The Body is a Self-Healing Mechanism

Years ago, I had a Reiki client who was an environmentalist by vocation. It was his job to heal the country's rivers. The river he was in charge of at the time was the Hanalei River in Kauai, Hawaii. I was always intrigued by his work. He told me rivers possess self-regenerative capacity. If they cease being poisoned, they will find their way back to health. Rivers will clean themselves, restoring their natural balance.

My friend and his work healing rivers came to mind in light of the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I am heartened by the words of my friend, reminding me of the Earth's capacity to heal itself and restore natural order.

I'm also inspired by the story of the Hanalei River as a metaphor for the human body. We, as humans, are part of the earth. We are just as "natural" as the trees and rivers. Only, perhaps not as wise or "connected" all the time.

As an acupuncturist, I believe in the body's ability to regenerate and heal itself. Often, the process of healing is merely stopping behaviors or thought-patterns that are poisoning or blocking the rivers within the body.

There is a quote I particularly like from one of the medical classics, stating there is no such thing as "true deficiency," only relative deficiency from the misappropriation of the body's resources. None of us are truly weak or lacking. We may appear to be weak, deficient in blood, without adequate money, love or confidence. However, the classic Nan Jing would say this is only "our foolishness" obscuring, or blocking things.

Within my acupuncture practice, I support people to heal themselves. The acupuncture channels of the body were named after the 12 major rivers of China. They behave like rivers that dump into the "sea" or organ they are associated with. When blockages are removed, and poisonous behavior and/or thoughts are stopped, the rivers can restore natural balance, resulting in systemic health.

This is the true work that is done within my office: working to let go of that which damages the body. Thoughts created from past experiences, or emotions that have not been released can often be some of the most toxic offenders to the body.

It is believed within Chinese Medicine that unresolved mental or emotional material stagnates the blood and congeals the fluids. Stagnant emotions and thoughts create heat in the body. Heat can become so strong, it literally burns up the fluids and structures of the body. Heat also congeals blood and fluids into masses or tumors, called "fire toxins" within Chinese Medicine. This is believed to be one of the etiologies that cause Cancer.

Toxic heat can also be produced through inappropriate diet, smoking, recreational drugs, and other lifestyle choices incompatible with health.

Addiction and habit are two of the most challenging blocks to letting go of toxic thoughts and behavior. However the addictive behavior is only the symptom. The cause of addiction is frequently a trauma having occurred to the mind or body sometime in the person's past.

Acupuncture excels in helping people release trauma from the past, allowing them to let go of toxic behaviors or thought patterns. Once toxic material is released, the person can allow the rivers and seas within their bodies to regenerate and heal.

Acupuncture Before Surgery

Many people seem to undergo acupuncture treatment as a last resort, after conventional medical intervention has failed.

Yesterday, a patient of mine, suffering from severe and unrelenting pain, said he wished he'd known about acupuncture before he'd underwent surgery several months ago. The surgical process appeared to have caused further weakening to his body without helping the pain. I was happy to hear that the acupuncture treatment he received in my office greatly reduced his pain without any negative side-effects. He seemed upset that he'd underwent surgery before trying acupuncture first.

Many people have heard acupuncture works, yet distrust its effectiveness based on scant scientific evidence or its lack of support from their doctors.

It can be challenging to have full trust in a non-traditional therapy like acupuncture, as most Western doctors have very little understanding of the theory and potential of Chinese Medicine.

Clinical studies, which are rooted in the Western Scientific method are inappropriate in assessing the efficacy of acupuncture treatment. These studies focus on treatment of the disease or condition. Chinese Medicine focuses on treatment of the individual, and does not treat conditions. Three people with the same symptoms will inevitably be given different treatments by a competent acupuncturist. No two people possess the same physiological and pathological makeup. To treat the individual requires a tailor-made acupuncture treatment that will address the specifics of the person with the symptoms. This type of therapy cannot be measured in the standard Western scientific method. It is a very different process then proscribing pills or procedures based on symptoms.

To develop trust in acupuncture, the principles of the medicine must be understood.

I had a phone conversation the other day with a patient who was under the impression that acupuncture was merely palliative care for pain: most likely an idea given to him by his doctor. I understand why this thought exists. It can be difficult to wrap the mind around the concept of acupuncture. How can the insertion of needles into the skin have the power to alter the structure of the body? It is merely the orientation of the mind that causes this difficulty. In Chinese Medicine, the body is acknowledged as having regenerative capability. Incidentally, Western medicine believes this as well. The Liver can regenerate itself after alcohol abuse: this is acknowledged. Yet, somehow this capacity to regenerate is not extended to the rest of the body within the Western mindset.

Central to Chinese Medical theory is the understanding that function effects form. When the body's function is strong, the regenerative force will also be strong. The body can rebuild any damaged part of itself. However, if there is blockage within the regenerative force, this capacity will be weakened.

It can be quicker to have a surgeon cut into the body and manually rebuild a damaged structure. However, this process does nothing to strengthen the body's innate self-regenerative mechanism. The trauma of the surgery will cause further damage for the body to deal with. If the patient is strong, this may not be such a problem. However, if the function of the body is already compromised, the regenerative capacity will most likely also be weakened.

A strength of acupuncture is the capacity to strengthen the body's function, without causing the burden of further trauma. It frees any blockage to the regenerative force as it supports the expulsion of pathology.

I am not suggesting that surgery is a bad thing. A good friend of mine feels the back surgery he underwent saved his life. He felt instantly better after the procedure, and healed rather quickly. He obviously possessed a strong constitution, which allowed him to recover quickly from the surgery. However, I'm not confident that this is always taken into account when a doctor suggests surgery.

It is my hope that understanding of acupuncture will continue to expand within mainstream consciousness. A minimally invasive therapy such as acupuncture, with very little side-effects, can be a tremendous help to those suffering from pain and debility. I think many people would be happy to forgo the difficulty of surgery if they can avoid it.

West and East: Two Different Ways of Looking at the Body

Two weekends ago I was happy to see a major article about acupuncture in the New York Times. While the article provides greater exposure for acupuncture treatment, I was struck by the overall lack of understanding of the medicine. To understand eastern therapies such as acupuncture, one must become familiar with the way the ancient east viewed the body.

During my acupuncture studies, I quickly became aware that the western biological view is not the only truth relating to physiology and pathology within the human body. The ancient Chinese developed a method of viewing and understanding the body that is equally as valid as the west.

The main difference between east and west can be seen through the aspects of the body the medical systems focus upon. The west has developed its system based on the material aspect of the human body: that which can be seen. The Chinese model focuses on the part of the body that is immaterial: that which cannot be seen. Both of these aspects, however, can be measured. The west uses blood tests, machines, x-rays and microscopes to measure health and disease within the body. Chinese medicine uses the pulse to measure the flow of the invisible energetic chemistry of the body, able to discern health and disease based on highly sophisticated methods of measuring 12 distinct pulses on the radial artery.

To the Chinese, the superior medicine is that which can detect disease before it has manifested within the physical body. The pulse shows physiological disturbances before they have given rise to symptoms, changes in the blood, body fluids, or perhaps even cells.

When I refer to the "energetic chemistry" of the body, I am speaking of the "qi" that is the root of all movement, and therefore all life within the human body. I like to describe qi in this manner: we know that the heart beats and pulses blood throughout the body. Western medicine often refers to the beat of the heart as an electrical energy. This electrical energy is the qi. It is qi that makes the heart beat, the lungs respirate and the bowels have peristalsis.

The Chinese medical model has mapped out pathways of qi movement throughout the body. Each major organ possesses a channel that circulates qi throughout various parts of the body. For example, part of the Stomach channel flows through the stomach and pancreas organs up to the sensory orifices of the face. The qi of this channel can be measured on the right wrist. The qi of the Stomach channel governs all peristaltic activity within the body, as well as perceptive capability of the senses.

There is confusion surrounding the acupuncture channels. As qi is invisible, the channels of qi are also invisible. The channels do not travel along the nerves or within the blood vessels. Of course, there is qi within these structures, as there is qi within everything. However, the channels themselves are invisible structures that conduct an invisible humor that allows for all movement within the body. The qi moves the blood and body fluids; the qi rebuilds the tissues of the body. Food and air are converted into types of qi in the body that become the body's resources.

The networks by which qi flow can be felt, if not seen. It is common to feel the qi move through an entire channel during acupuncture treatment. When a popular Stomach point near the knee is needled, it is common to feel the qi shoot down the leg into the foot along the Stomach channel. The sensation is not travelling through the nerve, but through the invisible acupuncture channel. As points are needled during acupuncture treatment, the pulses will change, as the qi has been adjusted. The pulse may speed up or slow down, loosen or tighten up, become fuller or thinner, beady or thin, stronger or weaker. Each of these qualities indicates a change within the energetic chemistry of the body as relating to the qi, blood and body fluids.

As eastern and western methods of viewing the body are vastly different, it is impossible to use measurement from either system to validate or invalidate the other. Western medical tests are completely unsuitable to measure that which is invisible, therefore unsuitable to measure or validate the acupuncture channels of Chinese Medicine: just as one wouldn't use the pulse to describe what was occurring withing the cells of the Liver. The pulse can tell what is going on in the Liver, but it is an unsuitable method to describe the manner in which Western Medicine is looking at the body. The pulse cannot describe cell growth, cell division ect., just as cellular tests cannot describe whether there is stagnation or deficiency of qi within the Liver channel.

My greatest hope is that east and west will discover that they are two sides of the same coin. They are not in competition. They need not invalidate one another. Each describes an aspect of the body. Each have developed highly sophisticated methods of viewing and measuring human physiology. The West focuses on the material aspect of the human being, while Chinese medicine focuses on the immaterial as it becomes material. One cannot fully understand either system without honoring the unique way that system sees the body. To use Western medical tests to validate and understand Chinese Medicine is counter-productive. It would be more productive to understand the richness of pulse diagnosis, and open to the eastern view of the world. The Chinese have done this in regards to the West. In China, eastern and western medicine are practiced side-by-side in hospitals. In one such hospital, the stroke ward is made up of mostly acupuncture, while other areas of the hospital are highly western. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see Western hospitals taking a similar approach? I feel that the medical system in general, as well as its patients, would benefit.

Treatment of the Spirit and the Blood

The spirit desires freedom, completion and movement. The ancient Chinese say the spirit resides within the blood. Western medicine warns of the danger of diminished blood flow within the body and its effects on the heart. According to the Center of Disease Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death within the United States. Within Chinese Medicine, the heart is seen as the residence of the spirit.

Classical Chinese Medicine always contains a thread of spirituality within its understanding of the physiology of the body and the pathology of disease. The chief medical text within acupuncture states, "all diseases are rooted in the spirit." To translate this into modern Western Medical language, one could say, all diseases are rooted in the blood.

The blood requires uninhibited free movement for its health. The heart is free from stress, the breath is deep and unimpeded, and the mind is clear.

There is a school of Classical acupuncture which focuses on treating the blood. The basis of this school of thought believes blood stasis is the root of all degenerative conditions, mental illness, addictive behavior, and emotional distress.

To treat the blood is to treat the spirit. To treat the spirit is to connect to the higher self to move beyond mental, emotional or physical blockages creating disease and dysfunction.

How can acupuncture treat the blood? Acupuncture is the process of moving energy within the body. This movement affects the flow of blood within the body. There are many acupuncture points with the chief function of invigorating blood flow.

The art of acupuncture is being able to assess where a person's blood flow has become stagnant. The state of a person's mental and emotional state is a good indicator. As are various other physical symptoms, including swellings.

What does the blood have to do with the emotions and mind? The spirit resides within the heart. The heart controls the blood. The spirit expresses itself through the mind and emotions. This may sound like a stretch for some. Yet, to the ancient Chinese, this was elementary. An entire system of mental-emotional assessment and treatment was created based on this understanding. The most powerful way to validate this theory comes through the powerful results treatment can provoke.

Here's an example: A brain tumor. All conditions are specific to the individual presenting them. Within Classical Chinese Medicine, it is the individual that is being treated, not the condition. Each person is unique. Therefore, each condition an individual possesses is unique as well. Conditions can come from dysfunction within the body, mind or spirit. Therefore, all examples are simply possibilities.

A brain tumor can result from a dysfunction within the blood flow relating to the Stomach channel. Fascinating, right? The Stomach governs a person's ability to have feelings. We know the Stomach helps digest food, but it also helps digest experiences of the world. It is the initial internal contact with the world. It relates to the way we feel about the world in a relatively primitive way. When the Stomach's blood is affected, it can result in extreme emotional expression to the point of irritation and mania. As this process progresses, a person can develop weakness within their lower legs, feelings of loss of direction in life, and swellings along the course of the channel, which travels into the Brain.

Swellings are often associated with blood stasis conditions. The blood is associated with mental-emotional movement. The term "stasis" means something is stuck: often some type of emotion, thought or experience. In the example, to treat the tumor, one would need to treat the spirit via treating the blood. Treatment would focus on helping the person resolve and let go of the stuck material within the Stomach Channel.

Simply needling the acupuncture points may not be enough. When treating the mind and emotions, the spirit must be engaged through talking. An acupuncturist trained in this type of treatment knows the type of questions to ask. Each channel possesses physical, mental and emotional functions and associations. The Stomach channel relates to family, boundaries, assimilation, contentment, integrity and thought. It often amazes me, as I needle certain acu points, patients will begin talking about subjects that relate to the associated acupuncture channel or point. It's the patients who continually validate the system for me.

A person comes for treatment often for a physical symptom, comes to understand the deeper mental-emotional root of the condition, and ideally resolves both the symptoms as well as the underlying conflicts. Through working with the spirit, a person can regain freedom, break out of mental-emotional patterns, change destructive behavior, as well as heal the physical body.

Chinese Medicine possesses an extremely sophisticated understanding of the energetic physiology of the body. To me, however, it is the understanding of the development and movement of the mind and emotions that sets Chinese Medicine apart. I have seen the power of the spirit to heal. A wise teacher told me "symptoms, including behavior, are merely messages from the body." To her, it was the spirit that carried these messages into consciousness. The spirit desires freedom. To work with the spirit affects all levels within the body. Therapy that can work on all these levels can be truly life-changing.

Acupuncture is Empowerment Therapy

As I continue to experience the power and wisdom of Chinese Medicine, I myself gain illumination into my own healing process. A large part of my acupuncture practice is the treatment of mental-emotional issues. It is very common for people to come to me for treatment of a physical ailment, which becomes a jumping off point for deeper work they've been wanting to do.

I myself always view conditions of the body and mind in a spiritual light. It is helpful for me to find meaning within the suffering endemic to life. I want to know why the shoulder hurts. And if the shoulder pain can be an entrance into discovering a hidden truth about myself, this is very exciting to me. Of course, sometimes shoulder pain can simply be from lifting too many weights at the gym. And that is fine. Let's treat it and be done with it! But if the pain is a manifestation of something stuck on a deeper level, I am the type of practicioner that is willing to support my patient work through it, release it and move on.

Within my search to understand myself and my own suffering, I came to the profession of acupuncture. All it took was working with an acupuncturist in East Hampton. Somehow working with her allowed me to develop an understanding and respect for myself and the wisdom of my body. Through studying the medicine myself, I've been able to understand my patterns, see where I'm stuck, and develop compassion, patience and understanding for my "issues."

I bring this compassion and patience to the people I work with. I'm often asked by patients how long it will take until the condition will get better. This is frequently one of the first questions I'm asked. The true answer is, it's hard to say. The process of healing is first a detective search for the cause of the condition. Sometimes we have the answers, sometimes it takes some digging and waiting for them to appear. I use the word we, since both me and the patient are working together within the treatment room. I believe the patient has the answers. They may be buried or hidden. It is my job to open the layers of the body and clear away the obstructions that may be blocking awareness of these answers. I support and fortify the energies of the body to help in this process. But it is the patient that is doing a lot of the work. First of all, it is the patient that has the courage to come in for treatment, to look at themselves, to talk and surrender to the experience of learning about themselves. I am always greatly moved by this courage.

Through the theories and experience I possess as an acupuncturist, I can guide a patient through their process of opening, clearing and rebuilding. It's not my job to push, or expect anything. I follow the lead of the patient. Through the clues I receive via the symptoms they are presenting, or the topics they choose to speak about, the patient leads me to the appropriate treatment. I remain patient: it is up to the person I'm working on to decide how long they need to take within any level we are working. How long will it take? As long as you need.

I am always amazed at how many people judge themselves harshly concerning the difficulties in their physical or mental life. Some people come to me feeling as if they are guilty or at fault for their condition. I'm moved to my core. I recognize myself in this. It has been tremendously redemptive for me to learn about the progression of emotional and/or physical conditions. I am understanding why it was such a big deal for the ancient Chinese when a medical book was published which explained why people get sick. Before that, the people believed they were getting sick as some sort of punishment for their sins. Amazingly, this type of thinking still occurs. Often from some of the most educated, worldly people.

It may sound strange, but it has been redemptive to learn how an emotional experience can get stuck in the chest and progress all the way to obsessive-compulsive behavior, constipation or even cancer. There is a pathway that opens up: a way back to health and freedom. Once the person can return to the original stuck material, they can work on letting it go, regaining health and freedom. Compassion can be cultivated, as well as a sense of direction. I always say acupuncture is an empowerment therapy at its root. The obsessive-compulsive addictive behavior is not because you are crazy or sinful or bad: it may be simply because there is an emotional trauma stuck in the chest, having gone into the level of the unconscious, and is expressing itself through behavior instead of thought. There is a rational wisdom here that encourages forgiveness and active surrender.

Who is it that said "whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger?" This is also my view. The healing process empowers a person. How great does it feel when we accomplish something challenging and see results? It can feel even better to heal from a condition, especially one that doctors say is "severe" or "serious." It certainly makes us stronger: it gives us tremendous insight into ourselves, and if we allow it, self-respect and self-love. And if we can reflect all of that outwards toward our fellow man, the good as been amplified ten-fold.

The fact that a collection of needles inserted shallowly into points on the body can do all of this is miraculous. The treatment and medical theory is impressive. Equally impressive and necessary is the effort and commitment of the patient and practicioner: working together to heal.

Detox and the Return to Innocence

There is a term used within acupuncture treatment known as "the healing crisis": a rather dramatic name for a common occurrence. This "crisis" is perhaps more palatable when called a "detox period."

Many conditions that afflict the body-mind-spirit are the result of stagnation and accumulation. Some illustrative examples of this are: allergens getting stuck in the eyes, ears and nose. Otherwise known as allergies. The immune energy keeps the condition stuck in the head to prevent it from moving into the interior of the body where more serious harm could result. The body experiences an inflammatory immune reaction as it repeatedly tries to expel and/or contain the condition.

The same process can occur with psycho-emotional material as well. An experience occurs, and the body is unable to brush it off and let it go. The experience and the thoughts or emotions created from it become stuck in the chest. Agitation, restlessness and chest tightness result. The body tries to bring the emotions and thoughts up to the tongue to be released through the voice. Yet, if that fails, the unreleased energy moves back into the chest. The body will continue to try and release the stuck emotions via bringing it to the shoulders, maybe to the skin, and then to the ears and mouth: manifesting as physical and/or mental-emotional symptoms. If the issue is still not able to be released, it can move into the lower back, ribs, and finally stomach and intestines. Just like the example with allergies, similar stuckness can occur with unreleased emotions and thoughts.

When something is stuck it creates pain. Stuck energy also contributes to the accumulation of blood and fluids: a fibroid, weight gain, nasal polyps, acne: these are all examples.

Healing becomes the process of letting go of the stuckness, as well as expelling the accumulations that have occurred as a result. This is often achieved through the detox process of the healing crisis.

Acupuncture treatment works in two main ways: through building the strength and resources of the body so a full release can be achieved. Both the allergies that continually manifest in a low-grade manner, as well as the emotional holdings that progressively manifest as psycho-somatic symptoms are the result of an underlying insufficiency of energy and fluids to fully expel whatever is stuck. Perhaps the immune system has become taxed from the diet, or a person is caught up in guilt that has depleted his ability to let go of the past. Both of these scenarios can contribute to the creation of an insufficiency of energy, preventing the body from fully letting go and expelling a physical or mental-emotional pest.

Acupuncture, as it has been taught to me, owes its power to its ability to treat the individual. It does not treat diseases: it treats people who possess certain symptoms and imbalances. The treatment focuses upon the unique condition of the patient. Two persons complaining of wheezing will most likely be treated in totally different ways. Even though they possess the same symptom, they are two different people, with two different stories that have caused their symptoms. Perhaps one man's wheezing comes from a physical weakening of the kidney energy from longterm use of steroidal medications. And perhaps the other's wheezing comes from longterm unresolved fear or grief disturbing the harmonious relationship between his lung and kidney energies. Different points and different strategies will be used for each case, always based on the individual.

Once the patient's energy has been strengthened, he will begin the process of the release. It may take the form of a fluid release: nasal discharge, urination and sweat in the form of a common cold. Perhaps it will come out through the bowels. Or maybe it will be released through emotional discharge: crying or instant understanding of the issue.

I write this blog entry from inspiration I have received this week. I have been home all week with a cold. My nose has been runny, my head has ached, my throat was sore, and I've been urinating constantly. Interestingly, these cold symptoms have also been joined with a great deal of emotional release as well. Did I catch a cold from someone around me? In this case I don't think so.

I have been receiving acupuncture treatment weekly for quite awhile, understanding that a detox period was coming. During my week of detox many insights and memories arose. A new understanding of past disappointments, a rectification with the past occurred. Also, a sense of renewed innocence, hope and excitement sprung forth quite surprisingly. Who knew a cold could be such a sacred experience?

Perhaps one of the nicest things about a cold is the body's demand for calm and rest. It can be very difficult to allow a full release of "the baggage" when one's life is filled with the busyness of daily responsibilities and distractions. The body is wise. It knows what it needs. When one has made the decision to let go of the junk, the body will create a situation for this to occur.

Of course, retreating from the world for an entire week, layed up in bed with a messy cold could cause many people great frustration, perhaps even a sense of depression. Many people just keep going, refusing to acknowledge that anything is happening.

I've always seen acupuncture as a spiritually-based healing method at its root. It is no mistake that most spiritual disciplines require stillness and quiet reflection as pre-requisites for developing inner clarity and freedom. Within the spiritual "medical" treatment that is acupuncture, the healing crisis is the body's call for attention and focus as release is occurring.

The clearing of accumulations and stagnations can be seen as a return to innocence. The Buddhists often describe the enlightened state as the ability to see the world as a baby sees it: full of wonder, as if seeing it for the first time. Think if it: fluid being released from the nose, mouth and eyes: quite a physical metaphor for clearing from the organs of perception anything blocking the enlightened state of experiencing the world.

Acupuncture and "Serious" Degenerative/Autoimmune Conditions

I am very excited to share my experience treating patients with so-called "serious" conditions, such as autoimmune, cancer and degenerative diseases. My excitement comes from the positive healing experiences I've witnessed treating these conditions with acupuncture.

The power of acupuncture lies in its ability to fortify and rebuild the body's self-healing mechanism, while expelling pathogens damaging the tissues, blood and organs. Strategies within Chinese Medicine acknowledge the need to support the body's strength when eradicating harmful pathogenic factors causing disease and degeneration. A delicate balance must be maintained during treatment to prevent a further weakening of a patient's system while trying to clear inflammation or break up tumors.

Chinese Medicine was developed during the Han Dynasty of 200 B.C.E. This was an agrarian society which was centered around agriculture and very connected to the land. Pathogens, viewed through germ theory within the Western Medical tradition, are seen as wind, cold, heat and dampness within Chinese Medicine. The ancient Chinese viewed the human body as a microcosm of the Earthly elements. Therefore the body was seen to possess "weather," just like the Earth. A "wind" condition is seen as such from the nature of how it presents. Wind moves and travels, it can come on sudden, and it is often volatile and unpredictable. Cold causes things to become stuck, putting out the healthy heat of the body. Dampness congeals; it is wet and is often sticky and heavy. Heat consumes, it is hot, red and often very volatile. Germ theory can be seen through the filter of Chinese Medicine, just as the climatic factors of Chinese Medicine can be viewed through the filter of the germ theory.

Treatment through acupuncture aims to expel these pathogenic factors from the body to prevent further damage. In actuality, acupuncture supports the body in doing this itself. The body possesses self-healing, self-regulating and defensive mechanisms to prevent and resolve any pathogenic invasion. It is only when the body is over-run by a particularly strong pathogen, or when the body is weak that it requires the help of medical intervention. Chinese medicine intervenes to support the natural mechanisms of the body in healing itself.

The body possesses many ways of expelling harmful pathogens. When the body is strong, a wind-cold or wind-heat (viral or bacterial) pathogen is released from the body via the fluid system. The body sweats, sneezes or urinates the pathogen out of the body. However, if the immune system, associated with the Lung and Large Intestine Channels within acupuncture, are weak, a pathogen can gain entrance into the deeper layers of the body. This process creates inflammation, which ultimately consumes the resources of the body. The system becomes weakened, while the pathogen becomes lodged. Degeneration begins to occur: the body's strength diminishes, while intermittent attacks occur. The condition seems to come and go, all the while reeking unseen damage on the interior of the body.

Acupuncture helps to reverse the process of degeneration. The inflammation is cleared. To do this however, the body must be supported in creating adequate fluids to expel the heat. The system is strengthened at the same time it is purged. The immune energy must also be supported, so as to prevent the treatment from further weakening the patient.

I've seen numerous patients who've complained treatment from their Western doctors have drastically weakened their systems, sometimes seeming as if the treatment was hurting them more than the condition. Side-effects of drugs and surgeries are common complaints of patients.

Acupuncture treatment merely supports the body's innate self-healing mechanisms. It does not put the added stress on the body. Medications and surgeries have helped numerous people heal, however they can also put more stress on the body during the healing process. Medications need to be metabolized: this can put tremendous stress on already weakened digestive systems, further draining much needed energy. Surgeries damage the tissues of the body, requiring additional energy to repair. For a patient suffering from a degenerative disease, they may not possess the energy reserves to devote to the added stress brought on by medications and surgeries.

Acupuncture allows the body to do what it knows how to do: maintain health and restore natural order. When there is excess heat or dampness in the digestive system, the body in its innate wisdom, causes diarrhea to flush it out. When there is wind or cold in the lungs, the body coughs it out in the form of phlegm. No matter how serious the pathogen, the mechanisms for clearing remain the same. No foreign substance need be injected or swallowed to allow this healing to occur. Mere topical stimulation on acupuncture points on the skin can spark the immune system to regain its power to heal itself. This is the reason there are so few side-effects to acupuncture treatment. Nothing is added but energetic support, which reminds the body to do what it knows how to do better than any outside human medical mind.

Once the inflammation is cleared from the body, treatment can focus on resolving the root cause of the condition. Causes can be from external or internal toxins. Pollution, poisoning and weather are examples of external causes; while the emotions, diet and lifestyle are internal causes.

The true goal of acupuncture treatment is eradication of the process that has caused the condition to manifest altogether. This is why there is such a strong psycho-emotional aspect to acupuncture treatment. Often it is a patient's lifestyle or unresolved emotions that cause their medical conditions. Lifestyle choices must be examined. Emotions must be resolved.

Acupuncture is empowerment therapy. It educates patients about their bodies; helps people own their emotions and gain control of their choices. It empowers people to free themselves from the forces that weaken them. This is also the image of the acupuncture needle in treatment. The needle does not put anything into the body: it merely empowers the body and mind to regain control and claim responsibility for its own health and healing. It is one of the most natural, organic healing modalities in existence: and also one of the most effective.