Acupuncture the sibling of Shiatsu

Many Thanks to Pete for sharing this paper with me on acupuncture. It really explains the history of acupuncture which is closely related to Shiatsu, as they use the same principles and theory. It takes us through the development of acupuncture and compares it to the growth of western medicine, bringing us up to date with current research and developments.   

“ There can be no doubt that from an historical perspective Chinese medicine, and acupuncture as one of its modalities, have as illustrious a pedigree as any other established medical discipline, be it allopathic or ayurvedic. The question is, does this long history have any relevance or practical application today?

The ancient Greeks may have believed the body to be composed of bile, black bile, blood and phlegm, but for modern western medicine things have moved on somewhat. From early times, Chinese medicine developed a different conceptual and theoretical basis to that of the west, relying on observation they investigated not only the material substance of things, but also the natural energy within the universe, which connects things together and is a catalyst for change.

They call this energy qi (chi) and its movement explains the patterns and rhythms of life, for example the changing seasons, the growth from foetus to child to adult to death and so on. Thus the Chinese never developed a detailed knowledge of physical anatomy, but instead focused on understanding how different parts of the physical and energetic body relate to one another and affect each other and how the individual relates to the environment and nature as a whole. The core theories which underpin Chinese medicine were in place by the 1^st - 2^nd centuries BC; these included the concepts of qi (vital energy), wu xing (5 phases) and yin yang. The body was viewed as a microcosm of the universe and as such could be affected by the same influences of heat, dryness, damp, cold and wind. Good health could be maintained through an understanding of the natural movement of qi, in particular through the zangfu (organ systems) and jingluo (meridians) and then using pressure, needles, herbs or exercises to restore this movement.

In addition to looking at efficacy, a number of surveys have been undertaken to investigate adverse events. Both the British Medical Acupuncture Society and the British Acupuncture Council have been involved in studies involving at least 32,000 consultations, finding “no serious adverse events” and concluding that “acupuncture seems, in skilled hands, one of the safer forms of medical intervention”.

Finally the largest ongoing demonstration of the use of acupuncture in mainstream medicine, treating a complete range of health conditions is of course in China itself. Here the two approaches of east and west work alongside one another, providing an integrated medical model and offering the patient a choice of treatments both modern and traditional.

For many living and working in the modern scientific world, the appeal of acupuncture is its search for balance, its acknowledgement of the whole, of the connection and flow between things, its use of intuition and its lack of side effects. In the UK today we are fortunate that this choice is becoming available to an increasing number of people. Despite all the uncertainties caused by lack of regulation and research, our willingness to investigate and experiment with different approaches to health care, to argue and debate about concepts and efficacy, to form organisations and research forums with the aim of drawing the best from both east and west must surely be a good thing for the vitality of the nation.”

Read the full article at: http://www.open2.net/healthliving/health_socialcare/acupuncture.html

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