Guest guest Posted May 6, 2000 Report Share Posted May 6, 2000 Dear List Members, I am new to the list, so let me introduce myself. I'm a family physician (an MD). I'm gradually introducing more and more complementary medicine into my practice, offering herbs/supplements to those patients who prefer them. To my other patients, I offer traditional western medicine. I'm interested in offering acupuncture/acupressure on a limited basis. I've got a few books on the subject, and have spent time observing some acupuncturists. I have a few questions, and am hopeful some of you might know the answers: 1) Are all acupressure and acupuncture points identical? If not, why not? As far as I can tell, both disciplines operate under similar theories. 2) What are some a good, commonly used acupuncture needle gauges to use? I want to order a few boxes, but don't know which thicknesses and lengths would be most useful. 3) I've got several acupuncture textbooks, but they seem to have more information and theory than actual practical information. Are there any textbooks or charts that are relatively clear and simple --- perhaps focusing on a list of diseases/symptoms and showing the acupuncture/acupressure points useful in treatments? Thanks. Sam ______________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2000 Report Share Posted May 6, 2000 >1) Are all acupressure and acupuncture points identical? If not, why not? >As far as I can tell, both disciplines operate under similar theories. As far as I know they work the same. There are some acupuncturists on the list and I hope they will answer these questions too. Anything that stimulates a point can be used in some cases - needles, pressure from one's fingers, a handheld massager used to massage the point, or a heat pack. There are advantages and disadvantages to each. The advantages of acupuncture that I've seen is that is appears to work quicker and more thoroughly than pressure. The advantage to acupressure is that your finger is so big that you'll more likely to get the point than with a narrow needle. >2) What are some a good, commonly used acupuncture needle gauges to use? >I want to order a few boxes, but don't know which thicknesses and lengths >would be most useful. I'm leaving this one for the acupuncturists on the list. >3) I've got several acupuncture textbooks, but they seem to have more >information and theory than actual practical information. Are there any >textbooks or charts that are relatively clear and simple --- perhaps >focusing on a list of diseases/symptoms and showing the >acupuncture/acupressure points useful in treatments? The best beginner's book I've found is Acupressure's Potent Points: A Guide to Self-Care for Common Ailments. The book has both diagrams and photos showing the points. Another advantage is that the points covered are the points that get used the most in acupressure and acupuncture. Learning the points that get used the most often is a lot less daunting than trying to learn all the points in the beginning. The weakness of the book is that it doesn't go into TCM syndromes. The best book I've found that goes into TCM syndromes and acupuncture is The Foundations of by Giovanni Maciocia. This is a required text in many acupuncture and TCM herbalism schools. The disadvantage of Foundations is that it uses just charts and no photographs, and the drawings aren't that clear. I'm still looking for a good book that shows all the points. I highly recommend The Foundations of for learning about TCM syndromes and for recommendations on which points to use. I also highly recommend the 2 texts by Roger Wicke, PhD, that are used in the Rocky Mountain Herbal Institute course. The Wicke texts don't go into acupuncture a lot, but they are excellent for learning diagnosis and principles of TCM. The course itself is part at home, part onsite at the school. Students complete the homework portion at home and then attend sessions at the school for learning things like pulse diagnosis, tongue diagnosis, and mixing formulas. I believe the onsite instruction sessions are 4 or 5 day sessions. Why do I so strongly recommend learning TCM diagnosis? Because it will sharpen and improve healing skills in many ways. It enables healers to better pinpoint and treat root causes and to individualize treatment. One example of this is the way drugs are tested in Western medicine. The shotgun approach to testing horrifies many TCM healers. TCM syndromes rarely correspond to Western medical conditions. A good example is drugs for asthma. TCM recognizes that there are a number of TCM syndromes that can manifest as asthma. A drug (or herb) that works fine for asthma which is a manifestation of a Lung Imbalance may do nothing or even make a person sicker if the asthma is a manifestation of a Liver or Kidney imbalance. If TCM protocols were observed in drug testing, the test groups would be better defined in order to pinpoint exactly when the treatment will work and when it will do nothing or even cause harm. Another example is the use of antibiotics for infection. They only work properly if the condition is one of Excess Heat. If the condition is one of Deficiency, antibiotics will either do no good or even cause the person to become sicker. Some drugs have a heating effect on the body (just like some herbs do). Giving a drug with heating energy to a person who suffers from too much Heat can make the person sicker. Likewise, a drug with cooling energy (like most antibiotics have) can make a person who already is too Cold a lot sicker. Another aspect to TCM is that treatment will vary according to the stage of the condition. For example during one stage of Cold-Induced Evils you want to disperse the Exterior. During another stage, this treatment will make the person sicker. Acupuncture requirements vary according to state. Some states are very strict and require certification. California is one of the toughest. I hear the California licensing test can be horrendous. There's even a section on the acupuncture.com website that gives hints on finding some of the more difficult points and being able to pass the exam. I believe Florida is another state with tough requirements. Victoria --== Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ ==-- Before you buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2000 Report Share Posted May 6, 2000 Sam, I commend the fact that that you want to offer more complementary therapies to your patients. If only more MD's would stop and listen this is what the public is wanting. However I would caution you about moving into the acupuncture arena if you have not had any formal training. I live in a state where the MD's do not have to have any formal training in acupuncture to practice. We (society) assume that MD's have all the information and will allow them to do pretty much what ever they want. I have worked in healthcare for 16 years and am terrified of the power we have given the MD. I work with a doctor that is also certified in acupuncture she took the Joe Helms course at UCLA I will tell you that his course not only did not cover all the necessary areas to appropriately treat a patient but he could not even use the correct terminology. His style is more French Energetic vs TCM. It is based more on a mathematical formula vs an individual person. Acupuncture is Mind Body and Soul not a cook book that you pull a standard formula out and prescribe that is western medicine. Please do not take me as a snobby acupuncturist actually I am a student of acupuncture and feel that I will be all my life. I would suggest that you seek much more training and pay more attention to the theory books vs the cook book acupuncture, so that you can do your patients more good than harm. Remember " First Do no Harm " . Maybe you could work in a practice where there is an acupuncturist and/or other healers and leave the specialty work to them and you do the western stuff until you can get the appropriate training. Sorry if this sounds harsh but many of the people that I see have been butchered by western medicine because we think we have all the answers and we failed to realize that we are dealing with people. I do respect western medicine but it is high time to realize that even it has limitations and so do its practitioners, just like we acupuncturists. I would be willing to offer my advice on books that are straight forward in TCM but not a cookbook of points for XYZ illness. Thanks Shane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2000 Report Share Posted May 6, 2000 Sam, If you go to and do a search on acupuncture, you will find several acupuncture lists you can to and talk with experts. Lynn ***************************** Lynn Long, Reiki Master http://www.rainbowreiki.com Lehigh Valley Branch of the Reiki Cooperative http://www.lvreikicooperative.com sam jackson <sjackson6 Chinese Traditional Medicine <Chinese Traditional Medicine > Saturday, May 06, 2000 12:37 AM [Chinese Traditional Medicine] Acupressure/Acupuncture questions >Dear List Members, > >I am new to the list, so let me introduce myself. I'm a family physician >(an MD). I'm gradually introducing more and more complementary medicine >into my practice, offering herbs/supplements to those patients who prefer >them. To my other patients, I offer traditional western medicine. > >I'm interested in offering acupuncture/acupressure on a limited basis. >I've got a few books on the subject, and have spent time observing some >acupuncturists. I have a few questions, and am hopeful some of you might >know the answers: > >1) Are all acupressure and acupuncture points identical? If not, why not? >As far as I can tell, both disciplines operate under similar theories. > >2) What are some a good, commonly used acupuncture needle gauges to use? >I want to order a few boxes, but don't know which thicknesses and lengths >would be most useful. > >3) I've got several acupuncture textbooks, but they seem to have more >information and theory than actual practical information. Are there any >textbooks or charts that are relatively clear and simple --- perhaps >focusing on a list of diseases/symptoms and showing the >acupuncture/acupressure points useful in treatments? > >Thanks. > > >Sam >______________ >YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! >Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! >Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: >http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. > >------ >You have a voice mail message waiting for you at iHello.com: >http://click./1/3555/11/_/701177/_/957587821/ >------ > > > Post message: Chinese Traditional Medicine > Subscribe: Chinese Traditional Medicine- > Un: Chinese Traditional Medicine- > List owner: Chinese Traditional Medicine-owner > >Shortcut URL to this page: > /community/Chinese Traditional Medicine > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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