Question 1

How does it work?

Accepted Answer

Science can trace the development of a baby from the union of sperm and egg, but it cannot explain exactly how the miracle of life begins. Science can study what happens when bones mend or wounds heal, but cannot explain why this happens. Acupuncture works with the life force behind these processes.

This life force (or Ki) is the vital energy, which created the body originally and continues to keep it alive and functioning properly. As such, it has the perfect knowledge to repair it should any damage or disease occur. Disease manifests and is not cured when this life force becomes weakened to such an extent that it can no longer heal. This shows as an imbalance in the energy currents (called meridians), the pathways through which the Ki passes. The ancient masters traced these pathways and located points along them at which life energy communicates with the surface of the body. Modern science has been able to measure the electrical charge at these points, thus corroborating the locations of the life energy channels mapped by the ancients. These are the points which are used for traditional acupuncture, moxabustion, and hand treatment.

The ancients also developed a system for determining the quality and mobility of life energy in each person. This system, which involves palpation of the six pulses on each wrist, is still used today in Oriental medical diagnosis. By means of the pulse diagnosis, the practitioner knows which channels of life energy are weak or over strong and can also monitor the effects of the treatment.

Question 2

What kinds of diseases can acupuncture treat?

Accepted Answer

Any health problem, disease, or illness may be treated by acupuncture. In some cases where life energy has deteriorated too far to affect a cure, the disease can still be arrested and pain alleviated so the patient can lead a reasonably normal life. Although there are techniques in Oriental medicine for healing all conditions, there are some problems which can be dealt with more quickly by Western medicine. In such cases your acupuncturist will recommend you contact a physician. Although some conditions can be alleviated very rapidly by acupuncture, many conditions have taken years to establish and can only be relieved with steady, slow progress. As in any form of healing, the patient must be fully determined to get well and to change the habits or attitudes which have been undermining his or her health. Oriental medicine is an educational process in which the patient becomes more sensitive to his or her body and more aware of what to do to maintain physical and mental well-being (i.e., diet, exercise, rest, etc.).

Question 3

Does acupuncture primarily effect the nervous system to relieve pain?

Accepted Answer

Some of the most dramatic news about acupuncture in the West has publicized its ability to relieve chronic and acute pain. Although it is indeed effective in such situations, acupuncture and Oriental medicine are more than painkilling techniques. Although the nervous system relays pain signals due to physical trauma, pain is often a signal from the body that energy is not flowing smoothly due to stress, improper diet, emotional strain, etc. When the current of life energy is balanced through acupuncture, the nerves, muscles, bones, blood vessels and organs are revitalized and the condition that created the pain sensation is relieved.

Question 4

Is acupuncture painful?

Accepted Answer

Acupuncture needles are very fine and flexible, about the diameter of a thick hair. Insertion by a skilled practitioner usually will be completely painless; in most cases needles are inserted just below the surface of the skin. There are certain techniques used in Oriental medicine that can be painful, because it is painful to mobilize energy which has been stagnating. But acupuncture bears no resemblance to the feeling of getting an injection, as the main source of pain from injections is the hollow needle and the medication being forced into the tissue by pressure. Acupuncture needles are used to attract or disperse energy along the meridians, not to inject.

Question 5

Can acupuncture help people stop smoking and lose weight?

Accepted Answer

There are certain acupuncture points that have been used to treat these problems, but the same point will not work for all people. The correct diagnosis by an experienced practitioner is the surest way to work with these conditions. When the life energy in the body is balanced and flowing smoothly, people often lose their desire to smoke and over-eat, as these cravings are often symptoms of the imbalances that existed before the treatment.

Question 6

How do most people respond to acupuncture?

Accepted Answer

Some patients feel progressively better after each treatment. Some illnesses do dull the senses that the full severity of the symptoms is no longer clearly felt. As the life force returns, sensitivity also returns, so that a patient may temporarily feel worse. This passes in a short time. Other illnesses are of a complicated nature, it is possible for symptoms to return that were present years ago, as treatment progresses. This is because the course of the sickness is being reversed. Oriental medicine describes this process symbolically as having several conditions, one on top of the other, like sheets of paper. The top condition is taken off, exposing the one beneath. They must all be taken off one at a time and this will often recreate the symptoms temporarily while healing is taking place. When the last sheet is removed the healing is complete.

Question 7

How many treatments are necessary?

Accepted Answer

The duration of a disease, the amount of deterioration, and the constitution of each patient must be taken into account when determining the number of treatments necessary. Most chronic conditions require a minimum of ten treatments to alleviate symptoms and balance the energy so that symptoms are not likely to reoccur.

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