Acupuncture And Chinese Medicine | Illinois Acupuncture

The Necessity of Training: Acupuncture

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It’s a simple assumption, one you give to all supposed professionals – you offer complete trust in their skills and teaching, believing all claims of certification. Experience, they assure, is not lacking. They are more than capable of providing a service to you. And you accept this, willing to let them begin the necessary procedures, the talents they have sworn they’ve acquired.

Those talents, however, were false. You have been given nothing but new pain, new complications; and the promises of treatment are replaced to shattered hopes.

It is all too easy to relinquish control to others, to allow them to convince you of their worth; but there are too many practices (especially those that are medical) that demand more than mere assurance. They instead demand proof – and acupuncture is no different.

The process of placing needles within the skin is an elaborate one. It cannot be performed by those without the appropriate knowledge, training and careful study of the human form. Acupuncture offers too many potential risks (such as infection, paralysis or even hemorrhaging) to be attempted by those who lack experience. It is vital therefore that you do not simply accept a vow of understanding. You must instead demand verification.

Be certain that any acupuncturist can provide certification: a degree from a recognized school should be displayed prominently within any location. If it is not, request to see it. Be aware also of the basic principles of this practice and ask the necessary questions about them. All answers should be given to your satisfaction. If there are constant hesitations or vague replies, you are strongly urged to leave. Seeking out the Better Business Bureau is also recommended – this will allow you to learn if any complaints have been given against a specific individual; which is helpful in knowing who to avoid and who to pursue.

Never assume a practice is safe. You must instead find proof.

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The Dangers of Needles: Acupuncture

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Infection is a fast tragedy. It moves without regard for a life, a body: injecting itself within skin and bones, seeking to settle within their centers and consume them. Veins are soaked in illness. Nerves are changed, dulled. And the consequence is a sudden sickness, a rush to hospitals and their white walls. Medication is sought; healing is attempted; and the concerns for safety are matched only by the worries of an eventual cost. A budget will surely shatter when this process is done. All dollars will be sacrificed to maintain existence – a worthy expense but no less an unwanted one.

It is also, sadly, an avoidable one.

The unfortunate truth of most infections is that they can be kept from an individual with simple precautions, understandings. Those understandings rarely apply to the concept of acupuncture, however. Too often is there a simple assumption of safety. Needles are not considered for anything beyond the relief they can bring.

This is a dangerous – and potentially fatal – mistake.

The process of acupuncture is a complicated one, carefully inserting needles into the skin. Should those needles be unsanitary, however, then there can be an immediate spread of infection and disease. Bacteria can enter the blood, flowing quickly throughout the entire body; and this can cause anything from mild fevers to sudden failure of organs. The possibilities are endless and alarming.

It is vital therefore that individuals understand the possible risks involved with acupuncture. If a needle is not sterilized, it can cause irreparable damage. It must instead be proven to be clean and without previous user (a too common complaint is that these tools are simply passed from patient to patient, with not even hot water offered to clean them). Demand to see the sterilization process and watch it carefully. This could be the difference between life or possible fatality.

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Auriculotherapy Explained: Acupuncture

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You have always thought yourself to be brave. The concept of fear is a futile one, you believe – a waste of both energy and time. You give yourself instead to earning experiences, trying to soak each day in new and often unexpected meanings. The strange is welcome; the unfamiliar is embraced; and you are willing to try anything at least once (and possibly twice, just to see the awe of others). But, for all of your courage, you find yourself suddenly wanting to escape with the arrival of a needle and its proximity to your ear.

Acupuncture is a therapeutic examination of the body – with certain areas offered a needle point to stimulate relief. That relief, of course, extends to the ear in the form of Auriculotherapy.

Auriculotherapy, as its name implies, is the manipulation of the auricle (outer) portion of the ear. Within this skin it is believed that there are countless nerves and receptors; each which can be utilized to ease tension. This infinite cluster is thought to be the most vital within the body and it’s claimed that it is the only truly necessary meridian. All forms of healing, it’s estimated, can be accomplished through insertion of a needle there.

Such an assertion offers little comfort to most individuals, though. Acupuncture may be easy to consider but the concepts of ears and their fragility often seem too dangerous. There are endless worries of punctured drums, lost hearing and too high pain. This can lead even the boldest of patients to refuse an attempt – simply to avoid what they believe is possible.

Auriculotherapy is instead an established part of acupuncture, however. When offered from an experienced professional, it can provide great comfort and help to alleviate complications within the body. It is simply recommended that individuals question a practitioner to ensure they have completed the necessary training before a session begins.

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Zang-fu Defined: Acupuncture

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There is far more to the notion of acupuncture than mere needles. Too often do individuals assume that this form of healing is concerned only with insertion, seeking out pain through careful exploration. Skin, it is believed, is to merely be examined – understood by the long since established concepts of anatomy and human endurance. There can be no other purpose, it is assumed. There can be no other intent.

But acupuncture is not defined to mere precision – it is instead governed by the principles of Zang-fu and these should be recognized by all who wish to pursue healing.

Zang-fu is a form of Chinese medicine that explains the relationship between the twelve major organs of the body and their dependence on each other. It offers the notions of Yin and Yang, with contrasting elements meant to provide the only true contentment. They must exist with each other to ensure good health. The purpose of this belief is to explain the intricacies of skin and how they can influence an individual.

And this is proven with acupuncture. This alternative method utilizes the energy flows of a body to repair all pains and concerns – and this includes following the principles of Zang-fu. The intention is not merely to ease stress but is instead to reshape the organs into compatibilities. Meridians are redirected to assure this can occur, with Yin and Yang fully restored to their needed capacities.

There is a confusion, however, within the west and its regard of Zang-fu. It’s often considered to be little more than a false science, unable to be proven or offered true validation. And, while this is correct, it has yet to impact those who follow it. This remains one of the most popular philosophies of the world – found throughout countries and continents. And its tangling with acupuncture has led it to become accepted through all alternative practitioners.

Zang-fu is believed in and its success is understood.

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The Placebo Concerns: Acupuncture

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The mind is far more than a collection of nerves and gray matter. This has been proven in the sudden bursts of genius, the adrenaline soaked strengths. A singular thought can define an individual – shape the world into a new possibility, a new hope. Focus (when offered with a specific purpose) can earn the greatest of conquests. It can overcome fear, panic… and even illness.

While the physicality of any disease cannot be denied, there can also be no refusal of the effect that mentality can have. Those with more than self-pity can force themselves toward healing, offering a sudden rush of determination and endorphin heavy desire. And that desire can even be transfered into a belief – an acceptance of medicine and its promises.

This is the common concern many within the scientific world have with acupuncture. It is thought to be little more than a trick of the mind, a self-induced deception that allows minor pains to be cured. The introduction of needles within the body cannot be proven as true. There is no evidence beyond the exclamations of those who have experienced it – and too little credit is given to these.

The wish to be healed, the too quick submission to alternative medicine, can lead to individuals deceiving themselves. This is the common argument of acupuncture’s detractors. They claim it is the placebo effect, without any benefit beyond seducing with its claims.

This, however, cannot fully explain the endurance of this practice. With origins found within the Stone Age, acupuncture has lasted throughout the years, surviving the many prejudices flung against it. While there is caution to be given to any anecdotal evidence, it cannot be assumed that this technique has no validity. It has endured centuries – this is not therefore to be deemed a simple placebo.

Acupuncture is a genuine philosophy that offers many rewards. It must simply strive to prove itself within the western world.

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The Dry Needling Difference: Acupuncture

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It’s a mistake of meanings, the assumptions that intentions are the same. All forms of healing that require the precise examinations of needles are thought to be identical. Acupuncture is a name given often (and all too casually), without concern for the distinctions between techniques, the relief of differing pains. Individuals instead believe there is one simple type of alternative medicine and offer no further consideration. None is needed, they are certain. These therapies are all variations of each other. They provide the same services and ideals. There is nothing to distinguish them beyond occasional terminology.

This is incorrect.

Acupuncture is a separate concept. It is not to be used as a wide reference for all forms of Chinese healing. It has its own demands, schooling requirements and philosophies. It is not to be confused with other therapies – especially dry needling.

Simply defined: dry needling is the placement of a saline filled needle within the muscles of the back. Medication is injected within tissue, allowing for direct contact with inflamed areas or strained nerves. This contact enables a quick release of necessary doses; which help to ease pain by flowing into the blood stream. The placement of the needle is dependent upon known trigger points – where nerves and receptors form junctions.

This is far different than acupuncture, which is the stimulation of the body through the insertion of multiple needles. It is not meant to solely assist the back; it is not meant to offer medicines. It is instead to relieve tension through finding specific meridians – which are never to be confused with mere trigger points.

Dry needling is a valuable process. This cannot be denied. Its constant tangling with acupuncture, however, must be ended. These two processes offer far different purposes. They are not – nor will they ever be – the same.

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Origins: Acupuncture

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There is an all too easy misconception, formed from a lack of history and a greater lack of concern: acupuncture is often believed to be a modern practice, with its efficiency noted as too wise to be anything less than new. Its untraditional processes brand it current – a sign of ignoring what was once accepted and creating a worthy alternative instead. But such thoughts are incorrect, proven quickly false. This is an ancient idea, perfected over centuries; and individuals must recognize this to earn the true value of it. This is not a reward of the present. It is instead an inspiration from the past.

There is no specificity to find in acupuncture’s origins. The year is undetermined, debated by scholars and medicinal professionals alike. There are hints of using needles to alleviate pain throughout Eastern history – with descriptions offered on parchment and bronze-work, stone tablets. The form that we are most familiar with, however, first appeared in the Shang Dynasty; which was the second established rule within China, spanning the years of 1600 to 1046 BC.

During this time, acupuncture was noted as a medical practice. While there had been similar procedures predating this one (found even within the Stone Age), this is often still considered to be the true founding of needlework. Coupled with Moxibustion – a therapy that utilizes the value of herbs and heat, creating a paste that can then be inhaled – acupuncture was used to soothe tension and help regulate the body. And, while needles were carved from bone instead of the more flexible metal, they were still crafted for the purpose of finding specific meridians. This began the eventual evolution into what we know today.

Acupuncture is now among the most practiced medicinal forms in the world – and its beginnings have led it also to be one of the most prestigious.

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Acupuncture, Defined

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It’s a confusion of needles, an assumption of clumsy insertions and dangerous potentials – acupuncture conjures up panicked images for many, its practices misunderstood and its values left unappreciated. Traditional medicine has offered only contempt for it (the disbelief that always comes from the unexpected). And there seems little way to reconcile the truth with the misconception. Individuals deem it unworthy simply because they do not understand it; and they think it unwise because they cannot explain it.

Such explanations can be easily achieved, however. Acupuncture is not the complication so many have branded it to be. It is instead a historic – and efficient – process of relieving pain. Its meanings are clear. They must simply be learned.

Defined without pretense (or the challenging technicalities): acupuncture is the art of using needles to soothe tension or stress throughout the body. By inserting them into specific points – each which affect the individual veins and organs – these needles can help to regulate the body’s nervous system; which allows for chemical reactions like a surge of endorphins to then occur. This helps to battle any anxiety an individual may feel. By making precise incisions, there can be direct contact to any source of discomfort. This offers an immediate medicinal effect.

There are many still, however, who deny this. Acupuncture is believed to be little more than a myth, its abilities merely simple illusions. The mind, it is argued, can be deceived; all patients can wish to be healed and will therefore channel those wishes into reality. Emotions guide pain.

But acupuncture has long since exceeded traditional science. It is a practice that can be traced back to 1600 BC, making it one of the oldest healing ideals in existence. And this is easy proof of its success and possibilities. This is not a trick of will. This is instead an established process – and its benefits cannot be denied.

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The Modern Conflict: Acupuncture

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The evolution of civilizations has always yielded change – countries were transformed; kingdoms were replaced; and social policy became an ever shifting ideal, crafted by those in power and those who wished to claim it. Tradition battled modern principles. Ancient practices were defined to current needs. Philosophies were reconciled, filtered through years and new beliefs. And few such beliefs have been the source of greater redefining than those of medicine.

The world is forever discovering possible cures, treatments. Past attempts are quickly rendered without worth – and acupuncture nearly succumbed to this, being branded futile by those who once followed it.

The year was 1927. China was in a state of perpetual unrest. Civil war had begun, with the Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese Nationalist Party battling for control. It was a schism of ideals and alliances; and the old world was trying to deny the cries for progress.

Such progress even included the denouncement of established healing practices – and acupuncture was one of them. Thought to be little more than mysticism by the emerging Communist Party (which wished to shape the country into an acceptance of then current science), it was declared ineffectual. There was no proof it could offer that would deem it worthy of the modern times. It was instead a process for peasants and the superstitious. There was no place for it within the China they envisioned.

And, while this assertion was eventually discarded, it remained a threat to acupuncture for many years – contributing to the misconceptions that this is nothing more than a false practice. The ridicule that it received from its own people greatly shaped how individuals even now see it. The effects of the Communist Party left a deep mark that has yet to heal.

Acupuncture still remains, however, and will always survive the less than kind assumptions.

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Meridians: Acupuncture

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The notion of acupuncture is one often misunderstood by those who have never experienced it. Individuals will find themselves musing (incorrectly) about the process and its possibilities. The terms can baffle; the intentions can confuse; and there are too many assumptions offered about how needles can relieve pain. This is a medicinal practice that can easily be named a mere pastime without the proper knowledge. Mastering its many elements therefore becomes vital in deciding whether to attempt it. It must be understood before it can be tried.

And few points within acupuncture should be understood more than the Meridians.

Explained simply, Meridians are the channels of energy that move through the human body. These channels are said to control the health and emotional states of any individual – being the source for all pains, tensions and worries that can cause acupuncture to be considered. Needles can be inserted within these channels (along specific areas of the skin) to regulate their flows and help to ease concerns.

Such a concept is, obviously, a source of great contention within the scientific world. Meridians cannot be proven – their existence is instead charted out by Yin and Yang principles, a collection of spiritual points. There is no definitive validation of them and no way to even gain one. They are tangled within the notions of life and its energy. There is no way to embody them with the standard reasons or examinations.

This has not tempered the belief that they are indeed true, however. Meridians are an essential component of acupuncture – with the correction of their flow being the ultimate purpose of the entire practice. Healing cannot be achieved, it is argued, without easing the inner complications of the body. Meridians are such complications.

The ideals of acupuncture often appear strange to those unfamiliar with them; but they still offer a legitimate appeal and should not be denied.

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