Acupuncture

An ancient Chinese medical system over five thousand years old, recently revived in China and demonstrated to Western doctors. It is based on the belief that subtle energy flows in the body related to the cosmic principles of Yin and Yang. Yin relates to shadow, moon, passivity, softness, femininity; Yang denotes sunlight, activity, masculinity, hardness. The balance of these energies in the human body affects health and disease. Acupuncture therapy alters these energy flows by inserting needles at key points for varying periods of time. Anesthesia for surgical operations can also be effected by acupuncture. Both ancient Chinese and Hindu medical systems are related to a philosophical or mystical view of the universe, and the concept of Yin and Yang and subtle energy flows has much in common with the kundalini energy of the Hindu yoga system. In hatha yoga, the system of asanas, or physical positions, affect the vital energies in the body through muscular tension and relaxation. Comparison may also be made with the theories of Wilhelm Reich and his concept of orgone energy.

Special developments of acupuncture include shiatsu and acupressure, a form of acupuncture without needles, and acupuncture charts locating ear and hand points. Dr. Lester Sacks, a Los Angeles doctor, introduced a system of ear acupuncture in which a special "gun" fires a surgical staple into the ear near a particular acupuncture point, to help patients who want to lose weight or stop smoking, drinking, or taking drugs. Whenever the patient feels his craving coming on, he wiggles the staple, and the craving apparently subsides.

A simple device for self-treatment of acupuncture points on the back is the "MA-roller," a specially shaped wooden rod, on which the patient lies. It is marketed by Great Earth Therapeutics, Forest Row, Sussex, England.

Acupuncture came into the West in 1928 when Soulie de Morant, the French consul in China, returned home with the texts he had translated into French and persuaded several doctors to examine the practice. Interest grew steadily throughout Europe and America after World War II. The Acupuncture International Association was founded in 1949 by a group of nonconventional physicians in the United States. J. R. Worsley established the Chinese College of Acupuncture in England in 1960. However, the major opening for acupuncture in the West came in the early 1970s, when the United States reestablished friendly relations with the People's Republic of China. In 1973 the National Institute of Health sponsored an Acupuncture Research Conference, a signal of official approval for the testing of acupuncture's claims. Over the next few years a host of acupuncture texts appeared, acupuncture associations formed, and journals initiated.

The literature of acupuncture is extensive, and there are now several journals devoted to the subject, including Acupuncture News, American Journal of Acupuncture, and Journal of the Acupuncture Association of Great Britain. The American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine may be contacted at 1424 16th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036. There is also an International Veterinary Acupuncture Society at 2140 Conestoga Rd., Chester Springs, PA 19425.