Guest guest Posted June 20, 2002 Report Share Posted June 20, 2002 Hi everyone - Since Char asked, I'll give my basic layperson's definition of how acupuncture works. In the Chinese system of medicine, we have a bunch of what they call " meridians " running through our body. Kind of like our blood vessels - but they carry energy, or chi, instead of blood. When we are sick or in pain, there is a disturbance in the energy. It might be sluggish and not moving along well or it might be blocked in a certain organ, etc. The first way acupuncture works is by evening out the flow of chi in our bodies to keep it moving along. Think of water - you want your chi to be like a babbling mountain brook, not a swamp or a river iwht lots of rapids. When the chi is flowing evenly, and everthing is in balance, we are in a state of health. The other (and more immediate) way acupuncture works is my creating an electrical stimulus at the site of the pain. Sort of like a *very* mild electronic shock. It's especially helpful for me when my muscles are spasming. If you'd like any more info, there's a great book called " The web that has no weaver " that I'd recommend. Blessings, " Wanna fly - you gotta give up the shit that weighs you down. " -Ntozake Shange --------------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 20, 2002 Report Share Posted June 20, 2002 Hello If I might add if you don’t mind..there are two approaches to acupuncture..western and chinese…the western places the needles in quite differently…if you see a true Chinese doctor they examine your tongue to diagnose and the 6 pulses to determine what part of your body is stagnant of overheated or whatever… http://www.hps-online.com/ntongue.htm gives a good insight into the methodology of determinations via the tongue..the needles are new and packaged so there is no fear of contamination…if the Chinese doctor determines there is a great deal of stagnancy they will ask you if you want the voltage or currents used…it gives an added boost to the meridians so the flow can correct itself..but it can be quite uncomfortable for a long duration but it does work better… I and my husband have been receiving acupuncture for over five years…I think the most memorable treatment was my husband having four treatments within a two week period to get his high blood pressure down that he had been fighting with for over a year….he had the electrical stimulus also ….after two weeks he went once a week and after a month he never went back and maintains it with two herbs every week…and never a problem..and no western medicine approaches…but she told us outright that she can heal that situation..wtih fibro she cannot heal and says so quite openly but can control it.. The needle is inserted and then twisted a tad till you feel a bit of a pull at which point you know the never is being channeled and then she releases the needle and you lie there very quietly and almost fall asleep.. The times I go are the nights I have the most vivid colourful dreams of flowers or something else…my doctor has told me that she cannot cure fibro but she can control the symptoms and I take 2 herbs twice a day which contain 15 chinese herbs for circulation..when they say circulation they mean the kidney and spleen are weakened within my body and via the tongue diagnosis and pulse and therefore give me a combination of herbs to strengthen those two meridians… They do not treat symptoms..they treat the underlying deficiency in the body to strengthen it…the Chinese doctor I see also has some pain herbs that I take…when I say pain herbs I don’t mean like Tylenol…they are herbs that give you a tremendous focus on things and relax you so deeply that life just seems good…and the pain recedes as you focus on other things and one sleeps very well on them….however those are expensive at 1.00 per herb…and I take 2 at night… Anyhow this is just my personal experience from western to Chinese approaches of acupuncture and the difference .. Hope this helps … How acupuncture works Hi everyone - Since Char asked, I'll give my basic layperson's definition of how acupuncture works. In the Chinese system of medicine, we have a bunch of what they call " meridians " running through our body. Kind of like our blood vessels - but they carry energy, or chi, instead of blood. When we are sick or in pain, there is a disturbance in the energy. It might be sluggish and not moving along well or it might be blocked in a certain organ, etc. The first way acupuncture works is by evening out the flow of chi in our bodies to keep it moving along. Think of water - you want your chi to be like a babbling mountain brook, not a swamp or a river iwht lots of rapids. When the chi is flowing evenly, and everthing is in balance, we are in a state of health. The other (and more immediate) way acupuncture works is my creating an electrical stimulus at the site of the pain. Sort of like a *very* mild electronic shock. It's especially helpful for me when my muscles a Blessings, " Wanna fly - you gotta give up the shit that weighs you down. " -Ntozake Shange --------------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 20, 2002 Report Share Posted June 20, 2002 Hello!! I had a type of acupuncture called Intra Muscular Stimulation IMS. It did help with trigger points. It felt like a release. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 20, 2002 Report Share Posted June 20, 2002 Hello!! I had a type of acupuncture called Intra Muscular Stimulation IMS. It did help with trigger points. It felt like a release. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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