Traditional Chinese Medicine

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When one thinks of acupuncture, what are some of the images that typically come to mind? Instantly, though, a picture of a black kettle pot with a bunch of concoctions and needles should come to mind. On the other hand, acupuncture therapy does not have to concoct such awful images in one’s head. However, if you have ever thought about the possibility that acupuncture may be able to replace Western medicine you are sorely mistaken. On the other hand, there are some important distinctions between the two fundamental ideas of medicine, and in this article the idea of acupuncture will go head to head in an effort to compete against Western medicine. more

Science Versus Intuition

The basic idea behind Western medicine is the knowledge and science behind every treatment that we can see. Acupuncture, though, is not considered one of those treatments. Consider for a moment all the monumental effects that taking one prescription medication can have on the body. Many advocates of Western medicine continue to say that the United States has the best idea of medicine throughout all the world, but is it really true? Even though the affects of prescription drugs are so great on the body and mind, do we truly know everything that the treatment does to individuals, or is there a whole laundry list of side effects that could go wrong?

On the other hand, acupuncture medicine is mostly based on and rooted in the fact that many thousands and millions of Chinese individuals have been able to quickly, easily, and efficiently beat out the diseases and disorder that were experienced. Instead of relying on solid facts and science to prove that this alternative medicine approach works, intuition and feeling is relied heavily upon in order for the whole process of acupuncture to take root and verify itself to the patient.

The Benefits of Both

Even though there are great benefits to both the acupuncture method and treatments of Western medicine, one thing that we should consider is the downfalls of both approaches since there are probably less of them to consider. For Western medicine, though, an idea right off the bat that is undesirable is the fact that many patients and individuals get used to the medicine that they’re given. They’re bodies get used to it and they are left desensitized to being treated. In addition, many people have to take prescription medications their whole lives in order to keep some disorders at bay, such as Depression.

On the other hand, there are very little downsides to using acupuncture therapy except for the fact that no one is certain 100% of the time that the alternative therapy will work. Even though the same holds true for Western medicine, acupuncture should be more accurate in its treatments.

When one considers everything related to Western medicine, though, as opposed to acupuncture therapy, then chances are that he or she will truly see the benefit to using acupuncture. Acupuncture is a great alternative therapy that should never be turned down!

Acupressure is a traditional Chinese technique based on the same principles as acupuncture. Unlike Acupuncture, that uses needles to achieve response, acupressure uses gentle but firm physical pressure exerted by hand, elbow, and foot or with the aid of different devices. Pressure is applied to different acupuncture points found on the human body surface to achieve the desired remedial effect. more Many East Asian martial arts extensively use this technique to incapacitate their opponents. As per the historians acupressure is older than acupuncture, but acupressure lost popularity with the advent of acupuncture. Still it continues to be most effective method for the treatment of tension related ailments and pain. While we talk of acupressure and acupuncture we continuously refer to the traditional Chinese principles of acupressure or acupuncture points. The traditional Chinese principles treat the human body as a whole; it represents various jiaos or levels of the ventral body cavity. Any disease is taken as a loss of balance between the yin and yang energies and treatment of disease is attempted by modifying the activity of one or more systems of function. Chinese principle holds that acupuncture or acupressure works by normalizing the free flow of qi (vital energy), blood and body fluids (jin ye) throughout the body. Pain is treated by correcting the local or systemic upsurge or insufficiency. Pain is considered to indicate blockage or stagnation of the flow of qi, blood and/or fluids, the delicate balance between qi and blood is of primary concern in Chinese principle, hence the saying blood is the mother of qi, and qi is the controller of blood. Both qi and blood work together to move and to nourish the body fluids. Acupressure or acupuncture points are located along several layers of pathways, most commonly the twelve primary pathways or meridians, located throughout the body. Beside that other pathways are the eight unusual Pathways Qi Jing Ba Mai, Luo Vessels, the Divergent and the Sinew Channels. Ten of the primary pathways are named after organs of the body, eleventh pathway is named for the membrane that wraps the heart, the last pathway is the ‘three spaces’ (San Jiao). The twelve primary pathways run vertically, bilaterally, and symmetrically and every channel corresponds to and connects internally with one of the twelve organs. There are six yin and six yang channels in all. Out of these, three yin and three yang channels are present on each arm, and three yin and three yang on each leg. All the acupuncture points of a channel lie on its external pathway. The internal pathways are the deep path of the channel where it enters the body cavities and related organs. The external pathways of the twelve channels depict three complete circuits of the body, chest to hands, hands to head, head to feet, feet to chest, etc. There are some electronic devices now available which will make a noise when the correct acupressure/acupuncture point is pressed. As soon as a point is pressed, the muscle tension give way to the pressure, enabling the muscle fibers to stretch and relax, blood to flow freely, and toxins to be released and eliminated. Increased circulation also brings in more oxygen and other nutrients to the affected area. This increases the body’s resistance to illness and promotes a longer, healthier, more vital life. When the blood and bioelectrical energy circulate properly, we have a greater sense of harmony, health, and well-being. The acupressure expert decides which points to treat by observing and questioning the patient in order to make a diagnosis according to the tradition. There are four diagnostic methods: inspection, auscultation and olfaction, inquiring, and palpation. The whole process I relatively pain free. After prolonged finger pressure is applied directly on the pressure point; gradual, steady, penetrating pressure for approximately three minutes on the affected point is ideal. A general guideline is that the pressure should be firm enough so that it hurts between pleasant, firm pressure and outright pain. The middle finger is the longest and strongest of the fingers and is best suited for applying acupressure. The thumb is strong, too, but often lacks sensitivity. The knuckles or fist or other tools can be used according to specific requirements. The rule of thumb is to apply slow, firm pressure on the point at a 90 degree angle from the surface of the skin. It’s important to apply and release finger pressure gradually because this allows the tissues time to respond, promoting healing. After repeated acupressure sessions using different degrees of pressure, the patient will begin to feel a pulse at the point. This pulsation is a good sign, it means that circulation has increased in the affected area. Each body and each area of the body requires a different amount of pressure. At present different kinds of acupressure are being practiced. The same age-old pressure points are used in all of them to date. Varying rhythms, pressures and techniques create different styles of acupressure. Shiatsu, for instance, the most well-known style of acupressure, can be quite vigorous, with firm pressure applied to each point for only three to five seconds. Another kind of acupressure gently holds each point for a minute or more. Pressing with an intermittent, fast beat is stimulating; a slower pressure creates a deeply relaxing effect on the body. Slow motion kneading uses the thumbs and fingers along with the heels of the hands to squeeze large muscle groups firmly. This motion is similar to that of kneading a large mass of dough. This relieves general stiffness, shoulder and neck tension, constipation, and spasms in the calf muscles. Brisk rubbing uses friction to stimulate the blood and lymph. The skin is rubbed lightly to relieve chilling, swelling, and numbness by increasing circulation, as well as to benefit the nerves and tone of the skin. Quick tapping with fingertips stimulates muscles on unprotected, tender areas of the body such as the face. For larger areas of the body, such as the back or buttocks, loose fist is used. This can improve the functioning of nerves and sluggish muscles in the area. Acupressure can be very effective in helping relieve headaches, eyestrain, sinus problems, neck pain, backaches, arthritis, muscle aches, and tension due to stress. It also relieves ulcer pain, menstrual cramps, lower back aches, constipation, indigestion, anxiety and helps you get to sleep at night. The best part of acupressure is – there is no side effect as no drugs or medications are being used.