125B Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA 94941
www.Acupuncture-Marin.com Chris@Acupuncture-Marin.com
"Maintaining order rather than correcting disorder is the ultimate principle of wisdom. To cure disease after it has appeared is like digging a well when one already feels thirst, or forging weapons after the war has already begun."
- from the "Huang Di Nei Jing" -
ancient medical text from China, circa 100 B.C.E.
WHAT IS
TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE?
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a complete medical system with it's own unique system of diagnosis and treatment. It's history is over two thousand years.
Oriental medicine is based on an energetic model rather than the biochemical model of Western medicine. The ancient Chinese recognized a vital energy behind all life forms and life processes. They called this energy Qi (pronounced Chee). In developing an understanding of the prevention and cure of disease, these healing practitioners discovered that this energy flows along specific pathways called "meridians". Disease is considered to arise due to a deficiency or imbalance of energy in the meridians.
By the use of tongue and pulse diagnosis, the Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner is able to locate the imbalance in the body system. Upon diagnosis, application of acupuncture and administration of herbs are used to harmonize the body.
Acupuncture is safe. All acupuncture needles are sterile and disposable. They are very fine and flexible, about the diameter of a human hair. In most cases, insertion by a skilled practitioner is performed without discomfort.
Traditional Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, abbreviated as TCM, is an ancient system of health care which dates back at least three thousand years in China. The principles and foundations of this medicine are so sophisticated that it has prevailed over the centuries for people of all cultures and lifestyles. TCM utilizes a combination of techniques: acupuncture, moxibustion, acupressure, qigong (energy work), chinese herbs,
tui na (massage), and tai chi (therapeutic exercise). TCM does not focus on treating an illness or disease-states as does Western medicine, but instead observes the underlying causes of imbalances and patterns of disharmony in the body. Treatment is based on how the illness energetically manifests in a particular individual.
Acupuncture, the most common subset of TCM in the West, involves the insertion of sterilized disposable needles into acupoints.
A less invasive version of acupuncture is called acupressure. Acupressure, a TCM technique which involves gentle or forceful
stylus or finger pressure on acupoints, allows the release of muscle tension and
blocked qi. Acupressure is
still very effective even though the needle stimulation is replaced with the
stimulation provided by a stylus or the fingers of the practitioner. Central to this modality
(both acupuncture and acupressure) is the concept of Qi, the vital universal life force. Qi flows along energy pathways in the body termed meridians. The twelve major meridians are named according to the organ through which they flow. There are innumerable acupoints on each meridian, but 365 primary acupoints. Inserting needles at these points allows the flow of Qi
or energy to rebalance and readjust. This theory is based on the scientific
understanding that human beings are complex bioelectric systems.
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The human body is a microcosm of the natural world; therefore, the language of Oriental medicine is imbued with metaphors of the earth and the elements. The Five Phase theory deals with the five elements: fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. Each of the elements has a corresponding yin and yang organ.
Each of the organs nourishes or is nourished by another organ. In the same way, an organ can also inhibit the function of another organ. The primary meridians in the body are all connected to these organs. The body is a dynamic interplay between the forces of Yin-Yang, the polar opposites that are interdependent and interconsuming. When one understands and lives the philosophy of yin-yang which is balance and harmony between all things in nature and all things within oneself, then it becomes clear why this holistic perspective becomes a continual healing process.
Although Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Chinese herbology, Tuina Chinese massage,
acupressure, and acupuncture are more effective for chronic conditions, they can also be used for acute illnesses. The World Health Organization lists 104 conditions which acupuncture can treat. To name a few: sinusitis, the common cold, tonsillitis, asthma, addictions, myopia, gynecological and gastrointestinal disorders, stroke paralysis, sciatica, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid conditions, and hormonal and mental imbalances. It has also been operative in treating allergies, headaches, migraines, high blood pressure, gallbladder disease, and diabetes. Some evidence suggests that this modality can also treat environmentally-induced illnesses such as radiation, pesticide poisoning, toxic compounds, and air pollution.
Chinese healing modalities focus on the principle of movement. When energy is stuck in the body it is due to blockages of Qi in the meridians, resulting in patterns of dysfunction. The three main factors that lead to imbalance are emotions, climate, and life-style. Once the conditions disappear, so do the causes of the illness. However, the best cure is always prevention. There is an old saying that a man is not sick because he has an illness, but has an illness because he is sick. This implies that a disease-state exists prior to illness, allowing the illness to take hold of the body.
A TCM practitioner obtains a detailed clinical observation of a client to
discern the overall patterns of disharmony or imbalance in the individual. On
one hand, sometimes people with very different symptoms but the same pattern of
disharmony can have similar treatments. On the other hand, some clients with
very similar symptoms need to be treated with very different regimens. She must
discern the effect of a person’s social, environmental, and seasonal factors.
Thus, the practitioner’s skill is crucial in a diagnosis because he uses his own judgment, intuition, and experience.
In conclusion, Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is a modality whose magnitude and ability to heal the human body is still not fully uncovered
here in the West. The future shows great promise for increasing Chinese
Medicine education and therapy in the West. It is not only education about a modality, but also a philosophy, a way of life. The greatest strength of TCM lies in the fact that its approach includes and moves beyond issues of just physical health.
Chris Veiga, L.Ac., Licensed
Acupuncturist,
Chinese Herbalist, Acupressure and Tui
Na Massage Practitioner:
The
Acupuncture of Marin - Integrative Medical Center of Mill Valley
Chris Veiga, L.Ac., studied with diverse Traditional Acupuncture and Chinese
Medicine (TCM) teachers
at California's top school of Oriental Medicine, the
American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (www.ACTCM.edu)
in San Francisco, California. Chris earned a Master's Degree in
Traditional Chinese Medicine (MSTCM) from the College.
National Institutes of Health: National Center for Complementary and
Alternative Medicine:
http://nccam.nih.gov/
Alternative Medicine Foundation:
http://www.amfoundation.org
American Academy of Medical
Acupuncture and Medical Acupuncture Research Foundation:
http://www.medicalacupuncture.org
Acupuncture.com:
http://www.acupuncture.com
All copyrighted works are either reprinted with permission as noted or are quoted, paraphrased, or excerpted and made available under the "fair use" provision (17 USC §107) of the U.S. Copyright Act for research and non-profit educational and religious purposes only.
Just
as the lotus is a symbol of perfection and purity, so do we embody these
qualities. Just as the lotus
rises from the mud, so does our higher nature rise from the world of
conflict, confusion and chaos. The
beauty of the lotus and the beauty within us cannot be stained or
touched with imperfection. Just
as the lotus flower’s graceful petals unfold layer upon layer, so does
grace within us unfold revealing layer upon layer of beauty.
For more information on Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Marin County and the Easy Bay and other healing therapeutic services and introductory classes offered in Acupuncture and T.C.M. (Traditional Chinese Medicine), please contact:
Acupuncture of Marin - Integrative Medical Center of Mill Valley
Chris Veiga, L.Ac.
www.Acupuncture-Marin.com Chris@Acupuncture-Marin.com
Click here for a map and audio directions to our Marin County North Bay Acupuncture Center