Alternative” medicine is usually grouped in a category that still remains seen as “unscientific,” thus leaving it out of the accepted treatment category in modern day medicine. One of these treatments is acupuncture, or acupressure.
It’s generally held that acupuncture originated in China, while in fact acupuncture is mentioned in documents that date from a few hundred years ago all the way up to the Common Era. Even sharpened stones and bones from approximately 600 BCE have been interpreted as instruments for acupuncture and treatment. (1)
Acupuncture is a technique in which practitioners stimulate specific points on the body—most often by inserting thin needles through the skin. Acupressure uses the same ideas and belief systems and stems from the idea of acupuncture, without inserting any needles.
Here’s one possible way you can relieve your headache and stress without resorting to a pill:
Squeeze the fleshy place between your index finger and your thumb, known as the Hoku spot in Chinese medicine. By applying firm pressure there for just 30 seconds you can often reduce stress and tension, often working wonders for Headaches. Press and hold the point until pain subsides and you feel the muscles relax.
The Validity of Acupuncture
“Documents discovered in the Ma-Wang-Dui tomb in China, which was sealed in 198 BCE, contain no reference to acupuncture as such, but do refer to a system of meridians, albeit very different from the model that was accepted later. Speculation surrounds the tattoo marks seen on the ‘Ice Man’ who died in about 3300 BCE and whose body was revealed when an Alpine glacier melted. These tattoos might indicate that a form of stimulatory treatment similar to acupuncture developed quite independently of China.”
A book dating back to 100 BCE, titled The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, describes a system of acupuncture. A text that was handed down from generation to generation, over centuries.
“The concepts of channels (meridians or conduits in which the Qi (vital energy or life force) flowed are well established by this time, though the precise anatomical locations of acupuncture points developed later.”
I’m just trying to make it clear that acupuncture has been described in various texts in the centuries before us, by multiple cultures, and eventually became one of the standard health practices in China.
Information like this gives more validity to the practice. The fact that it has been practiced for centuries lends belief to the idea that it might just work. I’ve never had any personal experience with it, so I cannot say, and I do not mean to apply that because it’s been used for centuries, it’s completely valid. I do however, myself, believe it is, if one is properly trained and understands the practice.
“Bronze statues from the fifteenth century show the acupuncture points in use today, and were used for teaching and examination purposes. During the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustionwas was published, which forms the basis of modern acupuncture. In it are clear descriptions of the full set of 365 points that represent openings to the channels through which needles could be inserted to modify the flow of Qi energy.”
Ancient civilizations accumulated a vast amount of knowledge in all areas of life, more specifically with regards to space and health. Many of them were able to determine things that we would not be able to do without our technological breakthroughs.
So, What Do We Know About Acupuncture Today?
A number of studies clearly indicate that acupuncture is an effective method for various types of pain that are often chronic. These include lower back pain, neck pain, knee pain, osteoarthritis, headaches and migraine headaches.
“The effects of acupuncture on the brain and body and how best to measure them are only beginning to be understood. Current evidence suggests that many factors—like expectation and belief—that are unrelated to acupuncture needling may play important roles in the beneficial effects of acupuncture on pain.”
Modern day quantum physics shows us what the ancients knew a long time ago, everything is energy, and that there is a life force energy flowing through our bodies at all times. There is also sufficient scientific evidence that shows consciousness is directly intertwined with our physical material world. Again,
I am personally very open and interested in ancient knowledge, especially as it pertains to our health. What interests me the most about acupuncture is the ancient knowledge of life force energy, and how it pertains to our health. The fact that physics now confirms much of ancient Eastern mysticism and philosophy only lends more validity to ancient health practices and more.
If you are experiencing some sort of discomfort or pain in the back, are arthritic or tend to suffer from migraines and headaches, it’s always worth a shot.
On that note, here are some related CE articles further supporting why alternative medicine might be right for you when it comes to minor health ailments:
Sources:
(1) http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/content/43/5/662.long#ref-1
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/introduction
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