Acupuncture and Chinese medicine

[Seamus]

In light of recent Health and Wellness shows on acupuncture and Chinese medicine (October 20, 2017 and August 11, 2017) I am starting this thread to discuss this topic. My wife and I were interviewed on October 20th.

My professional title in Rhode Island where I am licensed is "Dr of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine". This means that I am trained in acupuncture and herbal medicine and other treatment methods like cupping and massage. My wife and I both graduated from a four year program earlier in 2017 and my training included over 1,000 clinical hours and ~2,500 didactic hours. We were trained extensively in Chinese physiology and diagnosis techniques, acupuncture and other manual treatment methods and in Chinese herbal medicine. The training program also included hundreds of hours of training in modern biology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, diet and nutrition, gynecology, patient management and counselling, physical examinations and western pathology, pharmacology and clinical medicine.

I mention this, not because I am trying to convince you that I am some kind of expert, but so that you know how much training I went through to get my degree and so you know that I'm qualified to write on the subject. I also want you to know how much training acupuncturists get because I've found that many people equate it more with a massage certificate (ie 500 hours, maybe 6 months of training) when in reality its much more like medical school.

My plan with this thread is to post information about acupuncture, Chinese herbs and formulas and related therapies like cupping and guasha, and to answer questions. I hope that this will help to demystify the topic.

 

[Seamus]

Recommended reading

Basics:
The Spark in the Machine: How the Science of Acupuncture Explains the Mysteries of Western Medicine by Daniel Keown
The Dao of Chinese Medicine by Donald Kendall - a rather materialistic explanation of how acupuncture "works"
Chinese Medicine Demystified by Chris Kresser - a short four part series that everyone should read mostly based on Kendall's book
The Web that Has No Weaver - Ted Kaptchuck
Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine by Harriet Beinfield and Efrem Korngold

Practical books that might be useful:
Acupressure's Potent Points: A Guide to Self-Care for Common Ailments by Michael Reed Gach
A Tooth from the Tiger's Mouth by Tom Bisio - treatments for injuries developed over the years by Chinese martial artists
Cooking with Chinese Herbs by Terry Tan - a cookbook with lots of beautiful photos that is a great intro to Chinese herbs

History of Chinese medicine:
The Making of Modern Chinese Medicine by Bridie Andrews
Medicine in China: A History of Ideas by Paul Unschuld.

I'll try to add more to this list as needed

 

[Seamus]

FWIW, before we launch into the discussion I just want to address the term "Chinese Medicine" or "Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)" for a moment. This term is something like a brand that was created by and is promoted by the Chinese government. Other Asian countries like Japan and Korea have their own traditions of acupuncture and herbal medicine that branched off from the Chinese traditions in the past and developed independently over hundreds of years. The term implies that there is a single "Medicine", a single system and tradition stretching back through time. This is a bit misleading and in reality there were many different systems and threads and TCM is the result of an attempt to systematize and standardize the medicine. There have been similar attempts in the past and I'm sure there will be similar attempts in the future. If you're interested in learning more please see Chris Kresser's series mentioned above and The Making of Modern Chinese Medicine by Bridie Andrews and Medicine in China: A History of Ideas by Paul Unschuld if you want to read more.

This is important to keep in mind because there are many different types of acupuncture and different practitioners are trained in different ways. The idea that there is one "Acupuncture" with a capital A has lead us to questions like "does acupuncture work?". IMO this is a bad question. Its is a bit like asking "does massage work" or "does psychology work". Everyone who's had a massage knows that it "works". Some people like massage, some people don't. There are good massage therapists and not so good massage therapists. Its the same with acupuncture. In much the way different psychologists use different modalities (ie Gestalt, Jungian, Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, etc.), different acupuncturists also use different acupuncture modalities. Acupuncture "works", what's important as a patient is that you find the right therapist or practitioner for you.

I think this is an important thing to keep in mind with all health care practitioners, especially if you're making a big decision. Getting a second opinion is never a bad idea! (end public service announcement :))

 

[Seamus]

From Chris Kresser's series "Chinese Medicine Demystified" based largely on "The Dao of Chinese Medicine" by Donald Kendall. Kendall and Kresser basically argue that Chinese medicine is not some woo-woo, New Age energy medicine, rather it is describing the same anatomy and physiology modern science is familiar with in different language. They argue that "acupuncture points" are really "neurovascular nodes" and Chinese medicine is "not a metaphysical, energy medicine but instead a “flesh and bones” medicine concerned with the proper flow of oxygen and blood through the vascular system."

Part 1: A Case of Mistaken Identity

I’m sure you’re at least somewhat familiar with Chinese medicine and acupuncture by now. It’s received a lot of media coverage over the last decade, and insurance companies are now covering it in many states. But even though an increasing number of people are using acupuncture to address their health problems, most still don’t understand how Chinese medicine works.

We’ve been told that Chinese medicine involves mysterious energy called “qi” circulating through invisible “meridians” in the body. When the flow of qi through our meridians becomes blocked, illness results. The purpose of acupuncture and other Chinese medical therapies (like herbal medicine and qi gong) is to promote the proper flow of qi through the meridians, thus restoring health. Sound familiar?

If you’ve ever been to an acupuncturist in the west, I’m sure you’ve received some version of this explanation. After all, this is what they teach in acupuncture school. I know this because I’m in my final semester of studying Chinese medicine, and this is the explanation in our textbooks.

Understandably, these fundamental concepts of Chinese medicine have been difficult for western patients and doctors to accept. If you sit a doctor down who has had ten years of post-graduate medical training and tell him that an unidentified energy called qi flowing through imaginary meridians is the key to health and disease, he’s going to look at you like you’re crazy. And I don’t blame him.

What if I told you that nearly everything we’ve been taught in the West about how Chinese medicine works isn’t accurate? What if I told you that Chinese medicine isn’t a woo-woo, esoteric “energy medicine” at all, but instead a functional, “flesh and bones” medicine based on the same basic physiology as western medicine? And what if I told you I could explain the mechanisms of Chinese medicine in simple, familiar terms that any eight year-old could understand and even the most skeptical, conservative doctor couldn’t argue with?

Here’s the thing. The “energy meridian” model that has become the default explanation of Chinese medicine US is not only out of sync with our modern, scientific understanding of the body – it’s also completely inconsistent with classical Chinese medical theory. In other words, we’ve made up our own western version of Chinese medicine that has little to do with how it was understood and practiced since it began more than 3,000 years ago in China.

This gross mischaracterization has kept Chinese medicine on the fringes of conventional medical care since the 1930s and 1940s. Most doctors and patients have simply been unable to accept the explanation they’ve been offered for how acupuncture works. The result is that acupuncture has come to be seen as either a mystical, psychic medicine or a foofy, relaxing spa-type treatment.

And that’s a big shame. Because Chinese medicine is in fact a complete system of medicine that has successfully treated many common health conditions for more than 2,500 years. Chinese medicine was passed through the ages in an unbroken lineage of some of the best minds of China. It was used by emperors and the royal courts to help them live into their 90s and stay fertile into their 80s at a time when the average life expectancy in the west was 30 years.

The Chinese were performing detailed human dissections where they carefully measured the blood vessels and weighed the internal organs at a time when western physicians thought the body was made up of “humors”. These dissections helped Chinese physicians to discover the phenomenon of continuous blood circulation 2,000 years before it was discovered in the west. The discovery of blood circulation is still considered the single most important event in the history of medicine.

Chinese medicine has been around for a very, very long time. The first evidence of the type of medicine that led to the Chinese Medicine in use today dates back to about 6,000 BC, which was during the neolithic (new stone age) period. Stone tools from this period have been found that were specially shaped for making small incisions in the skin, which was the early form of acupuncture. That’s 8,000 years of uninterrupted use. To put this in perspective, western medicine as we’ve come to recognize it today wasn’t even invented until the 1350s (the middle ages), which makes it less than 700 years old. Ah hem.

Let me ask you this. Do you think Chinese medicine would have survived for more than 3,000 years and spread to every corner of the globe if it wasn’t a powerful, complete system of medicine?

The reason Chinese medicine isn’t more popular in the west is that it’s completely misunderstood even by the people who practice it. And as long as acupuncturists continue to promote the “energy meridian” model as the explanation for how Chinese works, it’s destined to remain a fringe alternative modality.

In the next article I’m going to give you an explanation for how Chinese medicine works that is not only historically accurate, but also consistent with the principles of anatomy and physiology as we understand them today. I’m also going to tell you how this blatant mischaracterization of Chinese medicine in the west came about.

 

[Seamus]

Part 2: Origins of the “Energy Meridian” Myth
As an acupuncture student, I often like to ask people if they know what the word qi (sometimes spelled “chi”) means.

I get all kinds of answers. Some people don’t have any idea. Some guess it’s a kind of tea, like chai tea. Some say it has something to do with martial arts. Others say it means balance or flow. But those who’ve been to an acupuncturist, or at least know someone who has, say that qi means energy.

They say that because that’s what their acupuncturist told them. And their acupuncturist told them that because that’s what the acupuncturist was taught in school. That’s the definition of qi in the textbooks about Chinese medicine that we study in the west.

These textbooks teach that qi is an energy that moves through your body in meridians. A meridian is a metaphysical line “juxtaposed” on the body. It has no actual location inside of the body. In other words, it’s not really there. According to these textbooks this mysterious energy called qi flowing through these nonexistent lines called meridians forms the conceptual basis of Chinese medicine.

This is the definition of Chinese medicine that causes snickers, smirks and shaking heads amongst the scientific crowd – which is to say almost every doctor or medical professional trained in the west. But is this definition even accurate?

Much of what we know about Chinese medicine comes from a book called the Huangdi Neijing (HDNJ), or Yellow Emperor’s Internal Classic. There’s some controversy about when it was written, but most scholars agree that it was about 2,000 years ago, sometime between the second and first century BCE. The HDNJ is a massive encyclopedic text of Chinese medicine. You can think of it as their version of the Merck Manual.

The HDNJ had several sections. One was on anatomy. If you recall from the previous post in this series, the Chinese were performing detailed dissections 500 years before the birth of Christ. They listed the average weight, volume and measurements for all of the internal organs. They named the organs and described their functions. (In fact, they knew that the heart is the organ that pumps blood through the body more than 2,000 years ago. This wasn’t discovered in western medicine until the early 16th century.) They knew which vessels flowed away from the heart, which vessels flowed toward the heart, and which vessels supplied which organs.

The HDNJ also had detailed sections on pathology. They described how diseases develop and how to treat those diseases with acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage and dietary and lifestyle changes. In short, the Chinese were practicing truly preventative medicine 2,500 years before the term was even coined.

The HDNJ is a remarkable book. But early western scholars had a problem. The HDNJ is written in a dialect of Chinese that hasn’t been in common use in China for more than a thousand years. You could show it to a modern Chinese person and they wouldn’t be able to read it.

Several westerners took a crack at translating it. One of the first was a Dutch physician named Willem ten Rhijne. Ten Rhijne worked for the Dutch East India Company in Japan from 1683-1685. He reported clinical success by Chinese and Japanese practitioners in treating a wide range of disorders, including pain, internal organ problems, emotional disorders and infectious diseases prevalent at the time. Interestingly enough, Ten Rhijne accurately translated the Chinese character for qi as “air”, not energy, in his reports to the Dutch government.

But the translation we’re most familiar with, and the one that became the source for all of the textbooks used in western schools of Chinese medicine, was done by a man named Georges Soulie de Morant.

De Morant was a French bank clerk who lived in China from 1901 to 1917. He was enamored with Chinese culture and philosophy, and became interested in Chinese medicine during his stay. He decided to translate the HDNJ, in spite of the fact that he had no medical training nor any training in ancient Chinese language.

It was a huge undertaking for a French bank clerk to translate a 2,000 year old medical text written in an extinct Chinese dialect into a modern romance language (French). Under the circumstances, de Morant did well in many respects. But he made some huge mistakes that had serious consequences for how Chinese medicine has been interpreted in the west.

In the next post, we’ll look at those mistakes in more detail. We’ll also replace de Morant’s fictional “energy meridian” model with a new – or rather old – model of Chinese medicine that is both historically accurate and consistent with modern scientific principles of anatomy and physiology.

 

[Seamus]

Part 3: The “Energy Meridian” Model Debunked
“Why does anyone care whether Chinese anatomy and physiology are explained as energy flowing through meridians, or by the circulation of blood, nutrients, other vital substances, and vital air (qi) through the vascular system? The answer to that lies in the moral obligation of every practitioner to provide each patient with the latest medical understanding available.

The need to continually search for the truth is the most fundamental principle of science and medicine… Research so far shows that the true concepts of Chinese Medicine operate under known physiological principles, involving the complex organization of the neural, vascular, endocrine, and somatic systems, sustained by the circulation of nutrients, vital substances, and oxygen from vital air.”

– Donald E, Kendall, “Dao of Chinese Medicine” (2002)

“It is a fact that more than 95 percent of all literature published in western languages on Chinese medicine reflect western expectations rather than Chinese historical reality.”

– Paul Unschuld, historian of Chinese medicine

Continuing from Part II…

De Morant returned to France after his time in China with the intention of teaching Chinese medicine to French physicians. Conveniently, he promoted the idea that Chinese medicine didn’t require an understanding of anatomy and physiology. After all, de Morant was a bank clerk – not a physician – and had no medical training or qualifications to teach medicine at all.

But de Morant did know something about Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicine based on the idea of energy called “prana” flowing through invisible lines called “nadis”. De Morant applied these concepts to Chinese medicine, even though they are not found in the Huangdi Neijing (HDNJ) or any other classical Chinese medical text.

The main problem with de Morant’s version of Chinese medicine was his representation of qi as “energy”. Almost all of the misunderstanding about Chinese medicine revolves around this mistranslation – which continues to be used despite historical facts that clearly contradict it.

Paul Unschuld, a respected Chinese studies scholar, notes that “the core Chinese concept of qi bears no resemblance to the Western concept of ‘energy’.” 1 Schnorrenberger, another prominent scholar of Chinese medicine, also notes that qi is “certainly not equivalent to the Western term ‘energy’.” 2

De Morant himself admitted that he translated qi as energy, “for lack of a better word.” 3

Therefore, the commonly accepted idea in the west that Chinese medicine is an energetic, metaphysical medicine was singlehandedly created by a French bank clerk with no training in medicine or ancient Chinese language. It is neither historically accurate nor consistent with modern scientific understanding of the body.

Since the energy meridian model is clearly incorrect, we must look to the classic Chinese medical texts to discover the authentic fundamental concepts of Chinese medicine. In the Huangdi Neijing, the Chinese describe the lungs breathing in what they call “da qi”. If you look up da qi in a Chinese dictionary, you’ll see it defined as “great air”. The Chinese explained that the lungs breathed in air, and the lungs extracted the qi from the da qi.

What do our lungs get from the air that sustains life? Oxygen. If you look up qi in a Chinese dictionary, there are ten definitions but not a single one of them is energy. Qi is defined as vital vapor, air, or the essence of air. It can also refer to the function of something (i.e. the qi of an organ would refer to the function of that organ) and the weather. Qi does not mean energy.

Of course the Chinese hadn’t identified the molecule we know as oxygen 2,000 years ago. They didn’t have the technology for that. But they did understand that we extracted something essential to life from the air we breathed, and they knew that this vital air (qi) was circulated around the body to support physiological processes. Therefore the closest translation of qi in a modern medical context is not energy, but oxygen.

The Chinese also described how this oxygen (qi) gets around the body: through the blood. They knew this from the dissections they had performed. The blood of the ancient Chinese is exactly the same as the blood of the 21st century! They knew blood circulated through blood vessels and the vascular system, which they had painstakingly identified and measured.

The word the Chinese used for vessel in the HDNJ is “mai”. Mai is correctly translated as vessel. “Xue Mai” is correctly translated as blood vessel (xue = blood). Morant took the word mai and incorrectly translated it as the French word “meridian”. He did this in spite of the fact that there was no word for meridian in the ancient Chinese language.

Unschuld points out:

“The term ‘meridian’, introduced by Soulie de Morant in his rendering of the concept of jing, is one example among others of what might be called a creative reception of Chinese medicine in Europe and North America in recent years that disassociates itself from historical facts.” 4

The idea that blood, along with mysterious and undefined energy, circulate through invisible “meridians” in the body was yet another creation of Soulie de Morant with absolutely no relationship to what is written about Chinese medicine in the classic texts.

De Morant also photographed ancient diagrams of acupuncture points depicted on the body. He then drew a line between all of the points, creating the concept of a meridian system for the first time. Meridian systems aren’t in the original texts. The original texts have drawings of major arteries going from the trunk into the legs. The points are arranged along these arterial routes.

The word De Morant translated as point is “jie”. Jie is more correctly translated as node, neurovascular node, or critical juncture. The Chinese knew that these nodes represent areas of fine vascular structures (arterioles, capillaries and venules – although they didn’t call them this at the time) and related nerves. Even 2,500 years ago, the superficial nodes were recognized to have afferent and efferent neural properties.

Modern research has demonstrated that neurovascular nodes (acupuncture points) contain a high concentration of sensory fibers, fine blood vessels, fine lymphatic vessels, and mast cells. These nodes are distributed along longitudinal pathways of the body where the collateral blood vessels supply the capillaries and fine vessels. The corneum stratum of the skin in these areas is slightly thinner with a lower electrical resistance. They also contain more sensory nerves, and have more fine vessels with sequestered mast cells than non nodes. 5

Ancient Chinese physicians recognized that neurovascular nodes (acupuncture points) on the surface of the body could reflect disease conditions in the internal organs, and that these same nodes could be stimulated to relieve pain and treat internal organ problems. This was a revolutionary discovery that formed the theoretical basis for acupuncture treatment. It was not until the early 1890s that this phenomenon of organ-referred pain was discovered in the West, by British physician William Head.

When the terms qi (oxygen), mai (vessel) and jie (neurovascular node) are properly translated, it becomes clear that there is no disagreement between ancient Chinese medical theory and contemporary principles of anatomy and physiology. Chinese medicine is not a metaphysical, energy medicine but instead a “flesh and bones” medicine concerned with the proper flow of oxygen and blood through the vascular system.

On his deathbed in 1955, de Morant admitted that what he referred to as meridians were in fact blood vessels. However, he still thought that energy (qi) flowed through the blood vessels.

As it turns out, de Morant wasn’t too far off. Energy is an abstract concept that means “in work”. It can’t be circulated in the blood. However, the potential for energy, in the form of oxygen and glucose, is transported through the cardiovascular system.

Energy production within each cell is initiated by breaking down each molecule of glucose (from absorbed nutrients) to form two molecules of pyruvate. Pyruvate produced in the cell cytoplasm is taken up by the mitochondria and enters the Krebs cycle.

The Krebs cycle involves a cyclic seris of reactions that convert ADP to ATP, the fundamental unit of energy in the body. This requires inhaled oxygen supplied by the red blood cells via capillaries.

This energy production cycle was discovered by Albert Szent-Györgyi and Hans Adolph Krebs well before de Morant died, in 1937. Had de Morant been aware of their work, he would have recognized that energy does not flow through the blood vessels. It is transmitted in its potential form, oxygen and glucose.

In the next post we will discuss a more authentic understanding of how Chinese medicine works, supported both by classical Chinese writings and modern scientific inquiry.

References:
1. Unschuld, PU. Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen: Nature, Knowledge, Imagery in Ancient Chinese Medical Text. Berkeley. University of California Press. 2003 ↩
2. Schnorrenberger, CC. Morphological foundations of acupuncture: an anatomical nomenclature of acupuncture structures. BMAS Acupuncture in Medicine, 1996. Nov;14(3):89-103 ↩
3. Soulie De Morant, Georges. L’Acuponcture chinoise. Tome I L’ energie(Points, Meridians, Circulation). Mercur de France, 1939 (French) ↩
4. Unschuld, PU. Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen: Nature, Knowledge, Imagery in Ancient Chinese Medical Text. Berkeley. University of California Press. 2003 ↩
5. Kendall, Donald. The Dao of Chinese Medicine. Oxford University Press, 2002. ↩

 

[Seamus]

Part 4: How Acupuncture Works
In this post we’re going to explore how acupuncture works from a western scientific perspective. As I’ve argued in the previous articles, there is no disagreement between the fundamental anatomical and physiological concepts of western and Chinese medicine. However, as methods of scientific inquiry have progressed, the mechanisms of acupuncture are beginning to be more clearly understood.

Acupuncture effects every major system of the body, including the cardiac, gastrointestinal, circulatory, cerebral, genitourinary, endocrine and immune systems. It would take an entire book to describe all of the mechanisms involved, and in fact there is such a book for those who are interested in that level of detail. In this post my purpose is to summarize that research in a way that’s easy for lay people to understand, while providing links to more technical resources for medical professionals and others that might be interested.

Broadly speaking, acupuncture has three primary effects:

1. It relieves pain.
2. It reduces inflammation.
3. It restores homeostasis.

Homeostasis refers to the body’s ability to regulate its environment and maintain internal balance. All diseases involve a disturbance of homeostasis, and nearly all diseases involve some degree of pain and inflammation. In fact, research over the last several decades suggests that many serious conditions like heart disease previously thought to have other causes are in fact primarily caused by chronic inflammation. If we understand that most diseases are characterized by pain, inflammation and disturbance of homeostasis, we begin to understand why acupuncture can be effective for so many conditions.

Several modes of action have been identified for acupuncture, which I’ll discuss below. The mechanisms can get quite complex. But ultimately acupuncture is a remarkably simple technique that depends entirely upon one thing: the stimulation of the peripheral nervous system. It’s important to point out that when nerves supplying acupoints are cut or blocked there is no acupuncture effect.

A large body of evidence indicates that acupoints, or “superficial nodes” as they are more accurately translated, have abundant supply of nerves. According to Chen Shaozong, “For 95% of all points in the range of 1.0 cm around a point, there exist nerve trunks or rather large nerve branches.” 1

The following is a list of mechanisms that have been identified so far:

Acupuncture promotes blood flow. This is significant because everything the body needs to heal is in the blood, including oxygen, nutrients we absorb from food, immune substances, hormones, analgesics (painkillers) and anti-inflammatories. Restoring proper blood flow is vital to promoting and maintaining health. For example if blood flow is diminished by as little as 3% in the breast area cancer may develop. Blood flow decreases as we age and can be impacted by trauma, injuries and certain diseases. Acupuncture has been shown to increase blood flow and vasodilation in several regions of the body.
Acupuncture stimulates the body’s built-in healing mechanisms. Acupuncture creates “micro traumas” that stimulate the body’s ability to spontaneously heal injuries to the tissue through nervous, immune and endocrine system activation. As the body heals the micro traumas induced by acupuncture, it also heals any surrounding tissue damage left over from old injuries.
Acupuncture releases natural painkillers. Inserting a needle sends a signal through the nervous system to the brain, where chemicals such as endorphins, norepinephrine and enkephalin are released. Some of these substances are 10-200 times more potent than morphine!
Acupuncture reduces both the intensity and perception of chronic pain. It does this through a process called “descending control normalization”, which involves the serotonergic nervous system. 2 I will explain this process in further detail in the next post.
Acupuncture relaxes shortened muscles. This in turn releases pressure on joint structures and nerves, and promotes blood flow.
Acupuncture reduces stress. This is perhaps the most important systemic effect of acupuncture. Recent research suggests that acupuncture stimulates the release of oxytocin, a hormone and signaling substance that regulates the parasympathetic nervous system. You’ve probably heard of the “fight-or-flight” response that is governed by the sympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system has been called the “rest-and-digest” or “calm-and-connect” system, and in many ways is the opposite of the sympathetic system. Recent research has implicated impaired parasympathetic function in a wide range of autoimmune diseases, including arthritis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
Several other mechanisms have been identified, but the ones I’ve listed above are the most relevant and clearly understood.

Some purists object to acupuncture being described in biomedical terms. They claim that such descriptions are “reductionistic” and narrow-minded, and don’t take into account those aspects of acupuncture that we may not yet understand.

Others who are still committed to the “energy meridian” model are opposed to the biomedical descriptions because, in their eyes, such scientific inquiry “takes the magic” out of acupuncture.

While I agree that there we don’t yet fully understand how acupuncture works, I think it’s vital that practitioners of acupuncture are able to explain what we do know about it from a biomedical perspective to their patients and colleagues in the medical profession. As practitioners we have a moral obligation to provide each patient with the latest medical understanding available in terms they can understand and relate to. Doing this will improve patient outcomes and open the door for acupuncture to be integrated into the healthcare system, which is needed now more than ever.

I would also suggest that explaining the mechanisms of acupuncture in scientific terms should not in any way lessen our appreciation of its uniqueness. The fact that inserting fine needles into the skin can have such a broad range of powerful effects is just as remarkable when those effects are explained in terms of the nervous system as when they are explained in terms of “energy” and “meridians”. When you consider that the Chinese made these discoveries hundreds of years before the birth of Christ, acupuncture is even more impressive.

What’s more, as others have pointed out, acupuncture is inherently holistic even without the “energy meridian” theory because it restores internal homeostasis through the simple act of piercing the skin with a needle.

In the next article I’ll explain the latest theory on how acupuncture relieves pain in more detail. Stay tuned, and as always, I welcome your comments!

Shaozong, C. Modern acupuncture theory and its clinical application. (Chapter 5 The Morphologic Relationship between Points and Nerves). International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture. 2001;121(2):149-158 ↩
Dung HC. Anatomical features contributing to the formation of acupuncture points. American Journal of Acupuncture. 1984;12:139-143 ↩

Part 5 gets into more specifics about how acupuncture relieves pain and Part 6 lists "5 Ways Acupuncture Can Help You Where Drugs and Surgery Can’t".

 

[Z...]

Thanks for starting this thread - I am CVA - Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist and it will be useful to compare the notes and experiences.

When I started this training I was riddled with skepticism ( mostly due to my personal experiences with acupuncture - apparently I had a misfortune to encounter pretty bad practitioners) but I was very soon blown away. It was an amazing journey ( and still is) and I am so grateful to the universe for this opportunity.
Its getting late here but I will read with interest articles you posted, as soon as I have a chance.

These are my two favorite books in case you haven't read them before:
The Web That Has No Weaver by Kaptchuk
Finding Effective Acupuncture Points by Shudo Denmei

 

[SevenFeathers]

Thanks so much for taking the time to post this. I am always interested in healing information. The explanation of how acupuncture works by creating a small trauma at the needle point was very enlightening (although I didn't mind thinking of it as "woo woo" healing connected to our energy). I have never had acupuncture, but have recently used Chinese herbs (with some small success) for my dog's skin problems, based on info I got in a book called "Four Paws, Five Directions: A Guide to Chinese Medicine for Dogs and Cats".

Are you taking questions for specific ailments or just general questions regarding Chinese medicine?

 

[Aliana]

Thank you for taking time to post this information, Seamus! BTW - really enjoyed the Radio show interview.

I have a question regarding the integration of TCM with Western medicine and was wondering what your thoughts were - how you work in your practice, especially since you are familiar with all of the health protocols we have discussed here on the Forum.

As an example - I have just begun acupuncture treatment and the doctor prescribed some Chinese herbs. I gave him a list of all of the supplements I am taking, but he asked me to refrain from taking these for the time being – makes sense to me because the idea is to bring the system into balance and I guess he can’t fully know how things are working if I am ingesting a ton of supplements (and actually some of my levels, like D3 and B12 were high).

At any rate, I have been thinking about some of the supplements that I have considered absolute necessities (i.e. magnesium, Vitamin C, iodine and co-factors) and wondering if a lot of these should be reconsidered when working with acupuncture / TCM? Maybe temporarily – or even long-term?

Would be interested to hear any other thoughts you may have along those lines, i.e. saunas, cold adaptation, etc. TCM seems so completely different and I suspect many things we have been told are beneficial may not necessarily be as helpful as we think.

 

[Seamus]

Thanks so much for taking the time to post this. I am always interested in healing information. The explanation of how acupuncture works by creating a small trauma at the needle point was very enlightening (although I didn't mind thinking of it as "woo woo" healing connected to our energy). I have never had acupuncture, but have recently used Chinese herbs (with some small success) for my dog's skin problems, based on info I got in a book called "Four Paws, Five Directions: A Guide to Chinese Medicine for Dogs and Cats".

Are you taking questions for specific ailments or just general questions regarding Chinese medicine?

Hi SevenFeathers,

I'm happy to hear that you've had some luck helping your dog, I've seen that book in the library but I haven't had a chance to check it out yet. Sounds like a good one!

FWIW I think that acupuncture works on an energy level, and an "information level" in addition to the physical/material level. I think these articles from Chris are a good way of thinking about the effects on a physical level and that helps to demystify the subject a little bit, but like anything there are multiple levels to reality and its only part of the picture. OSIT.

I was thinking of general questions. If you have questions like "will acupuncture or herbs help with X", then I'd be happy to give my opinion. If you have a personal health question it would probably be best to seek someone out locally. I can list some resources to help you find a local practitioner, if that would be helpful.

 

[Seamus]

Thank you for taking time to post this information, Seamus! BTW - really enjoyed the Radio show interview.

You're welcome aleana, and I'm really happy to hear that!

I have a question regarding the integration of TCM with Western medicine and was wondering what your thoughts were - how you work in your practice, especially since you are familiar with all of the health protocols we have discussed here on the Forum.

As an example - I have just begun acupuncture treatment and the doctor prescribed some Chinese herbs. I gave him a list of all of the supplements I am taking, but he asked me to refrain from taking these for the time being – makes sense to me because the idea is to bring the system into balance and I guess he can’t fully know how things are working if I am ingesting a ton of supplements (and actually some of my levels, like D3 and B12 were high).

At any rate, I have been thinking about some of the supplements that I have considered absolute necessities (i.e. magnesium, Vitamin C, iodine and co-factors) and wondering if a lot of these should be reconsidered when working with acupuncture / TCM? Maybe temporarily – or even long-term?

I've learned alot from the health and wellness threads on this forum. I've experimented with different diets and supplements and they've helped me to learn and grow and its part of what got me interested in being a health care worker!

As for your question... I think its a good one. Many acupuncturists recommend supplements these days, some even use them in place of herbs similarly to the way a Natropath would, a la Functional Medicine. I think it depends on the individual case and the TCM practitioner's style and training.

In your case your practitioner's recommendation makes sense to me. Down the road he/she may recommend that you reintroduce some of the supplements or try new ones, depending on how you're doing. Did your acupuncturist order the test that showed your D3 and B12 levels where high, or was that from someone else?

In my personal practice I've started using a lab that does hair tissue mineral analysis. They test for heavy metals and nutritional minerals and return a report that makes specific diet and nutritional recommendations. Minerals act as enzyme activators in the body and they have complicated interactions with each other (ie calcium and magnesium) and other nutrients (ie Vitamin D and Calcium). Personally I usually had trouble telling whether or not a supplement was helping me so I decided to try this test and the supplement protocol they recommended. It's helped me with several stubborn health problems and I've seen my heavy metal load decrease in the two retests I've taken since February without taking any chelators. Balancing different mineral ratios in the body activates the bodies enzymes and detoxification system to clear the heavy metals.

I like this lab because their protocol has worked well for me personally and their recommendations make my job easier. In my experience some chronic conditions (chronic fatigue, chronic migraines, chronic Lyme disease) can be quite resistant to treatment and I think this protocol can really help to balance the endocrine system and improve detoxification. That said I mostly rely on acupuncture and herbs at this point because I have the most experience with them and I can address specific symptoms faster. I decide what combination of treatments to use on a case by case basis.

Would be interested to hear any other thoughts you may have along those lines, i.e. saunas, cold adaptation, etc. TCM seems so completely different and I suspect many things we have been told are beneficial may not necessarily be as helpful as we think.

That's a good question too. TCM practitioners will often tell people to stay warm, not to eat ice cream or cold foods, don't drink iced drinks, stay out of cold water, etc. I think some of those recommendations came from a time when many people didn't have enough to eat and they really needed to conserve their strength. There are periods in Chinese history where many people subsisted on a diet that was mainly white rice and most of them were farmers who lived a hard life. They also lived in cold stone buildings and had lots of exposure to the elements. They probably really needed to conserve their energy!

IMO moderation is the important thing to remember. Almost any medicine can be a poison if the dose is too high, even water can kill you if you drink too much. Dosing is what's important. So while some people might benefit from frequent cold exposure, some might want to avoid it. There's no one size fits all. That's where experimentation comes in and it can be tricky to know when you are pushing your limits in a healthy way vs overdoing it. Its something each person has to learn for themselves, OSIT.

I hope that's not a frustrating answer, its my current opinion based on my learning and experience.

 

[Aliana]

As for your question... I think its a good one. Many acupuncturists recommend supplements these days, some even use them in place of herbs similarly to the way a Natropath would, a la Functional Medicine. I think it depends on the individual case and the TCM practitioner's style and training.

In your case your practitioner's recommendation makes sense to me. Down the road he/she may recommend that you reintroduce some of the supplements or try new ones, depending on how you're doing. Did your acupuncturist order the test that showed your D3 and B12 levels where high, or was that from someone else?

The practitioner asked me to bring in all recent lab tests and a list of medications / supplements. My doctor had ordered a complete profile when I went in for an annual physical recently, so those were quite helpful. She follows the standard US medical protocol, so was ready to prescribe some dangerous pharmaceuticals, which I declined.

The TCM doctor did mention that he recommends lab testing periodically and he will order tests throughout the process. I am interested in the heavy metals and nutritional analysis that you mentioned, and will discuss that with the doctor as well. Was working with a nutritionist last year, but I thought that he was very heavy handed with supplementation and I really did not see any definite improvement – so have been basically working on my own since then.

That's a good question too. TCM practitioners will often tell people to stay warm, not to eat ice cream or cold foods, don't drink iced drinks, stay out of cold water, etc. I think some of those recommendations came from a time when many people didn't have enough to eat and they really needed to conserve their strength. There are periods in Chinese history where many people subsisted on a diet that was mainly white rice and most of them were farmers who lived a hard life. They also lived in cold stone buildings and had lots of exposure to the elements. They probably really needed to conserve their energy!

Thanks for the context on TCM recommendations and its history, will keep that in mind. I mentioned using a FIR sauna blanket to help with detox and he did not think it was a good idea. I need to remember to ask more specific questions so I understand his hesitations on certain protocols.

So far though, am very impressed with the TCM doctor’s approach, and will report back on progress. Thank you for answering my questions – much appreciated!!

 

[Seamus]

As for your question... I think its a good one. Many acupuncturists recommend supplements these days, some even use them in place of herbs similarly to the way a Natropath would, a la Functional Medicine. I think it depends on the individual case and the TCM practitioner's style and training.

In your case your practitioner's recommendation makes sense to me. Down the road he/she may recommend that you reintroduce some of the supplements or try new ones, depending on how you're doing. Did your acupuncturist order the test that showed your D3 and B12 levels where high, or was that from someone else?

The practitioner asked me to bring in all recent lab tests and a list of medications / supplements. My doctor had ordered a complete profile when I went in for an annual physical recently, so those were quite helpful. She follows the standard US medical protocol, so was ready to prescribe some dangerous pharmaceuticals, which I declined.

I'm glad you're trying alternatives to pharmaceuticals. Do keep in mind that they have their place. IMO MDs are trained to over-prescribe and it seems like they tend to leave people on the drugs longer than necessary, but drugs can do some pretty amazing things. Sometimes its just a matter of finding the right doctor with an open mind. My two cents.

The TCM doctor did mention that he recommends lab testing periodically and he will order tests throughout the process. I am interested in the heavy metals and nutritional analysis that you mentioned, and will discuss that with the doctor as well. Was working with a nutritionist last year, but I thought that he was very heavy handed with supplementation and I really did not see any definite improvement – so have been basically working on my own since then.

He sounds like a good practitioner! If he's interested I can pass along the name of the lab that I use so he can look into it.

Thanks for the context on TCM recommendations and its history, will keep that in mind. I mentioned using a FIR sauna blanket to help with detox and he did not think it was a good idea. I need to remember to ask more specific questions so I understand his hesitations on certain protocols.

He may be recommending against the FIR blanket because of your specific condition. There are a number of reasons that I can think of why he might recommended against it. Asking questions is a good idea, you will probably get more out of your treatments with him if you understand what he is trying to do. If you forget to ask in the moment you can always write your questions down after the treatment so you can ask him later.

So far though, am very impressed with the TCM doctor’s approach, and will report back on progress. Thank you for answering my questions – much appreciated!!

I'm glad he's taking good care of you and I'm happy to help!

 

[SevenFeathers]

I was thinking of general questions. If you have questions like "will acupuncture or herbs help with X", then I'd be happy to give my opinion.

Do you have an opinion (or perhaps personal experience treating) on how well acupuncture or TCM works with symptoms of:

* Hypertension
* Tinnitus
* Itchy skin problems

I do know that the body will heal itself if given the right stimulus. Unfortunately, most western doctors only want to suppress symptoms, NOT find the reason and try to cure. I remember once going to my doctor with a painful knee. He said, without any examination, "oh, that is tendonitis, I'll give you a prescription for the pain". When I asked about other options or possible therapy, he looked at me as if I had grown two heads. I took the RX, did not fill it and started taking turmeric (just the the spice I had in my kitchen). The inflammation and pain subsided.

Traditional veterinarians are big on steroids for itchy dog skin of course, never wanting to find the cause of the problem. My 4 year old lab mix has had itchy skin since puppy hood. My most recent effort at trying to help her was with Chinese herbs, which have seemed to calmed the problem somewhat. There are no TCM veterinarians in the area, although I think there is one who does acupuncture. Most local vets in my area (middle of nowhere, Texas) don't want to know about anything other than vaccines and drugs.

Thanks for reading.