Thursday, June 04, 2009
A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine
demonstrated that acupuncture is a more effective way of treating
chronic low back pain than the standard conventional treatments of
medication and physical therapy. Clearly, this finding is noteworthy
in
and of itself. It was the largest study on acupuncture for lower back
pain done in this country. If acupuncture works better than the
current standard plan of care, shouldn't it become THE treatment of
choice, rather than considered merely a "complementary and alternative treatment?"
But what intrigued me about the study
was that one of the control groups had toothpicks applied to
acupuncture points rather than have needles inserted. That group also
experienced "clinically meaningful" improvements." To me, this serves
to illustrate that the healing magic is not in the needle: it's in the
point. The body has an innate wisdom and capacity for self-healing,
and a point is place where the body's energy is concentrated. Points,
just like organs, all have different jobs. So as long as you're
stimulating an appropriate point, the body doesn't care whether your
medium is a needle, a toothpick, your thumb, a laser, a magnet, or an
essential oil. The body knows what to do.
This is an important point (pun intended) because it underscores the
importance of self-care. If you stimulate an acupuncture point
or meridian, the body will respond. How can you do this easily,
without spending hundreds of hours memorizing point locations and
Chinese Medical theory? Simply do qigong. In qigong practice, you
activate your meridians and points to encourage the body to heal
itself. If you'd like to take a more active role in your self care,
join me for
Qigong Drop-In Classes Wednesdays in June, 7-8 PM at Cedar and Fir Studio, 3204 NW Grant Ave, $11 to drop-in or $40 for all 4. Be well!