So, you might be wondering what that says up there...well, I can't tell you because I'm really not sure. But the reason I put it up there was just to grab your attention. Over spring break I have been reading a book called Encounters with Qi: Exploring Chinese Medicine by David Eisenberg, M.D. It's an excellent book, I recommend it especially if your interested in traditional chinese healing practices like acupuncture, herbs, and massage.
The concept of Qi (pronounced chee) is fascinating to me. It is described as an energy within us which can become unbalanced or out of line. The purpose of traditional chinese medicine is to put the Qi back in line with where it's supposed to be through the manipulation of particular meridians and channels within the body. This type of medicine has served the chinese for thousands of years, and yet most western doctors and health care systems don't recognize it as a legitamate form of healing.
This book provides some insight into the uses of traditional chinese medicine, and also questions its credibility. Dr. Eisenberg observed a brain surgery done using acupuncture as an analgesic. Think about that. They inserted tiny needles in six very specific points, and this served to provide relief from any pain felt when this man's skull was sliced open. The points of insertion of the acupuncture needles were as follows: one in the middle of the left eyebrow, another at the inner aspect of the right eyebrow, a six inch needle inserted into the left eyebrow under the skin across the bridge of the nose into the area of the right eyebrow point. This needle was then twisted until the man "obtained the Qi" which is described as a sensation of fullness, distention, and mild electric shock. This needle along with two other poingts near the right temple were stimulated with and electric current. The last two points were the left shin and ankle. These were also stimulated by electronic stimulators. When the surgeons began to make incisions on his skull, he did not wince or show any signs of pain. He could feel pressure, but no pain, and his vital signs remained normal throughout the entire four hour surgery. Afterwards, he thanked the doctors and walked away unassisted.
Even more impressive, acupuncture is used for thyroid surgery which is almost always performed under general anesthesia because it requires such an extensive dissection of the neck. The acupuncture analgesia consisted of two needles in the hand and nothing else. As in the brain surgery, this patient felt no pain and his vital signs remained stable.
I was pretty impressed by these two recounts of surgery using acupuncture. No one really knows exactly why it works, although it could be due to stimulation of natural opioid production. Not all patients respond well to acupuncture analgesia, which suggests that there could be another facet such as genetic make-up or belief systems that plays a role.