Acupuncture is an alternative medicine treatment which aims to create harmony in your body, putting everything back in tune and restoring the natural balance of your mental, physical and emotional functions. To an acupuncturist, the body is a self-healing entity which works best when it is in balance. An acupuncturist will affect the flow of energy through a body by placing needles at special points along the energy pathways or meridians. There are several main meridians and many others which a practitioner will access, depending on the patient's problem.
An acupuncturist will look at the qi or energy of the body before beginning any healing treatment. Qi or chi can be translated as breath, life force, vitality, energy or simply that which keeps us alive. Without qi there is no life. Qi flows along the meridians. The meridians are similar in some ways to the blood circulation and nervous system, but are invisible to the eye. They have been charted by skilled practitioners for more than 2000 years.
Putting needles in the points along the meridian will ‘tap' the qi or affect it to influence the person's state of health. An acupuncturist will always approach a patient from holistic point of view. The diagnosis and treatment will depend very much on the intention of the patient as well as the intention of the practitioner. The patient allows the energy exchange which the practitioner facilitates. The goal is to restore the body to normal.
By looking at the tongue, an acupuncturist will tell by the fur on it how the digestive system is working and by looking at the body of the tongue will diagnose the state of the underlying constitution. The width of the tongue, its colour, cracks and state of relaxation will paint a complete picture of the state of health. If an acupuncturist wants to diagnose by checking the pulse, it will be checked at various places on the wrist. Palpation is another method of diagnosis which involves feeling for acupuncture points which may be blocked.
Acupuncture will work in conjunction with Western medicine as well as on its own. Patients who are on Western medication will often find their dosages need to be altered after acupuncture treatment to suit the revitalised q; of the body. This is particularly important when patients are on medications for blood pressure disorders, as sometimes continuing the stronger medication can be detrimental to the patient following acupuncture treatment.
What happens in a visit to an acupuncturist?
First a full and careful medical history is taken and the acupuncturist will
ask about your physical, emotional and spiritual health. There may be questions
about seemingly unrelated topics, but an acupuncturist is always looking for
the cause of a physical or emotional symptom. The diagnosis will be based the
pulse, tongue or palpation methods. Often all three will be used.
Next the patient will lie down and fine, sterile needles will be placed at appropriate points along the meridians. Sometimes, moxa, the slow-burning dried leaves of the common mugwort Artemisio vulgaris will be placed in small balls on the ends of the needles and lit to gently heat and increase the toning effect of the treatment. Moxibustion is used to warm and a technique called cupping - using bamboo or class cups over acupuncture points - is used to draw cold from the body. A lighted taper is placed in the cup to create a vacuum and the skin is drawn into it.
After a treatment it is best to sit quietly for a while until you feel balanced again. Sometimes the shift in energy can be so profound that a patient may feel quite lightheaded for a time following treatment.
Many people ask if acupuncture is painful. Usually, the fine acupuncture needles do not hurt, but if the patient is tense and stressed, there may be some initial pain. Some of the needles penetrate quite deeply, and others sit on the surface. Qualified acupuncture practitioners always use disposable needles. Nowadays some practitioners also use laser acupuncture which doesn't involve any physical penetration of the skin.
Alternative, Holistic Medicine in Brisbane with Shanelle Hutchinson