Heyoka Magazine:  When did you start practicing TCM? (Traditional Chinese medicine).

Ji Zhang: My father was a Chinese doctor so he taught me about it from very young age.  I then went to study fulltime at a university in China in my Early 20s.

HM: How would you describe acupuncture and the way it works?

Ji Zhang: Acupuncture is a 3,000 year old Chinese natural healing art. It works by stimulating the body's natural healing powers.  It triggers and helps the immune system by releasing natural pain killers (endorphins, dopamine etc.) to the spastic muscles and trigger points.  The principal strength of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is not just treatment, but more importantly PREVENTION.

Acupuncture is one of the key components of the system of   TCM.   In the TCM system of medicine, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the feminine, or cold, slow, or passive principle, while yang represents masculine, the hot, excited, or active principle. Among the major assumptions in TCM are that health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state" and that disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of Qi (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians. It is believed that there are 12 main meridians and 8 secondary meridians and that there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body that connect with them.

 

HM: For people who have never tried it; what does acupuncture feel like - is it painful?

Ji Zhang:  Acupuncture needles are metallic, solid, and hair-thin. People experience acupuncture differently, but most feel no or minimal pain as the needles are inserted. Some people are energized by treatment, while others feel relaxed and sleepy.

HM:  Is acupuncture safe I -  mean in terms of contamination, contagious diseases etc.

Ji Zhang: Yes, in fact the U.S., the FDA approved acupuncture needles for use by licensed practitioners in 1996. The FDA requires that sterile, nontoxic needles be used and that they be labeled for SINGLE use by qualified practitioners only.

HM: What about complications, after effects etc?

Ji Zhang:  Relatively few complications or negative after effects from the use of acupuncture have been reported in light of the millions of people treated each year and the number of acupuncture needles used. Still, In rare cases, complications have resulted from inadequate sterilization of needles and from improper delivery of treatments. It's crucial that practitioners should use a new set of disposable needles taken from a sealed package for each patient and should swab treatment sites with alcohol or another disinfectant before inserting needles.

HM: What if the needles are inserted incorrectly or if the patient moves suddenly?

Ji Zhang:   Improper needle placement or unexpected movement of the patient, or a defect in the needle can cause soreness and pain during treatment. This is why it is very important to seek treatment from a qualified acupuncture practitioner. It really is a skill.

 

HM: What have the western scientific studies shown about how it works?

Ji Zhang:  Western studies have documented acupuncture's effects, but they have not been able to fully explain how acupuncture works within the framework of the Western system of medicine that is commonly practiced in the United States. It is proposed that acupuncture produces its effects through regulating the nervous system, thus aiding the activity of pain-killing biochemicals such as endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites in the body. In addition, studies have shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones and, thus, affecting the parts of the central nervous system related to sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes that regulate a person's blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature.

 There have been many studies on acupuncture's potential usefulness, but results have been mixed because of complexities with study design and size, as well as difficulties with choosing and using placebos  or sham acupuncture. However, promising results have emerged, showing efficacy of acupuncture, for example, in adult postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and in postoperative dental pain.

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