[What You Always Wanted to Know]

It is not hard to spot a trend when it is featured on the cover of Time Magazine, Newsweek, Business Week, The New England Journal of Medicine, dozens of TV talk shows and even the subject of an NIH conference.

  Acupuncture has become very popular over the past few years.  And it is not just the progressive crowd that’s trying it – middle America is getting acupuncture in increasing numbers.  While there are still some medical doctors who believe it is akin to voodoo, most of the modern research literature and the vast majority of the medical profession accept acupuncture as an important component in medical care. 

  Its application for a wide variety of health conditions results in lowering the need for drugs and surgical procedures.  Since it is safe, many people are trying it first before subjecting themselves to the possible harsh side effects of modern treatments and procedures.  For others, it is becoming the preferred way to maintain a strong immune system and optimal health through regular maintenance care. 

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is only one form of treatment utilized in the ancient medical art of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) also commonly known as Oriental Medicine.   TCM is the fundamental cornerstone and basis for the practice of Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and Tui-Na (a specialized form of massage and bodywork.)   This full system of medicine, along with its ancient diagnostic techniques, has an impressive history that dates back over 3000 years. 

What Is Oriental Medicine?

The term Oriental Medicine (OM) includes the various styles that developed as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) spread from China to many different countries such as Korea, Japan and then into Europe.  Currently, American practitioners are continuing the tradition by developing an American style of acupuncture and Oriental Medicine that meets the needs of the American culture.

  What makes this medical art so different and unique is the use of TCM’s ancient diagnostic techniques that evaluate a patient’s individual condition.  Each person is evaluated and diagnosed to determine his/her imbalance.  This means that two patients with the same named Western disease can have a completely different diagnosis according to Oriental Medicine and therefore will be treated differently.  Understanding the diagnostics is vital to achieve the best results.  Once the patient is properly diagnosed, a treatment protocol can then be outlined using acupuncture, tui na massage, herbal prescriptions as well as other various modalities as indicated by that condition.

  Oriental Medicine balances the body’s energy fields similar to the way Western medicine seeks to balance the chemistry of the body.  Homeostasis is fundamental to both disciplines.  The tiny needles (I like to call them pins) used in acupuncture act like little antennae to focus the body’s energy fields to restore balance to the body’s function.  It’s kind of like “programming” the body to focus on healing and restoration.  It also increases blood and oxygen flow to the cells and releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkiller.  There is a “feel good” sensation from the endorphins and a deep relaxation that’s a side benefit of treatment.  Many patients get so relaxed that they actually fall asleep during treatment.  

So, How Does It Work?

Tiny, sterile needles (about the size of a strand of hair) are inserted into the skin at very special points.  The needles focus the body’s energy the same way an antenna can focus radio energy.  It is important that the needles be placed in exactly the right place, since the location of the needles will determine how the energy field is changed.   These special points occur where the energy fields of the body interact.  Each system and organ manifests its own energy level and can be weakened or strengthened by the energy fields around it.  Acupuncture focuses these fields to bring them and the underlying body systems into balance.  In TCM, this energy is called qi (chee) and was discovered over 3000 thousand year ago. 

Can This Energy Be Measured?

Not with today’s technology.  There is no doubt that the body is surrounded with energy fields.  It is a basic law of physics that when electricity flows along a conductor it creates an energy field.  This is why electric generators work.  We also know that a field will affect other fields – this is why electric motors work.  We can measure the stronger fields created by the brain and large nerves with devices like the EEG, EMG and EKG, but these are the exception rather than the rule.  The problem is that the fields manipulated by acupuncture are too small to measure with today’s technology.  Today’s environment also makes measuring these fields very difficult.  We are subjected to millions of times more electromagnetic radiation than our parents and billions of times more than our grandparents.  Even though we can’t measure them, we know they are there.  The practice of TCM over the past 3500 years has proven the results; and I’ve personally seen the results over the past 10 years clinically.

What about Herbs?

  There is a general public opinion that just because something is natural, it is safe.  This is not true about Chinese herbal medicine.  The practice of Chinese herbal medicine uses both single herbs as well as herbal formulas containing several herbs.  Ancient texts document various herbal formulas that can be used to treat various conditions.  When herbs are combined there is a synergistic effect and this results in precise safe and effective treatment.  TCM developed the practice of herbal medicine to coincide with treating the energy (Qi) imbalance in the body.  Ancient texts categorize the herbs, and disease can only be treated after the imbalance in the energy levels (Qi) of the body has been identified.  So the same TCM diagnosis used for the acupuncture prescription is the same one used for the herbal prescription. 

The oldest known significant Chinese medical text “Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic” (Huang Di Nei Jing) was compiled between 200 B.C. and 100 B.C.   This ancient text outlines the theoretical and philosophical foundation of TCM.   With an understanding of this foundation, a practitioner can diagnose the imbalance and then incorporate herbs and acupuncture into a treatment protocol. 

What’s Tui na Massage?

Tui na is a specialized massage technique to address physical problems in the body.  To clarify, our bones are held together by soft tissue: the muscles, tendons (attaches muscle to bone) and ligaments (attaches bone to bone.)  If you didn’t have soft tissue, you’d be a bag of bones on the floor.  The muscles interconnect in various layers to create a complex pulley system that allows us to move in all the various ways that we do.  When there is a blockage in the tissue, communication does not flow properly and pain or malfunction can be the result.  This blockage can be caused by trauma, stress, old injuries and scare tissue.  Regular massage can help this, but many times, it just doesn’t get deep enough, or can even aggravate it.  When acupuncture is combined with tui na massage the results can be remarkable.  This is because the acupuncture relaxes the tissue by releasing endorphins thereby enabling the practitioner to get deep enough into the tissue to correct the problem.  Many patients have commented that even though they’ve had many good deep tissue massages, no one has ever gotten to the “spot” that is creating the problems.  Other bodywork techniques include cupping, gua sha and traction.

What Conditions Does Acupuncture Treat?

Since acupuncture and Oriental Medicine work to restore the body’s natural balance, it can be effective, to some degree, on any non-optimum health condition with no side effects.  For example, acute problems such as cold and flu symptoms, and injuries; chronic problems like pain and inflammation, hormonal imbalances, allergies and asthma, digestion problems, and circulation problems.  These are just some of the problems that can be helped safely and naturally with Oriental Medicine.  It is no wonder that millions of people worldwide have found their health solution in this ancient medical art.

Dr. Riggin is a national board certified, licensed Acupuncture Physician (FL), Doctor of Acupuncture (RI) & clinic director of Healing Touch Oriental Medicine in Clearwater, FL.  Watch Dr. Riggin’s Award Winning TV show “Health Options” Saturday at 9PM on cable ch # 21 or 96.  You may contact her at (727) 669-6000 or http://DrMary.Riggin.net.