The Chinese system of acupuncture is one of the most ancient, efficient healing methods in the world.
Acupuncture has existed for thousands of years and is based on the knowledge of the ancient Chinese.
The ancient Chinese studied the energies of the human body. They called this energy Chi.
Thousands of years before Einstein’s relativity theory (any mass can be converted into energy), the Chinese knew it was all made of energy.
Apart from understanding that everything is built out of energy, which for most of us is only a theoretical concept, the Chinese have found that energy, which they call Chi or Qi, flows within the human body.
The Chinese mapped the flow of qi in the body. They said Qi flows through channels in the body, just like water running in streams. The Western translation for the name of these flow channels is meridians
The literal meaning of the word ‘meridian’ is the latitude and longitude lines on maps of the Earth. Chinese paintings of the flow channels and points on the human body reminded Europeans who visited China of the latitude and longitude lines on the planet. The meaning of the word in Chinese is flow channel.
Just like blood flows in the arteries and capillaries and come to each cell, the flow of qi runs through the meridian system, which has a main meridians that splits up the Qi, and comes to every cell in the body.
There are 12 major meridians, related to 12 organs in the body: The eyes, colon, stomach, spleen, heart, small intestine, bladder, kidney, pericardium, triple heater, gall bladder and liver each have their own meridians. The role of the12 meridians is to spread the energy of the organ in the body, but the meridian is not just a “pipe”. It has an active part as an offshoot of the organ it is connected to.
Apart from the main 12 meridians, there are eight special meridians, associated with the deeper energies of man. They’re one of the first things to develop in the fetus.
I’ll only mention two of them: one in front and one in back that form between them a small circle. Controlling the flow of energy through this circle is a technique used in many forms of meditation.
There are also many smaller meridians, whose job is basically to bring the Qi anywhere in the body.
On the meridians are acupuncture points.
There are more than 100 acupuncture points, some on the meridians and other key points. You can find one almost anywhere in the body. The width of an acupuncture point can vary from 1-2 millimeters to 1-2 centimeters. Acupuncture points transmit information, such as the kind of language that the therapist would use with the patient’s body, “Please start the flow of qi,” “Please strengthen the blood” or “Please reduce the headache” etc.
Apart from communication with the body, acupuncture inserts chi energy into the patient’s body. Chi comes in the air through the needle, used as radar picks energies. Although physically the points are not visible, you can find them with an electric meter – just by the energy they give off.
If you put an electric sensor in contact with the exact location of the point, the energy will be higher. The acupuncture practitioner must insert a needle into the exact location of the point; putting it off to one side will not give the desired result. Even the shape of the needle is important.
A trained therapist knows how to affect the flow of qi at the acupuncture point by different kinds of work with the needle.
For example, the angle of acupuncture is extremely important. Every meridian has a direction of flow. Acupuncture that follows the direction of flow will strengthen the qi, and acupuncture against the direction of flow will disperse it. The speed of needle insertion, removal of the needle, needle thickness, and more, can all have a definite effect on the flow of qi.
Even when the needle is inside the body, if the therapist touches the needle or moves it, it will have an effect.
One common technique is to rotate the needle until it “comes Chi.” When the needle “comes Chi” the patient should feel a sense of flow, heat, dull ache or any other sensation that is not the sting of the needle. This feeling is called “de qi” and indicates that the needle is in the right place.
Brain studies of people under acupuncture show that the concept of ‘de qi’ isn’t a myth. When the body ‘comes chi’, certain brain areas respond. So the sense of de qi is important to create the effect of healing the body.
What did the Chinese acupuncture do?
Chi should be constantly in motion and balance, and if there is a “traffic jam” or “bad roads”, called ‘blocked meridians’ in Chinese medicine, it causes problems.
In Chinese acupuncture, needles shape the Qi to restore balance to the body, open the “traffic jams” and “fix the Road “. Chi is not just “energy” or “fuel” for the body. It has a special intelligence. Qi moves around the body, and it affects both the body and the soul.
How is the treatment?
The first step of any acupuncture treatment is the diagnosis.
The analyst examines the patient and finds the imbalance that exists in him or her. Diagnosis usually relies on examining the tongue and pulse, checking the patient’s vitals, and questioning the patient. The therapist can also use Western medical tests.
Then the patient lies on the bed and the therapist inserts the needles.
Do not be afraid …. Fear increasesthe body’s sensitivity, and may actually amplify pain. When fear disappears, it only diminishes the sense of pain.
It’s important that you feel De Qi, because it shows that the needle is in the right place.
The patient rests with the needles inserted for 20 to 50 minutes, depending on the patient’s condition. The patient may feel all sorts of sensations, like streams arising from changes in energy, and will usually feel a sense of calm.
While the patient is resting, the therapist has a couple of different options. He can leave the patient to rest alone, or he can stay and continue to treat a patient using different methods such as meso or Reiki in areas where there are no needles.
In many cases, it’s a relief to end the treatment. You often have to wait a few days, or a few treatments, to see the improvements. But after seven to 10 treatments, if there is no change in the patient, the analyst should try a change in tactics.
Of course, the speed of the patient’s recovery depends on his or her health and age, and the type of the disease he or she suffers from.
The number of needles per treatment can range from one needle to 20+ .. It depends on the technique the analyst uses. The frequency of treatments can range from three times a week (for a mild problem) to once per week (for acute, chronic conditions).
Maintenance therapy after the acupuncture treatment is done ensures that the patient will be healthy. It can take place once a month.
We recommend that therapists combine acupuncture with other techniques of Chinese medicine as Tuina, herbal treatments, and good nutrition, depending on what the patient needs.
Chinese acupuncture is a very effective method of treatment, without side effects or chemicals. It is recommended for anyone who wants to treat the pain or illness from which he suffers, or as preventive medicine for maintaining health and happiness.