Bhishma – First man to practise acupuncture

Bhishma, the great warrior of Mahabharata period was the first man to practise acupuncture. When he was shot by arrows in the battle field he did not die immediately. He had a boon to choose the day of his death. So he decided to lie on a bed of arrows for 56 days. He wanted to die on an auspicious day. The bed of arrows was made by Arjuna.

This bed of arrows is nothing but acupuncture treatment. Dr B K Singh of Indian Acupuncture Centre also pointed this out in one of his lectures thirty years ago.

Bhishma kept himself in good health by using the acupressure techniques. But it is true acupuncture was practised more widely in China and the world came to know about it through the wandering Buddhist monks.

We have more evidence to show that the Indians knew about acupressure and acupuncture. Hindus used to pierce ear of babies during the first birth anniversary. They knew that the children’s wisdom and knowledge will increase after piercing the ears with a golden needle. Girls will have nose piercing at a later age in addition to the ear piercing.

People who go to fields for ablutions in the olden days used to wear a turban/towel around their head closing their ears. In those days people belonging to first three castes (Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas) wore the sacred thread. They used to wear the thread tightly around their ears to give pressure. This helped them to clear their bowels well.

Wearing the tuft (kudumi in Tamil,choti in Hindi) has also some meaning in acupuncture. From time immemorial Indian Brahmins have kept a tuft of hair tied on their shaven heads at a particular point. Chinese called this point ‘bahue’ meaning blessing.

Last but not the least Indian barbers also knew a lot of acupressure points. When they visit home to perform their services, a common practise was to apply pressure to particular points of the body to prevent their customers from receiving an embarrassing involuntary erection. Wrestling school teachers also practised Varma Kalai (art of varma); part of which is acupressure. It was not uncommon for barbers and wrestlers to treat patients in the absence of doctors in ancient India.

Acupuncture For Dysmenorrhea

Shared By: Andrew Lagomarsino LAc

Dysmenorrhea or painful menstruation occurs before, during, and after a woman's menstruation.  The cramping can occurs mainly in the lower abdomen, but can also be experienced in the lower back and even down the legs.  Pain symptoms vary from woman to woman but normally present as throbbing, sharp pain that often come and go or a constant, dull pain.  Often, in severe cases, there is nausea and vomiting, sometimes lightheadedness. 


 Roughly half of women have some form of recurring dysmenorrhea, ranging from mild to debilitating symptoms usually for one-to-three days.  Although Western doctors and their patients often take dysmenorrhea to be just a normal part of being a woman, from a Chinese medicine perspective the symptoms point to underlying imbalances that can be easily corrected. 
From a Western medicine perspective, the menstrual cramping is caused by high levels of prostaglandin hormones produced by the uterus triggering abnormal muscle contractions that cut off blood flow in areas of the uterus.  The condition is categorized into the following two types: 

·                 Primary dysmenorrhea: begins from adolescence, can last through early adulthood, and is related to hormonal imbalances that cause excessive uterine contractions.

·                 Secondary dysmenorrhea: commonly occurs in women who are in their thirties and forties and is often accompanied by conditions such as pelvic inflammatory disease, endometriosis, myomas (benign tumors), and fibroids.

Contraceptive pills are the standard treatment for hormonal imbalances that are accompanied by irregular periods.  If no specific condition is diagnosed as the cause of the dysmenorrhea, then analgesics are usually prescribed.


In Chinese Medicine, there are two main approaches to gynecological conditions.  There is the more common "organ energetics" approach espoused by the more recent development in Chinese medicine called TCM or "Traditional Chinese Medicine."  And there is the "channel energetics" approach emphasized by CCM or Classical Chinese Medicine.  Although developed more recently (that is, in China during the 1950s), TCM does not represent an advancement but a very simplified, abbreviated version of what Chinese medicine was before Mao came into power.  After their assent to power the China faced a healthcare crisis with not enough practitioners to treat the vast population.  So what was traditionally ten years of apprenticeship training was truncated down to three years of class room instruction with less than half of the energetics of the body being taught.


As suggested above, the energetics of the body is made up of the twelve organ energetics and over seventy channels that have their own unique energetics.  TCM practitioners have learned organ energetics and just fourteen channels; that is, the twelve organs' energetics and regular channels associated with those twelve organs plus two other channels, Ren and Du.  CCM practitioners have learned organ energetics and the over-seventy energy channels recognized by Chinese medicine.  Basically, TCM says that patient signs and symptoms are caused by imbalances in organ energetics and need to be corrected by rebalancing organ energetics.  CCM recognizes imbalances in organ energetics and those imbalances that arise in channel energetics as well. 


So what?  Why bring up these differences?  First, there are very important differences in these approaches beyond what has been already stated.  And, although I will be approaching dysmenorrhea from a TCM perspective (because it is much more likely to be encountered by readers) for the remainder of this article, I bring up CCM in order to just hint at the breadth of Chinese medicine so that the reader does not come to the conclusion that TCM is Chinese medicine.


From a TCM perspective, a healthy period requires adequate blood volume and flow, assisted by qi or subtle energy.  Liver, Spleen, Kidney organ and Chong channel energetics are involved in a woman's period.  For instance, Liver qi assists in the normal flow of blood and qi.  If Liver qi stagnates from emotional stress, then blood cannot move adequately enough, usually causing pain a day or two before the period.  If Liver-blood stagnates, then there will be pain during the period. 


Basically, TCM-style of Chinese acupuncture works to get blood and qi moving smoothly with the treatment of the Liver channel as its main focus as the Liver channel's pathway passes through the genitalia and reproductive organs.  If a woman is what Chinese medicine calls "blood deficient," acupuncture can assist in the conversion of other body resources to form new blood.  This is important because blood deficiency means that there is not enough blood for the blood to flow smoothly and evenly, causing dull or sharp pain.
Chinese medicine does not treat Western medicine conditions--including "dysmenorrhea."  Instead the Chinese medicine practitioner takes a naturalistic approach by organizing patient signs and symptoms into basic patterns of imbalance, after conducting an extensive intake.  Usually there are multiple patterns of imbalance involved in a patient's health presentation.

Common Patterns in TCM-Style of Chinese Medicine for Dysmenorrrhea

·                 Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis: dark-red menses with clots, pain worse with pressure, beginning before or at the first day or two of the period and during period.

·                 Qi and Blood Deficiency:  scanty menses, dull pain better with pressure occurring during or after the period.

·                 Liver and Kidney-Yin Deficiency: thin, scanty menses, lower abdominal pain.

·                 Cold in the Uterus from Yang Deficiency: pale, scanty menses, pain during or after period and better with heat.

·                 Low Abdominal Damp-Heat: strong-smelling, yellow or bright-red menses, pelvic inflammation, possibly burning pain during period.

·                 Uterine Damp-Cold: dark, scanty menses, low back pain, pain before or during period, relieved with heat but worse with pressure.

TCM-style acupuncture treatments usually include nutrition, other lifestyle modifications, and, perhaps, Chinese herbs.

Bhishma – First man to practise Acupuncture

Bhishma, the great warrior of Mahabharata period was the first man to practise acupuncture. When he was shot by arrows in the battle field he did not die immediately. He had a boon to choose the day of his death. So he decided to lie on a bed of arrows for 56 days. He wanted to die on an auspicious day. The bed of arrows was made by Arjuna.

This bed of arrows is nothing but acupuncture treatment. Dr B K Singh of Indian Acupuncture Centre also pointed this out in one of his lectures thirty years ago.

Bhishma kept himself in good health by using the acupressure techniques. But it is true acupuncture was practised more widely in China and the world came to know about it through the wandering Buddhist monks.

We have more evidence to show that the Indians knew about acupressure and acupuncture. Hindus used to pierce ear of babies during the first birth anniversary. They knew that the children’s wisdom and knowledge will increase after piercing the ears with a golden needle. Girls will have nose piercing at a later age in addition to the ear piercing.

People who go to fields for ablutions in the olden days used to wear a turban/towel around their head closing their ears. In those days people belonging to first three castes (Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas) wore the sacred thread. They used to wear the thread tightly around their ears to give pressure. This helped them to clear their bowels well.

Wearing the tuft (kudumi in Tamil,choti in Hindi) has also some meaning in acupuncture. From time immemorial Indian Brahmins have kept a tuft of hair tied on their shaven heads at a particular point. Chinese called this point ‘bahue’ meaning blessing.

Last but not the least Indian barbers also knew a lot of acupressure points. When they visit home to perform their services, a common practise was to apply pressure to particular points of the body to prevent their customers from receiving an embarrassing involuntary erection. Wrestling school teachers also practised Varma Kalai (art of varma); part of which is acupressure. It was not uncommon for barbers and wrestlers to treat patients in the absence of doctors in ancient India.

B4 2011 ends let me thank all the people like u, who made 2011beautiful 4me. I pray u b blessed with fruitful year ahead. Enjoy last week of the year.


By 
HolisticHealthAndFitnessCentre

 Better Bone Health: Acupuncture Therapy

Traditional Chinese Medicine theory states that blood stasis and the stagnancy of Qi (vital energy) is at the core of all orthopedic diseases. If blood circulation is not promoted, and stasis is not removed, new bones do not grow. Therefore, the dysfunction of the movement of Qi and blood can lead to the production of pathological changes of blood coagulation, stasis, and the occurrence of various orthopedic diseases.

Poor bone health is now a serious, worldwide problem, yet for thousands of years Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has known how to keep bones strong and healthy. Bone diseases such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, herniated disks, necrosis, and fractures have been treated successfully with carefully balanced herbal formulas that have no harmful side effects.

TCM claims that the secret for optimum bone health lies in the functioning of the kidneys. The ancient Chinese texts state: "the kidneys are in charge of the bones." The kidneys store Qi, the vital essence believed to be responsible for health and vitality. When the Qi energy is strong, it can stimulate growth and transformation of the marrow, which nourishes and invigorates the skeleton. The Chinese ancients focused their attention on promoting the generation of Qi, knowing that this vital essence would naturally and powerfully promote blood and bone health.

Today, Chinese doctors and researchers are once again turning to the traditional herbal formulas to address bone problems. One of these ancient bone formulas was known in China as “The Eternal Bone Healing Formula”. It originated from the Yi People in the Yunnan Province of China, a culture famous for their knowledge of the healing power of plants.  

Chinese herbal formulas are uniquely powerful and effective for a number of reasons.  Traditional usage dates back thousands of years; therefore safety and effectiveness are well proven.  Secondly, even though the individual herbs are chosen for specific therapeutic effects, the precise gathering and blending of the herbs enhances the effectiveness of the individual components, creating a powerful synergy that compounds their effects.  It is this synergistic value that helps create the holistic influence on the body, while simultaneously addressing the individual malady.

An additional important point is that Traditional Chinese Medicine rarely creates harmful side effects. The aim of TCM is to create wellness in the entire body at the same time as it deals with specific problems. Yin/yang balance underlies the Traditional Chinese concept of perfect health. Disease is considered an imbalance, and any treatment should include restoring perfect yin/yang balance. By restoring a balanced environment, the body can use the tools it has to heal itself and prevent the formation of disease. Traditional Chinese Medicine provides a holistic, balancing effect by working with strengthening the entire system. 

Many bone problems originate from poor circulation, inhibiting the delivery of vital nutrients to the bone cells. In addition, when dead cells are not washed away and are allowed to build up, stagnation is compounded.  To counteract this, TCM ancients knew they needed to develop an herbal bone formula that combined rich kidney tonics, amino acids, and herbs that revitalized the cell systems and enhanced blood circulation and microcirculation. From modern science we know that the revitalization of the cell systems and enhanced blood circulation can produce positive results for bone problems and simultaneously invigorate a person’s energy, or Qi, and overall vitality. 

Since Chinese Herbal Medicine has been used to treat every known problem in existence, TCM bone formulas address the wide range of bone disorders plaguing our modern world. Traditional Chinese Medicine herbal remedies, coupled with healthy lifestyle and regular exercise, have much to offer in improving the quality of life for those who suffer from bone and joint problems. 

Water The Element of Power and Patience

           Water The Element of Power and Patience

Here is another post I wrote for the blog Hopefulparents. 

In the philosophy of Acupuncture Therapy , there are five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. These five elements are not simply the materials associated with each of the names, but rather they are metaphors for describing how things interact and relate to each other. Each of the Five Elements represents an aspect of a dynamic process and phases of change.

Water is the element of winter; therefore this is a good month to discuss it. Water is one of the most powerful elements. In nature, we have seen water’s dangerous wrath, remember the tsunami in Southeast Asia? Yet water is also patient and slow. We see how water can slowly smooth the surface of a rock by years of continual gentle persistence. From these examples, we understand that Water represents fluidity, or the ability to "go with the flow.” I really appreciate this aspect – water is quiet, still, and patient, yet unyielding, determined, and unstoppable. Hopeful parents can relate to water’s ability to adapt, to go with the flow when necessary, to exercise determination when needed, to be a source of growth, and to remain optimistically determined for long stretches of time. Human emotions exist in a wide range. It is healthy for us to feel all the emotions - from happiness, to irritation, to sadness and joy and everything in between. Acupuncture Therapy  says that the key is to allow our feelings to arrive, to be experienced and to leave.

For my logo, I use the Chinese symbol that signifies The Tao. Tao Te Ching, better known as The Tao is a book written by Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese philosopher. Literally translated, The Tao means "the way". It is the source of great wisdom and some famous Chinese sayings such as, "Even a 1,000 mile journey starts with a single step".

The Tao symbol is often compared to water: clear, colorless, and able to form itself as both a wave and a little trickle. All beings depend on water for life and even the hardest stone cannot stand in its way forever. I love the symbolism of water in TCM because water represents the epitome of adaptability and strength all at once.

                 Acupuncture For Stress And Anxiety

At one time or another, all of us experience stress. These feelings are a healthy response to events in our lives that may feel beyond our control. When we are healthy and the stress is short-lived, we are usually able to recover without too much wear and tear to our overall health. However, when the stress is extreme, or if it lasts a long time, our emotional health and ultimately, our physical health begin to suffer.

Our bodies are hardwired to help us react to stressful events. At the first sign of a threat, whether real or perceived, our sympathetic nervous system kicks in and facilitates what is called the “fight or flight” response. Our heart rate increases, our pupils dilate, and our digestion temporarily shuts down, directing blood to our extremities, so that if need be, we can either fight what is threatening us, or turn and run if the threat is too formidable.

Unfortunately, the “fight or flight” response, which worked well in caveman days, does not serve us as well if the “threat” is a demanding boss, nasty co-worker or even a worrisome situation that is not being resolved. More often than not, the stress in our lives is long-term, and as a result, we find ourselves in a constant state of “fight or flight”, or stress. Over time, the constant state of stress takes its toll. Cortisol, the body’s stress hormone elevates, blood pressure increases, and our immune function is suppressed. Over time, these symptoms become worse and can develop into anxiety, depression, fatigue, digestive problems, and tension headaches.

Emotions from a Acupuncture Therapy Perspective

In Acupuncture Therapy, stress, anxiety, depression or any strong emotion interrupts the smooth flow of energy throughout the body. According to acupuncture therapy, energy flows through our body through a network of “roads”, almost like a highway system. Stress, anger, or any intense emotion acts like a traffic jam, blocking the free flow of energy in the body. For example, many people who are very stressed out complain of upper back, shoulder and neck pain. This is because stress is causing tension in those areas, blocking the free flow of energy, causing pain, tightness, and often leading to headaches.

In a highway system, when there is road construction or an accident, traffic may be also backed up on other secondary roads that feed into or out of the affected area. This is true in the body, too. Stress may affect many other parts of the body, most notably digestion, the ability to sleep, pain conditions, and blood pressure. Stress can also aggravate an already troublesome health condition.

Through acupuncture, theses energy blockages can be addressed. Acupuncture points serve as the on and off ramps to the energy highway, and can help energy flow smoothly, and alleviate not only the symptoms of stress and anxiety, but the stress and anxiety itself.

From a Western viewpoint, acupuncture works to alleviate stress by releasing natural pain-killing chemicals in the brain, called endorphins. In addition, acupuncture improves circulation of blood throughout the body, which oxygenates the tissues and cycles out cortisol and other waste chemicals. The calming nature of acupuncture also decreases heart rate, lowers blood pressure and relaxes the muscles.