Body's Qi example essay topic

Acupuncture Many people experience headaches, migraines, back spasms, backaches, and sore muscles. Often times these potentially serious problems were probably treated with Tylenol, a doctor's visit, or a trip to the chiropractor, but how many of them considered acupuncture? Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese treatment used as an anesthetic to relax and relieve a person's pain. With very fine metal needles, a healer inserts the needles into specially designated channels on the body and manipulates pain. In China, acupuncture has been known to be used during child birth and surgery. Traditional Chinese doctors prefer acupuncture over new aged pills such as Vicodin and Tylenol.

Unlike modern anesthetics, acupuncture does not slow down breathing or lower the heart's rate and does not leave the person nauseated. This form of anesthetic may be very useful for treating patients that have allergic reactions towards pills. Acupuncture is an ancient healing method, and although it was once dismissed by western doctors, it proves to be more practical with less physical stress than any modern day pain reliever. In order to understand how acupuncture works one must understand the Chinese philosophy behind this antediluvian treatment.

During the Han Dynasty, philosophers who studied cosmology derived the theory of yin and yang. The yin and yang represent all the opposite principles one finds in the universe. "Under yang are the principles of maleness, the sun, creation, heat, light, Heaven, dominance, and so on, and under yin are the principles of femaleness, the moon, completion, cold, darkness, material forms, submission, and so on. Each of these opposites produce the other" (Hooker). Often times, people have the misconception that yin and yang represent good and evil. What yin and yang really represent is balance between every existing object in this universe.

According to David and Ming Ming Pan Molony, "the ideas behind Yin and Yang developed by observing the physical world. It was observed that nature appears to group into pairs mutually dependent opposites. For example, the concept of night has no meaning without the concept of day. Americans picked up on the connection, but never truly tried to name it.

Yin and Yang are just opposites. I believe that's were the saying, 'Opposites attract', originated from" (48). The Chinese believed that in order for an object to exist there would have to be a balance between yin and yang. Each of these opposites produces the other. "This production of yin from yang and yang from yin occurs cyclically and constantly, so that no one principle continually dominates the other or determines the other" (Hooker). All phases of life including good luck and bad luck, power and weakness, health and sickness are caused by temporary imbalance between one principle over the other.

With no one dominating principle, the yin and yang balance can shift from one side of the spectrum to the other. When someone is sick and ill there is disproportion between yin and yang, but through treatment, the difference in yin and yang can be stabilized. In Chinese medical terms every organ within a body is either a yin organ or a yang organ. Yang organs are the larger organs and the yin organs are the smaller organs.

The essence of every object is balanced between yin and yang and exists through a life force known to the Chinese as Qi (ch). There is nothing more significant in Chinese medicine than to apprehend the concept of qi. Qi is the spiritual energy and life force within all of life. When there is an abundance of qi, life is formed. When qi dissipates, life comes to an end. "It is a combination of all the energy within a body to sustain life, control activities and maintain well being" (Burton 422).

Although qi is not visible, its purpose is paramount. When the body's qi is in equilibrium, then it enjoys good health. Blood and body fluids that flow through the body with ease is a sign of harmonious qi. However, there are times when the body experiences disproportionate qi. These instances are seen when the body becomes dysfunctional. With old age the body's defensive qi starts to become weak and often times leads to diseases and physical strain.

The deficiency of qi causes difficulty in performing everyday tasks such as lifting heavy objects or running. Throughout the body Qi travels along meridians also referred to as channels. There are twelve main meridians which Qi travels along; six are yin channels, and six are yang channels. Between these twelve channels, the body forms a network of flowing qi. "Each meridian is related to, and named after, an organ or function, the main ones are: the lung, kidney, gallbladder, stomach, spleen, heart, small intestine, large intestine, gall bladder, urinary bladder, san jiao (three heater) and pericardium (heart protector / or circulation sex meridian) " (Kidson 95). Every yin and yang organ is connected to one another.

According to David Molony, each organ possesses a specific function that is crucial for life and human existence: The spleen, liver, and heart are the organs with the most direct relationship with the blood. The spleen filters the blood (modifying the blood's structure), the liver stores the blood, and the heart moves it. Any problem associated with the blood will involve at least one of these organs. The liver and the kidney are closely related. Their channels cross in many places. The liver stores blood; the kidney stores essence.

These substances, both of which are Yin, have a considerable influence on the reproductive functions. The heart (upper burner, Fire) and the kidney (lower burner, Water) keep each other in check and are dependent upon one another. The spirit of the heart and the essence of the kidneys cooperate in establishing and maintaining human consciousness (32). By analyzing a patient's symptoms, an acupuncturist can determine which organ has an imbalance of qi. Inefficient flow of qi within the body causes pathogenic factors. Pathogens are disease causing organisms that can harm the body.

The Chinese terminology used to explain pathogens is described through a shift in qi causing the body to suffer. The body maintains and resists pathogens through its defensive qi. The body functions correctly when defensive qi resists pathogens and flows freely through channels. Whenever normal qi can not resist pathogenic qi, certain channels get blocked, become stagnant or weakened, which may lead to physical, mental or emotional illness. Emotional factors, environmental factors, and self inflicted factors are the three main causes diseases occur in the body.

Pathogens created through irregular emotions consist of feelings such as excess anger, self-pity, over excitement, fear, or grief. Environmental factors can be caused by erratic weather changes. When the air around becomes too hot, cold, dry, humid, or windy, then the body's qi will be altered. If the weather change becomes too overwhelming for the defensive qi to counteract, the body will start to show symptoms and weaken. The last cause of pathogens is due to self-inflicted factors. These factors are created when the body is mistreated.

Excessive exercise, lack of exercise, an unbalanced diet, and even too much sex are all self-inflicted factors. There are several ways to determine the source of a pathogen. The most common and effective technique is through examining the pulse. Pulse reading is one of ancient China's secrets for diagnosing a patient's pain. Like any other diagnosis, the purpose of pulse reading is to find out the irregularities that are happening in the body. Through this technique a doctor can determine "whether a syndrome is of hot or cold nature, whether it is of excess or deficiency type, which of the humors (qi, moisture, blood) are affected, and which organ systems suffer from dysfunction" (Wilkowske 64).

Bob Flaw analyzes the amount of skill needed to read a pulse accurately. By applying pressure with their fingers, practitioners who are skilled and experienced in pulse diagnosis can differentiate approximately 30 pulse patterns at various locations on the left and right wrists. These 30 pulse patterns may sometimes change and combine, creating new patterns which only very skilled readers can interpret. Expert pulse readers can even determine whether or not a person has cancer or AIDS (Flaws 70) When an acupuncturist has determined the illness and the source of the imbalanced qi, they begin treatment. Depending on what the problem is the acupuncturist will insert pins along the meridian where the qi flows closest to the skin. There are over 800 different acupoints around the body.

Each and every point affects the body a different way. If the acupuncturist concludes that the qi is too hot in the body, then pins will be stuck into positions to cool down the body. If the qi is moving to fast and rapid, then points on the body will be chosen in order to slow the qi down. "In this way, acupuncture can effectively rebalance the energy system and restore health or prevent the development of disease. The points that the practitioner chooses to stimulate may not necessarily be at the site of the symptoms" (Sollars 303) Acupuncture consists of nine different needles, but today only six are commonly used. These needles vary in substance, length, and purpose.

Common materials used to create these instruments are aluminum, stainless steel, gold, silver, and titanium. The length depends on the brand of pins an acupuncturist uses. Pins differ in sizes depending on which region of the body is to be pierced. Thinner pins would be used on the facial area where as thicker pins would be used for tougher skin such as the legs.

When a person's body experiences pain, they usually turn to painkillers and drugs to relieve themselves of the pain. Ruth Kidson explains that "drugs are sometimes harsh on the digestive and endocrine systems, which might cause side effects. The relief is also temporary, which will reappear once the drug is not taken" (103). Acupuncture helps ease pain naturally with no outside chemicals entering the body. By inserting pins into specific acupoints, the body is stimulated and produces natural chemicals within the body to relieve pain permanently. If pinned in the right position, the body sends signals to the brain and in return sends signals throughout the body telling it to release endorphins.

Situating acupoints only on certain parts of the body can acts as an invisible road for the qi. The needles direct traffic within the body and conduct the qi and endorphins toward one region of the body. Although acupuncture has proven its effectiveness to the United States, the American Medical Society still sets limitations on the use of acupuncture. Western society does not fully comprehend the philosophy behind qi. Few of the Chinese text are written in English and translated versions can only explain a limited amount of information. Man Ng states that "Even with translated text the terminology and philosophy have completely different meanings" (Ng).

Acupuncture is practiced and studied all over the world. There have been several variations to this art of healing since ancient times. Some practitioners have attempted to run current through these needles, while others get better results by simply changing the needle substances. Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years as an anesthetic during child birth and various surgeries. As well as acupuncture's pain relieving abilities, it can also strengthen muscles. We know that acupuncture works through thousands of years of clinical analysis.

Although there are millions of successfully recorded patients who where treated through acupuncture, Western civilization is still searching for the explanation on how acupuncture works. Eastern philosophers have concluded that there are spiritual forces (qi) that flow through the body and when there is an imbalance in the body's flow, then that's where acupuncture intervenes and corrects the imbalance. Dr. Andrew Dainsberg argues that "Western doctors have been reluctant to use acupuncture for pain relief because they did not know why it was effective. Now we are learning more about the physical response created by acupuncture. Without a doubt, modern scientists have uncovered overwhelming scientific evidence that acupuncture works for many types of pain and disease. One only needs to tap the surface of readily available literature to encounter an exhaustive collection of scientific studies proving the efficacy of acupuncture" (Dainsberg).

Another argument that modern day scientists and doctors discuss is the theory of "Augmentation of Immunity". Some scientist believe that after inserting the pins into the body, chemical reactions alter your body's immune system and enhances its ability to heal itself. There is also the more accepted theory of increase of endorphin levels. The pins hit nerve endings, lymphatics, and blood vessels, which in return sends signals to the brain telling the body to shoot out endorphins throughout the body. There are many diseases that can be treated successfully by acupuncture.

Modern medicine has recently adopted this form of ancient Chinese treatment and it is becoming more and more common throughout the states. Acupuncture is most commonly used for treating headaches, backaches, migraines, arthritic conditions, allergic reactions, muscle spasms, cervical spondylosis, condylitis, and as an anesthetic. There are also clinics and treatment centers that use acupuncture for drug addicts and emotionally stressed people. Similar to humans, animals and every living creature posses qi and therefore can benefit from this Chinese approach of healing. Doctors, physicians, and healers that are familiar with acupuncture are adding there own variations to this treatment. Acupuncture remains an important part of the practice of traditional Chinese medicine that is still being explored and developed.

Today modern medicine has combined with old treatment techniques to better the world's medical knowledge. With scientific advances in ancient Chinese treatments there will soon be a exact explanation of the phenomena we call acupuncture. Dainsberg, Andrew, The Science Behind Acupuncture. 2003.24 Nov. 2003 Flaws, Bob, The Secret of Chinese Pulse Diagnosis, Blue Poppy Press, Boulder, CO., 1995. Goldberg, Burton. Alternative Medicine Second Edition.

Future Medicine Publishing Inc., 2000. Hooker, Dick. Chinese Philosophy: Yin and Yang. 6 June 1999. Washington State University. 18 Nov. 2003 Kidson, Ruth.

Acupuncture for Everyone: What It Is, Why It Works, And How It Can Help You. Rochester, Vermont: Healing Arts Press, 2000. Molony, David and Ming Ming Pan. The American Association of Oriental Medicines Complete Guide to Chinese Herbal Medicine. New York: Berkley Books, 1998. Ng, Man.

Personal Interview. 18 Nov. 2003. Sollars, David W. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Acupuncture and Acupressure. Los Angels: Alpha Books, 2000.

Wilkowske, Rebecca A. "Acupuncture: Ancient Medicine for a New Millennium" Qi: The Journal of Eastern Health & Fitness Vol. 2: Summer 2000: 29-93. Zhu fan, Xie, "Selected terms in traditional Chinese medicine and their interpretations V ) ", Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, 1999; 5 (3): 227-229.