ing their staff to become proficient in en- ergy medicine and healing techniques. The U.S. government established


the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) in 1992, under the auspices of the National Institutes of Health, to investigate and evaluate promising unconventional medical practices. In the 21st century, it’s been picked up more widely under the concept of integrative medicine, in which conventional medical and more natural therapies are used to comple- ment one another. This encouraging development also reflects current trends among major categories of therapies that take body, mind and spirit into account.


Acupuncture/Traditional


Chinese Medicine Understanding Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) requires a dramatic mental shift away from symptom- related modalities of Western medicine. Here, one’s wellness and illness is based on managing the flow of energy, or chi (pronounced CHEE), through the body. TCM has been used in China and others parts of Asia for 5,000 years. Its core concept requires that the


practitioner treat the underlying causes of disease, rather than just the symptoms. TCM has now become foundational in modern thinking as well, prompting an understanding that the entire organism— body, mind and spirit—must be ad- dressed in order for healing to take place. “Homotoxicology is the most


exciting trend in TCM today,” says Jonathan Wald, an acupuncture physi- cian and academic dean of East West College of Natural Healing, in Sarasota, Florida. He explains: “It’s a blend of homeopathy, acupuncture and herbal medicine, with allopathic diagnostic techniques.” Homotoxicology (some- times called biopuncture) applies herb- al and homeopathic solution injections at specifically related energy meridian points to relieve various disease condi- tions or pain and rebalance the body. Another promising development


is use of the Ryodaraku machine that measures electrical resistance to identify diseases in their beginning stages, afford- ing early treatment. “I think of Ryodaraku almost as a TCM form of a blood test,” says Wald. “It helps us see what’s going


T


WHAT TO EXPECT


ON YOUR FIRST ACUPUNCTURE VISIT by Marie Gonzales


hose that have never been to a complementary or alternative medicine practitioner before


may wonder what to expect during a treatment. Here is what you can expect during a visit with an acupuncturist. The evaluation process in Chinese Medicine is referred to as the Four Ex- aminations: Looking, Asking, Listening and Palpation.


Looking The Looking exam is a simple process where the practitioner looks for signs on the face or body that shows poten- tial imbalances. The practitioner will often look at the tongue, as it is an expression of the inner balance of the body.


Asking The Asking exam will involve verbally gathering information about one’s health, including past and present illnesses, accidents, and surger- ies. The patient may be asked about any other concerns or issues in his or her life or whether he or she has strong preferences and aversions in areas such as food, colors, or the weather. In Chinese Medicine, these questions are relevant to the treat- ment of the whole person.


Listening The Listening exam is the place where the practitioner can hear the tone and quality of the voice and breath. Listening also involves other senses such as smell


and the more subtle senses that are used to “hear” distress.


Palpation The Palpation exam will involve feeling the radial pulses to assess the inner condition of the qi and blood. At this point, the patient likely will be asked to lie on the table and the practitioner will skillfully touch different parts of the body to probe for pain, discomfort, ten- sion and many other signs of imbalance in the physical and energetic structures of the body.


All parts of the examination An initial visit to


an acupuncturist will take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.


enhance the connection between the patient and practitioner and may be seen as part of the treatment. After the exam, the practitioner will begin to actively treat the imbalance by either inserting needles into acupuncture points or using other therapies such as moxabustion (which uses the mugwort herb to stimulate cir- culation through the acupuncture points) or cupping (to help blood flow to promote healing). The treat-


ment part of the session takes about 45 minutes. At the conclusion of the session, recommen- dations may be given for self-help, which might include dietary changes to help bal- ance one’s system.


Marie Gonzales is the owner of the Quan Yin Center for Healing, located at 196 Main St., Nyack. For more informa- tion, contact Gonza- les at 398-1312 or visit AcuMarie.com.


natural awakenings January 2012 19


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