The Practice of Acupuncture: Did He Say Needles!

Posted on December 14, 2009
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While Acupuncture may seem almost barbaric to most western observers, it is in fact more firmly established and much older than any of the western style medical treatments available today. This 5000 year old medical procedure has had a lot more development and study than any of the most trusted medical treatments in existence.

There are six commonly used types of acupuncture needles. Each of these types varies in size and shape; some have wider shafts, some have differently shaped heads. The needles are inserted at different angles to the skin surface; the different angles produce different effects in the body. The practitioner then applies a special technique to the needle: rotation, raising and thrusting, a combination of these two techniques, or vibration. Like the type of needle, insertion point and angle of insertion, the type of technique used depends on the desired effect.


A Brief History Of Acupuncture

Posted on December 7, 2009
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The father of Chinese Medicine Shen Nung, is credited as being the first person to have theorized about circulation in the human body. His theories were compiled approximately 5000 years ago, and led to the development of acupuncture.

Shen Nung developed the idea of the QI, an energy force that flows through the human body. This energy force travels through channels called meridians which run all through the body. The theory is that when the QI is not flowing correctly, the human body experiences illness. This incorrect flow can be caused by blocked meridians which causes unbalanced QI. In order to reestablish the flow of QI, certain points of the skin must be manipulated. These points are accessed through the insertion of needles into the skin, a practice known as acupuncture.


For Needle-Phobics: A Look At Acupuncture

Posted on November 30, 2009
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The very idea of having a needle, or worse, many needles inserted into their skin for any length of time sounds like torture to many people. But there is a good reason for the popularity and staying power of this alternative medicine practice. It has worked for more than 5000 years, and it continues to improve the wellbeing of those who undergo the treatments.

Acupuncture is the Chinese alternative medical practice of inserting very small needles into the skin in very strategic places. These locations where the needles are inserted are specially chosen for their effect on specific parts of a person’s physiology. Sometimes acupuncture needles also work with electricity to induce physiological benefits of the particular points. Often another alternative therapy called Moxibustion is used with acupuncture. This involves the burning of herbs to elicit physiological benefits. Acupressure is also based on the same principles as acupuncture and is sometimes used in conjunction with acupuncture.


Your Diet And Alternative Medicine

Posted on November 23, 2009
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One of the notions that practitioners of the alternative medicine industry support is that what you put into your body has an intense effect on your health. Many of these practitioners will recommend herbs, vitamins, and other supplements to assist the average person with occasional complaints but, for people with chronic or serious illnesses a special diet is often recommended.

There are many different diets that are commonly prescribed by alternative medicine practitioners for those patients with regular complaints. Patients with diabetes and acid reflux are often put on diets to help improve their conditions. For more serious illnesses like cancer, more strict diets are enforced. Many people have had incredible luck beating cancer by using a macrobiotic diet. Other people who have complaints of fatigue, weight gain, or just general poor health can often benefit from a detoxifying or cleansing diet.

It is important to follow a medical professional’s advice when trying a diet, so, be sure to check with your practitioner before starting any restrictive diet.


What’s The Big Deal About Herbal Alternatives?

Posted on November 16, 2009
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What is it about herbs and natural supplements that make so many members of the medical profession flinch? Is it because they’re actually not good for us, or is there some other reason they don’t want us to take them? While some in the medical profession are starting to support patient use of some herbal remedies such as Echinacea, others are extremely opposed to the use of some of the most beneficial herbal supplements on the market.

There is reason for caution on the part of the medical community. Many of these herbal remedies have not been tested thoroughly by the Federal Drug Administration. Despite this, many people say that they’ll continue taking these herbal supplements regardless of the FDA’s opinion on the matter. So who’s right? Many holistic practitioners feel that anything that seems to work does, in fact, work. Therefore, there’s no harm in drinking an herbal tea or taking a supplement to support and boost your immune system.


Do You Have a Disease Resistant Personality?

Posted on November 8, 2009
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Researchers have recently been exploring the reasons why some people succumb to different chronic illnesses while others retain their good health.  There’s been a lot of discussion in scientific circles about the possibilities that there just may be a type of personality that is, in a very real way, “disease resistant”.

So how can this be possible?  Well, researchers have found that the way a person deals with stress greatly affects their ability to deal with illness and, as a result, they can successfully ward off severe chronic illness.  The theory is that just by changing a person’s outlook on everyday stressors – such as having a sense of humor about backing the car out of the garage with the door closed – can improve a person’s overall wellbeing.  This also applies to people who already have chronic illnesses: there’s a better survival rate among patients with positive attitudes than in patients with depression.


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