Alban Acupuncture & Chinese Herbs Clinic, New York City
Archive for September, 2009
More than Acupuncture: Moxibustion, Cupping, and Gua Sha
Sep 23, 2009
This is the 4th is a series explaining acupuncture and Chinese medicine theory and background.
How is acupuncture more than just acupuncture?
Acupuncture is one of the most powerful and versatile therapies in Chinese medicine, but it is not the only one. Acupuncturists use many techniques of Traditional East Asian Medicine.
The most common therapies are acupressure, Chinese herbal therapy, moxibustion, gua sha, and cupping. I’ve written about the last three in this post.
Moxabustion
Needle Head Moxibustion
Moxabustion is the burning of an herb call mugwort, ai ye in Chinese, close to specific acupuncture points or on the needle itself. It is used to warm and add energy to the acupuncture point. It also is good for moving stagnation.
Moxibustion is central to acupuncture treatment, the word for moxibustion is actually in the Chinese for acupuncture- zhen jiu. Zhen means needle, and jiu is refering to moxibustion.
Gua Sha
Gua sha is the rubbing of a coin or a spoon on the skin. Often it is done on the upper and lower back, neck, and the ribs. It is a long time home remedy which is used for colds and fever, nausea, muscle aches and pain, as well as inhibited urination.
Often gua sha will break the blood vessels below the skin causing a bruise. In Chinese medicine we say this breaks blood stagnation and releases heat. Interestingly, if there is not too much heat present, or there is no blood stagnation, it does not create a bruise.
Cupping
Chinese Fire Cups
Cupping works in conjunction with acupuncture to relax muscles and increase circulation. During this therapy, glass, wooden, or plastic cups are applied to the skin. The inside of the cup is depressurized with a flame or a vacuum, so it then lifts up the skin below it.
This often leaves round bruises, which are mostly painless. It helps to relax the muscles and increase circulation. For more reading on cupping, I recommend this article at the Institute for Traditional Medicine.
Read More in this Series:
How Acupuncture Works: Channels and Points
Sep 10, 2009
In my last post, I discussed some of the scientific theories about how acupuncture works. The science is fascinating and there is a lifetime of exploring left to be done. Yet, it does not tell us about the power of Chinese medicine, which is the theory behind acupuncture. The skill and success of the practitioner is based upon how they apply this theory.
Acupuncture Channels and Qi Flow
The core of acupuncture theory is the channel system and network. Some people like to describe the channels like the meridians on a globe revealing the geographic relationship between parts of the body. They are somewhat different than meridians, because while they travel on the surface of the skin, they also dredge deep into the body to link with the organs and the viscera. This is why I prefer to use the word channel to meridian.
No matter what you call them, the channels are an alternative communication mechanism that connect and integrate the body, That is why we can use points on your leg to treat digestive diseases, headaches, acne, or asthma.
Qi, the body’s energy, circulates in the channels. This is another reason they are like channels, because material flows through them. Good health is maintained when there is a good amount of circulation and amount of qi in the channels. Injuries, stress, and illnesses can cause the qi to slow down or stagnate in the channels.
Acupuncture Points
Acupuncture points, for the most part, lie on the channels. Points are regions of the body that the qi is more accessible. This is why we needle or massage them to influence the flow and circulation of qi. Each point has a specific healing action such as moving the qi in the digestive system, stimulating production of reproductive qi, or sometimes it will focus on a specific region of the body. By elegantly combining the points, the skilled practitioner helps to balance the body and promote self healing.
There are almost as many treatment styles as there are acupuncturists. Sometimes acupuncturists will not treat the painful area of the body, but the opposite. For example, I prefer to put needles in points on the feet for headaches, in order to drain the energy down out of the head.
