(Cris) Where do the needles go?

[Guest guest]

Cris,

 

Yes, that's normal. You might have asked him

during the treatment. His explanation would have

been something like-

 

1. I am using points that are on meridians/channels

that flow through the area of your pain.

 

2. I am using points that affect those areas from

a distance.

 

In acupuncture for pain, we use a combination

of local and distal (distant from the site of pain)

points. Sometimes we use only local or only

distal. It depends on the presentation, the acupuncurist's

style, and their diagnosis and treatment strategy.

 

Many Medical Acupuncturists (MD's, etc. who

attempt to practice acu with little or no training)

only feel comfortable with local points. This is

because they don't understand or accept the

theories of chinese medicine that have made

acupuncture effect for thousands of years.

 

Licensed Acupunturists (LAc, RAc), on the other hand, usually

study for 3-4 years in school and receive a Master's

degree in a course of study mostly on Oriental Medicine.

They also take around 492 hours of western medicine

as well. Medical Acupuncturists often take only 300

hours of acupuncture (sometimes by watching videos!)

while Licensed Acupuncturists take 1130 hours or more

of acupuncture theory and get 909 hours of clinical

practice under supervisors.

 

So all that training makes for a bunch of complex

detail in diagnosing problems- what kind of pain it

is, where, how long it's been there, what it feels like,

what makes it better or worse, etc. all go into the

diagnosis. Once they know the character of the pain,

they can choose points locally and distally to effect it.

 

There are some very different ways to practice acupuncture-

 

* Chinese style may make use of the cleft, stream or river

points, tendinomuscular meridians...

* Taiwanese Master Dong style using imaging methods to treat, for example,

the knee with the opposite elbow.

* Japanese style is shallower and might not even keep the

needles in for very long

* Medical Acupuncturists often use only what recent research

shows- but many of their studies are flawed due to bad study designs

because of their ignorance of chinese medical theory

* Sports Medicine acupuncturists may go deep into the nearby

muscle to " reset " its natural resting tone- and may also combine that

with traditional acupuncture theory.

 

Hope that helps!

B

 

 

 

Brian Benjamin Carter

Columnist, Acupuncture Today

Editor, The Pulse of Oriental Medicine

 

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since 1999... 3 Years, 8 Experts, 100+ Articles,

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-

acupuncture

acupuncture

Monday, November 18, 2002 5:37 AM

acupuncture Digest Number 461

 

 

There are 2 messages in this issue.

 

Topics in this digest:

 

1. Re: practice building

" bazzerf " <bazzfinch

2. My first acupuncture experience!!!

" krissiepoo33 " <krissiepoo33

 

 

______________________

______________________

 

Message: 1

Thu, 14 Nov 2002 10:47:30 -0000

" bazzerf " <bazzfinch

Re: practice building

 

Hi Leesa,

 

I am based in West London in England.

 

Thanks

 

Barry

 

acupuncture, " Leesa Bolden " <leesa@w...> wrote:

> where are you located?

>

>

> Leesa Bolden RMT/owner

> WholeBody Connection

> www.wholebodyconnection.com

> The " spa " for real people with real stress

> Massage, Acupuncture & Holistic Therapies

> 1617 W. 6th Suite C

> Austin, TX 78703

> 512-476-3100

> -

> bazzerf

> acupuncture

> Wednesday, November 13, 2002 6:34 AM

> acupuncture practice building

>

>

> Hi Everyone,

>

> Just wondered if anyone could offer me some help with getting

more

> clients to my office. I have a few through but quite frankly I

could

> mor than double the number of people I see. Other thoughts, tips

etc

> would be most welcome.

>

> Thanks

>

> Barry

>

>

>