|
Acupuncture is the insertion of fine
needles into the body at specific points shown as effective in
the treatment of specific health problems. These points have
been mapped by the Chinese on so called "Meridians" over a
period of two thousand years. Recently, electromagnetic research
has confirmed their locations.
Meridians are the channels or pathways that
carry
Qi
and Blood through the body. They are not blood vessels. Rather,
they comprise an invisible lattice that links together all the
fundamental textures and organs. In Chinese Meridian theory,
these channels are unseen but are through to embody a kind of
informational network -- the Qi and Blood move along them, and a
therapeutic system is conceptually organized through the details
of its design. Because the Meridian system unifies all the parts
of the body, it is essential for the maintenance of harmonious
balance. The Meridians connect the interior of the body with the
exterior. This is the basis of acupuncture theory, that working
with points on the surface of the body will affect what goes on
inside the body, because it affects the activity of the textures
that are traveling through the Meridians.
A related technique, moxibustion, entails
the application of heat from certain burning substances at the
acupuncture points. The primary moxa, or heating substance, is
mugwort (artemisia vulgaris). The action of the needles or of
moxibustion affects the Qi and blood in the meridians, thus
affecting all the substances and organs. The needles can reduce
what is excessive, increase what is deficient, warm what is
cold, cool what is hot, circulate what is stagnant, move what is
congealed, stabilize what is reckless, raise what is falling,
and lower what is rising.
Qi
in traditional Chinese medicine
Theories of traditional Chinese medicine assert that the body has natural patterns of qi
associated with it that circulate in channels called
Meridians
in
English. Symptoms of various illnesses are often seen as the
product of disrupted or unbalanced qi movement through such
channels (including blockages), or imbalances of qi, in the
various
Zang Fu organs. Traditional Chinese Medicine seeks to
relieve these imbalances by adjusting the flow of qi in the body
using a variety of therapeutic techniques. Some of these
techniques include
herbal medicines,
special diets, physical training regimens qigong),
massages to clear blockages, and
acupuncture, which uses fine metal needles inserted into the
skin to reroute or balance qi. Traditional
Asian
martial arts also discuss qi. For instance,
internal systems attempt to cultivate and direct qi during
combat as well as to ensure proper health. Many other martial
arts include some concept of qi in their philosophies.  |
