and it hasn't yet spread to other parts of the system, but it's something. It is important to note that some insurance companies will only cover acupuncture services if performed by a physician acupuncturist. A physician acupuncturist is an M.D. who has received some training in acupuncture therapy. They may or may not use the system of Oriental Medicine, and do not have the same qualifications as a Licensed Acupuncturist. At the very least, most insurance plans that cover acupuncture will ask for a doctor's referral before paying. Despite the growing awareness that acupuncture is a safe and cost-effective form of healing, many insurance companies do not cover acupuncture services in Vermont. However this is changing all the time and the best thing you can do is call your insurance company to ask if they cover it yet. If they answer no, then you should certainly request that they do.
What’s it good for? What does it treat? Oriental Medicine treats the person first and the illness second. So really anything can be addressed, from a simple cold to a not-so-simple cancer. Many use acupuncture for pain and stress relief quite effectively. Syndromes involving low energy often benefit from herbal medicine. There have been many studies seeking to determine the efficacy of acupuncture in this or that situation, mostly in China and Europe, and less-so here in America. Almost everything acupuncture has been applied to has shown some improvement, with the greater or lesser mostly determined by the savy of the practitioner and the luck of the timing. Generally, Oriental Medical treatments are assessed week by week on an individual basis. The treatments are often "tweaked" or otherwise adapted to account for changes that may or may not be taking place over the course of the treatments. For this reason, it is very difficult to get a true sense of acupuncture efficacy from double-blind clinical trials, where flexibility and change ruin the reliability of the outcome. Regardless, here is a list of symptoms commonly encountered and successfully treated in an Oriental Medicine office:
Immune system boosting Chronic allergies, asthma, bronchitis, etc. PMS and menopausal symptoms Stress and burn-out Depression and anxiety Sleep disorders Chronic pain (arthritis, injuries, etc.) Cancer support Post-surgical healing Trauma of any sort Addictions Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Pregnancy-related disorders (morning sickness, breech fetus, difficult delivery, etc.) Digestive turmoil (abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.) Sciatica Reflux syndromes Chronic skin conditions Headaches and migraines TMJ Sinus/nasal congestion or infection sinusitis Sore throat Back pain UTI Type II diabetes High blood pressure Infertility IBS and related diseases Prostate problems Tendonitis Thyroid issues Addiction control Auto-immune diseases Multi-systemic neurological disorders (MS, Parkinson’s, etc.)
Acupuncture works because the needle sort of "wakes up" the qi and stimulates it to do something different. For most of history, the only way to make sure the needle was doing its stimulating job was by manually twirling or scraping or otherwise manipulating the needle until the patient reported the arrival of the qi sensation. One way around this manual stimulation is the application of electrical currents that constantly stimulate the needle. The needles are attached by clips and wires to small battery-powered boxes that deliver a rhythmic stimulation to the needle. The sensation is similar to a gentle tapping by raindrops, and is very relaxing and soothing. This adaption to acupuncture is called electroacupuncture. A much more recent technological addition to point stimulation is one that uses laser pointers to stimulate the points, bypassing the needle process altogether. This form of acupuncture is quite new, and only a few practitioners are currently trained in it.
Moxibustion is a word that means the combustion of moxa (a Japanese word for the herb used in this therapy). Moxa is the dried, fluffy leaf of the mugwort plant, which is in the artemesia family, and gives a distinctive pleasant odor when it’s burned. It’s occasionally mixed with other dried herbs for therapeutic reasons. If you’ve never seen mugwort itself, you’ve certainly seen some of its’ many cousins, which are common in gardens across New England. Moxa is believed to have healing properties that help tonify and warm the qi and organs in the body. There are many ways to apply moxa during a treatment, and sometimes, especially in pediatrics, moxa may even be used alone. In the Chinese medical classics, it’s said that the daily burning of moxa on the acupuncture point called Stomach 36 will cause one to live a long life. Modern research has shown that the white blood cell count is slightly elevated by burning moxa on this point. Moxa is often formed into small balls that are attached to the handle of a needle already inserted into an acupuncture point, and then lit on fire. As the moxa smolders, heat is transferred down the needle into the acupuncture point, creating a wonderful sensation of deep heat. Several balls might be burned on a needle during the course of a treatment. Alternatively, a moxa stick, which is a paper tube containing the moxa or possibly a charcoalized stick of moxa resembling a cigar, might be lit and held near an acupuncture point to warm the point more superficially. There are also brass moxa burners that hold smoldering moxa and are drawn over a section of the body to warm a large area. In some treatments, the moxa is formed into small pyramids and then placed on a slice of ginger, a slice of garlic, or a mound of salt that’s been poured into the navel. The garlic and ginger also have healing properties (the salt acts as an insulator), and a series of cones would be burned on these substances to transfer the moxa-plus properties to the acupuncture point. Finally, there is a Japanese technique that uses tiny rice-grain-size rolled bits of very fine moxa set upright on a smear of ointment (to protect the skin) and then lit. This technique creates a momentary sharp sensation of heat, and is often used to treat stiff arthritic joints or scar tissue that’s keeping a joint from functioning properly.
Your Oriental Medicine practitioner may ask you to refrain from eating certain foods or types of foods, or to eat particular foods, as part of your treatment. Food is appreciated as medicine, in fact maybe even a superior form of medicine. Also, some foods may counteract certain herbs that have been prescribed for you. To get the most out of your herbal medicines and your treatments, you will want to pay attention to the dietary restrictions and advice your practitioner gives you during the time you’re being treated. For example, if your diagnosis is damp heat, you will only be adding to it if you eat greasy fried foods. If this is a chronic condition, it may even have been brought on by a diet that indulges too frequently in these foods. To not follow the dietary suggestions or restrictions is to lengthen the time you will spend in treatment and possibly make a good outcome impossible or incomplete. Certain foods or types of foods can also speed your recovery. If you have digestive issues from cold in the stomach and qi deficiency, for example, you may be asked to skip the cold breakfast cereals and instead eat broth with rice cooked with ginger for breakfast. Such a breakfast will help to warm the stomach and tonify the qi, while a typical breakfast of cold cereal and juice will simply worsen the condition for which you’re being treated.
What encompasses Oriental bodywork? Bodywork is an important element of Oriental Medicine, serving to manually move the qi and blood away from stagnant and painful areas. There are many different styles and forms. Tuina is the most commonly encountered method from China. It is translated literally as “pushing and pulling,” and is most often applied as an adjunct to needling in traumatic injuries or areas of chronic pain. Shiatsu and ammo are two Japanese styles that are commonly practiced. Thai massage also has quite an excellent reputation. Some of these methods require the patient to lie directly on the floor while the practitioner kneads and plies the body with hands and feet. Quite different from western massage, the hand movements are often rapid and joints are manipulated just as much as muscles. Acupressure is practiced by many massage therapists, regardless of the degree of study in Oriental Medicine. It simply means the use of finger pressure on the acupuncture points for a more mild stimulation than what the needles give. Two techniques that are often used in addition to pressing and pulling are cupping and gua sha. Cupping uses round glass or plastic jars with either a heat source or pump to create a suction that draws stagnant blood and fluids to the skin surface. The cups are sometimes used in conjunction with needles, sometimes alone, and sometimes left in one spot, other times pulled along the length of a muscle. The treatment isn’t painful, but does result in a non-painful bruise or rash that disappears in a few days. If you saw the photo of actress Gwyneth Paltrow that was published in many newspapers after her cupping therapy, you’ve seen what the bruises look like. Cupping is used to treat many different kinds of problems. Gua sha is a similar therapy that uses the rounded edge of a spoon, coin, or bone tool to raise a slight friction rash to draw stagnant blood and fluids (the “sha”) to the skin surface. Performed on large muscles to treat many kinds of ailments, a thin layer of lubricating paste is rubbed on the skin, then a gentle scraping motion is used over the lubricant until the sha rises to the surface. Like cupping bruises, the rash will disappear over the course of several days. Also there are many forms of non-pressing, and sometimes even non-touching, bodywork practiced under the umbrella of Oriental Medicine. Medical qigong and reiki are two commonly encountered 'healing touch’ styles that are used to manipulate and balance some of the more subtle elements of circulation such as qi and spirit.
What role do herbs play in Oriental Medicine? Herbal medicine is another main branch of the Oriental Medicine tree. In China itself, herbal medicine is much more widely practiced than acupuncture. People routinely head to the herbalist at first signs of any impending disharmony. Like every Oriental Medicine modality, it uses the same basic theories, principles, and diagnostics, and can serve as a very useful ‘complementary medicine’ to anything else you might be doing for your health. In Oriental Medicine, herbs are almost always prescribed in formulas consisting of anywhere from 2 to 20 different herbs. Many formulas have been passed down for hundreds of years and are simply modified for each individual situation. Some formulas are entirely new and are created for the presenting situation, whatever that may be. Regardless, in all formulas much attention is placed on the interaction of the herbs and how they affect the health of the patient when used in combination, and prepared in particular ways. For example, if your formula includes gardenia hips, it might be raw gardenia to clear heat, or it might be charred gardenia to stop bleeding. Other herbs might be honey-fried, or stir fried, or baked, or processed with ginger, or in other ways prepared in order to emphasize a particular healing quality or support some aspect of the entire formula. The materia medica of Oriental Medicine is long and includes thousands of substances. Three or four hundred are in common use, and most practitioners will regularly use between one and two hundred of these. Most substances in the materia medica originally came from China – a country large enough to include many types of growing environments and many thousands of potential medicines. However, many additional substances have made their way into China via trade routes and have been completely absorbed into the materia medica. Part of the art of producing good medicine comes from picking and drying or otherwise processing the materials at the right time and in the right way. Western practitioners have access to distributors of bulk herbs and prepared medicines that test materials for correct species, presence of heavy metals, pesticides, and other adulterants. As the rest of the world becomes more and more interested in Chinese medicinals, manufacturing plants in China are also adhering to GMP (Good Manufacturing Procedures) practices originally designed in Australia and adopted by most countries. GMP factories and their products are inspected regularly for adherence to standards. And in the last decade or so, some prepared medicinals companies and bulk distributors have begun using herbs grown organically, and some prepared medicines are now being produced in the US.
It is absolutely true that herbs are powerful, deep-acting medicines. It is also true that over thousands of years, they have been used safely and effectively to cure or improve the health of millions of patients. It is also true that in our modern day, some people have misused these herbs and become terribly sick or died. And it is true that even when used correctly, by the right patient who receives her herbs from a trained and skilled practitioner who chose and composed the correct formula, there is still a risk. Exactly the same thing must be said about every Western drug you’ve ever put in your mouth, including the aspirin you swallow for your headache without a second thought. Every individual has a unique chemistry and individual sensitivities, so it’s impossible to guarantee absolute safety. But statistically, herbal medicine has a much lower incidence of danger and toxicity than Western drugs, with fewer side-effects and other long-term adverse effects on the health. In fact, herbs can be used to protect the body or repair the body from the effects of long use or misuse of Western drugs, such as antibiotics or chemotherapy. Interactions do occur, but generally it is only when toxic medicinals are used and warning signs are ignored. Some pharmaceuticals, like the warfarin or blood-thinning family, do not work well with herbs. We also know, for example, that St. Johnswort reduces the potency of some pharmaceuticals in the bloodstream and would thus not be good to use if you were dependening on that potency for symptom control. But for the most part, there is nothing to worry about. The few cases of fatal interactions that have made it into the media have only been when people were taking herbs improperly, not the way they are traditionally indicated. To ensure that you face the minimal risk from interaction with other herbs or Western drugs, be sure to tell your TCM practitioner about all the drugs and supplements you’re taking. Don’t add herbs, drugs or other supplements while you’re being treated without first alerting your practitioner. If your condition and the number of medicines you’re taking is complicated, you and your practitioner can then carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of adding herbs to your treatment regimen, and if you choose to do so, you may do so in the safest possible way. Any substances you regularly take that aren’t essential to your health should be eliminated during the time you’re being treated. If you don’t regularly take drugs, herbs or supplements, you can feel comfortable knowing your skilled practitioner is providing you with medicinals that have long been known to be an excellent way to cure your disease or control your symptoms. Even in this happy circumstance, the caveat stated above still applies: the medicinals are very strong, and any substance you put in your body, especially if you’ve never had it before, carries with it an inherent risk.
Qi Gong literally means “breath work,” and generally extends to "energy cultivation." It is a general term for highly intentional exercises that circulate, concentrate, or otherwise manipulate the various subtle energies of the body, mind, and spirit. There is an exceedingly large family of internal exercises and meditations with very ancient roots springing from the tree of Oriental Medicine that all fall under the category of 'qigong.' Qigong excercises have long been revered throughout all of Asia, culturally known as valuable tools for cultivating the self, relaxing the body, and focusing the mind. The religions of Buddhism and Daoism have always used qigong to aid in their pursuits. Meditation after all, is just another form of qigong. The flowering of the martial arts in Asia is largely due to the application of qigong exercises to the physical conditioning of the body. Oriental doctors throughout the ages have always regarded it as a very high form of medicine. Oriental masters of the fine arts also have long recognized the benefit of qigong exercises for focusing the mind and enabling better access to creative impulses. In general, the practice of qigong attempts to maximize the internal use, generation, and storage of energy. So movements, if any, are generally done slowly, sparingly, and with the utmost mindfulness. It is said that there are three major components of qigong: the posture, the breath, and the mind. Different types of qigong have different intentions and diffeent appearances, yet all are explicitly working with the posture, the breathing, and the mental focus. When all three of these are in perfect alignment with each other (i.e. unified), then the body can take care of its various errands of digesting, healing, moving, growing, relaxing, and so on, with much greater efficiency and control. Anybody can practice qigong, regardless of their physical or mental limitations, as long as they can find the will to learn it and the time to do it. As they say in the old books, "One day's practice is one day's benefit." However, like everything, it can be dangerous to do too much, especially if practicing incorrectly. Therefore it is important that you learn from an experienced practitioner and check in from time to time to make sure you are not doing any damage. The practice of 'improper' qigong can and will generate actual blockages or other disharmonies if sustained for too long and not corrected. Like everything in the Oriental Medicine family, there are many forms and styles. Taiji, or tai chi, is a very popular exercise that when practiced only for health is nothing other than a form of qi gong. Meditation and various types of yoga also could be considered forms of qigong. Many acupuncturists practice and/or teach some form or another. Anybody who wishes to enable their own powers of healing and actively cultivate their internal energies can participate. Many practices fall under the qigong category, yet they all share the mutual effect of integrating and fortifying the essential health of the mind, body, and spirit. Fengshui is the qigong of making sure the energy flow in your natural environment is optimal. Using the Yi Jing is the qigong of taking a reading of the energy of your life at the current moment and looking at the direction it’s heading. This allows you to act, or not act, in ways that will rebalance or redirect the energies for the best possible outcome. All martial arts use various forms of qigong to complement the rigorous physical training and increase their 'internal power.' The well-known term 'kungfu' is actually 'gongfu,' and refers to the same gong as in 'qigong', which is difficult to translate, but roughly means an accomplished and honorable skill or ability. The so-called internal martial arts especially focus on qigong training, such as Taiji Quan, Bagua Zhang, and Xing Yi Quan. They emphasize protecting oneself by conserving energy and avoiding resistance, so as not to generate any disturbances in the healthy flow and expenditure of qi. The protection resonates throughout the body, mind and spirit. There are also a number of qigong forms that include different types of meditation and may be considered to be a spiritual qigong. Acupuncture, herbal medicine, and diet therapy can be medical qigong forms that use tools – needles and herbal substances – to work with the qi in order to restore or promote health. As long as the focus is on grace and balance rather than strength and speed, it may be called qigong. There is a specific family of qigong that is quite popular in the Oriental Medicine community, of course, called Medical Qigong. It is practiced by the doctor upon or in the proximity of the patient, who is generally still and passive. In the west it is called the laying-on-of-hands or healing-touch, polarity therapy and some craniosacral work. The doctor, using his or her well-practiced and fine-tuned skills (gongfu), is able to feel and affect the energy field of the patient in various ways, thus helping to restore their harmony and vitality. Medical Qigong has been scientifically validated as a genuine medical modality and can be highly effective for various types of disorders from fatigue and stress, to pain and cancer. Some of these forms (such as Reiki and Tom Tam's Tong Ren Therapy) are very similar to the Healing Touch Therapy and various hands-on healing techniques that are being learned and practiced more and more by the nursing profession in hospitals all over the West. Another form of medical-related qigong consists of specific exercises using focused breathing and conscious movements custom-tailored towards a specific patient or condition. The exercises could be prescribed by a doctor to be performed by the patient a specified number of times per day, for a certain number of days, and so on. These could be used to treat any disorder depending on how they are constructed and what their intention is. There also are many set forms passed down from teacher to teacher, some that are thousands of years old. These forms are generrally practised in a very specific way, with certain universal and essential principles to improve the whole body health or energize specific bodily systems.
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