Advanced Holistic Therapy

Traditional Chinese medicine explains that health is the result of a harmonious balance of the complementary extremes of “yin” and “yang” of the life force known as “qi,” pronounced “chi.” Illness is said to be the consequence of an imbalance of the forces. Qi is said to flow through meridians, or pathways, in the human body. These meridiens and energy flows are accessible through 350 acupuncture points in the body. Inserting needles into these points with appropriate combinations is said to bring the energy flow back into proper balance.

There is no scientific proof that the meridians or acupuncture points exist, and it is hard to prove that they either do or do not, but numerous studies suggest that acupuncture works for some conditions.

Some experts have used neuroscience to explain acupuncture. Acupuncture points are seen as places where nerves, muscles, and connective tissue can be stimulated. The stimulation increases blood flow, while at the same time triggering the activity of the body’s natural painkillers. It is difficult to set up investigations using proper scientific controls, because of the invasive nature of acupuncture. In a clinical study, a control group would have to undergo sham treatment, or a placebo, for results to be compared with those of genuine acupuncture. Some studies have concluded that acupuncture offers similar benefits to a patient as a placebo, but others have indicated that there are some real benefits.

Different types of cupping are selected based on the treatment goals of the acupuncturist. There are also different types of cups. Most commonly, cups are made out of glass. However, a thousand years ago, cups were made of bamboo, clay, or animal horns. According to Ann Michelle Casco, L.Ac., a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and acupuncturist, the classic cupping technique is called ba guan zi, which is fire or dry cupping. This involves placing the cup over an ashi (painful area) point or an acupuncture point along an energy meridian. The cups are left in place anywhere from five to 20 minutes depending on the nature of the individual's condition. A general course of treatment involves four to six sessions in intervals starting from three- to 10-day gaps.

The sliding cups technique is traditionally performed on large muscle groups of the back to treat pain and muscle spasms. Massage oil is applied to the skin prior to the cups being placed, which allows the cups to glide easily over the surface of the skin.

With air cupping, an alternative to fire cupping, a handheld suction pump is used to remove air from the cups, creating the vacuum without heat. Some clinical research from China suggests this innovation in cupping technology is more comfortable for patients.

YNSA While treating patients in his hospital andclinic, Toshikatsu Yamamoto, M.D., Ph.D., of Miya-zaki, Japan, discovered and developed a new sys-tem of scalp acupuncture, Yamamoto New ScalpAcupuncture (YNSA). He first presented this sys-tem of scalp acupuncture at Ryodoraku Congressin Osaka, Japan, in 1973. Dr. Yamamoto thendeveloped the YNSA system of neck and abdom-inal diagnostic procedures coupled with scalp,chest, and pubis microacupuncture treatment.He did this while caring for patients with acuteand chronic neurological pain at Yamamoto Hos-pital in Nichinan, Japan.

Neuroscientists have been studying how acupuncture affects the brain. It's clear from many imaging studies that causing pain by inserting needles into the skin does influence brain activity, presumably by activating nerves close to the acupuncture point.

Bach believed that healing negative emotions helps the body heal itself. His system contains 38 remedies that each address a specific negative emotion. The emotions are grouped into seven broad psychological causes of illness:

* Fear
* Uncertainty
* Lack of interest in present circumstances
* Loneliness
* Oversensitivity to influences and ideas

Many people are surprised to learn that Auriculotherapy, also known as ear acupuncture, is an effective way to treat many health conditions. Although there is reference in Chinese texts dating as far back as 500 BC to using the external ear to relieve symptoms, the current practice of auriculotherapy in China and the United States is based on the research of a French doctor in the 1950’s. Dr. Paul Nogier, of Lyon France, noticed that many of his sciatica patients all had a particular scar in their ear. These patients had been treated by a local layperson that had cauterized the point in their ear that corresponded according to Chinese medicine to their back pain. After learning this, Nogier began using acupuncture needles to treat this “sciatica point” with great success. He theorized the ear represents the whole anatomical body and could therefore be used to treat many conditions. We often refer to the ear as a microsystem of the whole body.

Auriculotherapy works for a number of reasons. One mechanism is that nerves from the ear connect with reflex centers in the brain. These neurological pathways send messages to the spinal cord and then to the appropriate body area being targeted. Another way that ear acupuncture helps relieve pain and other symptoms is through releasing endorphins. Research has shown that the stimulation of ear points causes the systemic release of endorphins. Endorphins help create a sense of wellbeing and ease pain.

Your body naturally has magnetic and electric fields. All your molecules have a small amount of magnetic energy in them. The thought behind magnetic field therapy is that certain problems happen because your magnetic fields are out of balance. If you put a magnetic field near your body, it's believed things will go back to normal.

Ions like calcium and potassium help your cells send signals. In tests, scientists have seen magnets change how these ions act. However, so far, there isn’t evidence that magnets have the same effect on cells when they’re in your body.

Magnetic field therapy uses different kinds of magnets on the body to help boost your overall health. It may also help treat certain conditions.

* Static magnetic field therapy

* Electrically charged magnetic therapy

* Magnetic therapy with acupuncture

A regular foot massage along with reflexology helps in promoting physiological as well as physical health.

Reflexology is an ancient healing practice based on the principle that there are reflex points on the feet that correspond to the body’s different organs and glands. Remember that human foot is an evolutionary marvel, capable of handling hundreds of tons of force and your weight in motion. It has 42 muscles, 26 bones, 33 joints, 250,000 sweat glands and at least 50 ligaments and tendons—plus almost 15,000 nerve endings!

In reflexology pressure is applied to these reflexes on the feet, which promotes good health. Here are some health benefits of foot massage and reflexology:

* Improves blood circulation
* Helps in relaxation
* Promotes better sleep
* Relieves body pains
* Improves mood and fights depression
* Makes feet healthier
* Alleviates swelling (edema)

Moxibustion is a method of heating specific acupuncture points on the body by burning an herb material close to the skin. This technique can be used alone or in combination with acupuncture – the Chinese character for acupuncture means “acupuncture-moxibustion.”

What is moxa made of?
The herb material used is mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris, Ai Ye) an invasive weed, which grows in many climates, including Western North Carolina. Mugwort has a long history of use in folk medicine. It is believed that the Romans planted mugwort by roadsides to make it available to travelers to put in their shoes to relieve aching feet and protect them from exhaustion. Maybe this is because of its ability to enhance the movement of qi and blood.

What is moxibustion used for?
Moxibustion can be used to prevent diseases and maintain health as part of tonification treatments to help strengthen the organs and immune system. It warms the meridians and expels cold. It can be used to promote circulation over areas of chronic pain or muscle tension. It is especially used for pain that is worse with exposure to cold or damp weather, as with some types of arthritis pain. When applied to acupuncture points that strengthen and lift the qi, moxibustion can boost the immune system and help with fatigue, digestive issues, and much more.

In Sujok therapy, palm and foot represent all the organs/meridians in the body. Su means hand while jok means palm. Sujok can be done with other therapies also and it produces no side effects. Developed by Professor Park Jae Woo, this therapy is 100% safe, simple and easy to perform even by the patients. Since hands and feet are the locations of systems of active points corresponding to all organs and part of the body, stimulation of these points produces a curative effect. This method is universal. With the help of sujok, various kinds of illnesses can be treated. There is no need for any precautions to be taken during the treatment. Since the therapy is natural and curing only the natural forces in and around the body, it is also one of the safest therapies ever known.

How does sujok help to heal curative, mental and emotional disorder?
Through Sujok, one can diagnose the problem easily. By pressing the key points and applying pressure in the right direction, one can cure the problem. Sujok helps to heal certain physical problems such as BP, headache, bronchitis, asthma, gastric acidity, ulcer, constipation, migraine, vertigo, irritable bowel syndrome, gastro oesophageal reflex disease, disc prolapse, complications due to chemotherapy, menopause, excessive bleeding and many more. Likewise, to cure depression, anger, fear and worries, sujok is an ultimate therapy for soul and body that provides natural treatment to the patients, who otherwise, depend on pills to cure such diseases.