Well folks, we made it… made it to the big time! It wasn’t the fact that acupuncture has been a valid system of medicine used by billions of people since it’s inception roughly 1000 to 3000 years before Jesus Christ was born. It wasn’t the fact that acupuncture is showing positive results in
increasing numbers of scientific studies being published in prestigious medical journals. It wasn’t the fact that acupuncture is being incorporated into major medical centers and hospitals across the US.
What brought us to the “big time” was that acupuncture was recognized on “Oprah” last week!!! We made it! Oprah and one of her guests had a treatment on the show. Oprah had a general immune stimulating treatment and the guest’s shoulder pain was relieved within a few minutes. How is that for a testimonial.
I am being a bit cavalier in my embellishment above just because I know the benefits of acupuncture, I see them with my patients all the time. But, if it takes Oprah and the medical journals touting the benefits of acupuncture for people to find out then that is fine also. People ask how it works and I give both answers, western and eastern: The western, conventional medicine version is that the needles stimulate blood flow, endorphins and serotonin to deal with pain. This is a limited concept for acupuncture deals with much more than pain. However, it is much more dramatic to see an immediate relief of pain than it is to improve someone’s immune system or balance another person’s hormones.
The Chinese definition of what is happening is a bit different: pain or dysfunction in the body is caused by blockage or imbalance in blood, fluids and energy flow. The energy flow is the thing most western people have a problem with. However, since quantum physics, Einstein and a bunch of other very smart nerds, I mean scientists, came up with the commonly held “laws of physics” the biochemical model of how the body works is essentially outdated. Our body does not only work with chemicals running through our arteries and veins but with bio-electricity. Our cells have electrical charges that dictate what passes into and out of the cells. Our nerves function by the conduction of electrical impulses. Our hearts pump and our muscles work due to electrical charges firing the muscles.
Our brains generate electricity. This is bio-energetic theory. We have electric fields that can be measured from our skin and some people say we can measure electric fields away from the skin. So, what the needles do is stimulate the energetics at specific points in the body that have been determined to effect changes in the body over the past 3000 years. The needles also stimulate blood and fluid flow to various points of the body depending on needle placement. By the way, 3000-5000 years of observing something that is working is a valid scientific technique in itself. The needles will remove blockage along the channels or meridians of the body and can balance poorly balanced energy, tonifying energy that is deficient and reducing energy that is in excess. This allows the body’s natural systems of healing to work to the best level they can.
Well, whatever theory you believe of why this works or whether your friend, family member or Oprah reports this could help at least check it out. Acupuncture has made it to the big time, lets hope it stimulates continued information and growth toward integrative medicine using the best of all the healing modalities for the betterment of our lives and our health!
