Cure My Low Back Pain

posted by editor on Mar 6

Chinese Medicine, classical and traditional involves a range practices originating in eastern Asia. Although well accepted throughout China and many other parts of the world, it is considered an alternative medicine in the West. Practices include use of herbs, dietary adjustments, movement therapies, massage therapies, moxibustion and acupuncture.

While western medicine is based upon theories related to anatomical function and physiology, Chinese medicine is based upon at least five major theories relating the human body and its life energy to nature, the universe, and a higher being. Its practices have roots that are thousands of years old.

One aspect of Chinese medicine, acupuncture, is the procedure of inserting and manipulating very fine needles into points on the body to treat and cure medical disorders, including pain. Acupuncture points, stimulus placement sites, are situated along body meridians through which our theorized life energy flows. Modern acupuncture texts present meridians as conceptual targets. While there is no physical evidence to support their existence, consider that the only evidence of gravity is the fact that bodies attract each other in predictable manners (e.g., objects stay on the ground). Similarly, people respond to acupuncture stimulation along meridians in predictable manners. Moreover, acupuncture does not cause undesired side effects like most regularly prescribed medications.

The earliest recognized written record of acupuncture is from the second century BC. Different variations of acupuncture are practiced throughout the world. Acupuncture has been difficult to study by western medical researchers due to the invasive nature of the practice (having to place needles). Scholarly reviews are often biased by origin of the researchers. However, there is general agreement that acupuncture is safe when administered by well-trained practitioners using sterile needles, and further research is ongoing. Alternative treatment approaches are available to the untrained and general public via electroacupuncture and acupressure. These are applied at the same points, along the same meridians, without the risks related to needle use by the novice, in case I wish to cure my own low back pain.

One extraordinary source of information on acupuncture is A Manual of Acupuncture, published by the Journal of Chinese Medicine Publications. Following research of many years, Peter Deadman, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Chinese Medicine, and colleagues created the primary reference for the study and practical application of acupuncture points and meridians. With subtle use of color to illustrate the acupuncture points and anatomical features in approximately five-hundred illustrations, it is a very comprehensive, attractive and user-friendly tool for the novice and professional. The index identifies every part of the body reached by each meridian, and there are separate indexes to direct readers to address health issues via Chinese medicine categorization and western medicine symptom approaches.