Oriental Medicine Services Bluestem Acupuncture Offers
The practice of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AOM) is an ancient system of medicine that dates back over 3,000 years and is based on the concept of Qi (pronounced “chee”), which is usually translated as energy. Acupuncturists assess a patient’s syndrome or pattern of disharmony by using a set of diagnostic skills that involve questioning, palpation, visual inspection, and olfactory-auditory data collection.
By discriminating the specific pattern of the body’s physiological response to pathogenic factors, an acupuncturist determines the necessary treatment strategy to prompt healing processes.
These therapeutic interventions include Acupuncture, Electro-Acupuncture, Cupping, manual therapies such as Acupressure, Moxibustion, and exercises such as tai chi or Qi gong, as well as Chinese herbal preparations and dietary therapy.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is one of the essential elements of Oriental Medicine. It is one of the oldest, most commonly used healing practices in the world, originating in China more than 3,000 years ago.
The term Acupuncture describes a family of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries. The Acupuncture technique that has been most studied scientifically involves the insertion into the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the practitioner’s hands or by electrical stimulation.
Cupping
Cupping has been a part of Chinese Medicine for over 2,500 years. It acts to decompress tissues, soften scar tissues; it can be used to facilitate the movement of lymph and improve circulation, and relieves tension of fascia and muscles. A “cup” is placed onto specific points on your body, and then uses suction to draw your skin up. This draws fresh blood to that area of your body, which facilitates the cleansing and strengthening of your Qi (energy). The end result is a greater overall sense of health and well-being.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion is a technique that involves the burning of mugwort to facilitate healing. It is believed the burning of Moxa (Artemisia Vulgaris or Ai ye), warms the meridians or channels, which leads to smoother flow of blood and qi. Moxa is produced from the dried and compressed leaves of Artemisia Vulgaris, a species of chrysanthemum, it is considered to be warm in nature. It is placed on (direct) or above (indirect) an acupuncture point. It is used independently or in conjunction with an acupuncture treatment. It can be used as a preventative treatment or to treat an imbalance in the body when applied to certain acupuncture points.
Chinese Herbology
Chinese Herbal Medicine is one of the main modalities within the scope of Oriental Medicine. Chinese Herbology includes use of substances such as plants, roots, minerals and more. Chinese Herbology was developed as an integral part of Chinese medicine and is used to re-harmonize imbalances in the body.
The Chinese Materia Medica defines Oriental herbal medicine as a natural substances derived from mineral, animal or plant, such as flowers, roots, stems, and more. Chinese herbal medicine or formulas include herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparations and finished herbal products that contain as active ingredients parts of plants, or other natural materials, or combinations.
Chinese formulas are comprised of herbs designed for each individual patient. This special formulation is crucial because these formulas must be delicately composed for the purpose of achieving balance in each disharmonious state of being.
Tuina Anmo (Acupressure)
Tuina Anmo is an ancient form of bodywork that is based on the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. A variety of pressures and strokes along the meridians (energy pathways) of your body are used to both relax your muscles and also stimulate the flow of energy throughout your body. Treating both the physical (musculature) and energetic (Qi) levels of your body at the same time can achieve results far beyond what can be gained from a conventional massage therapy session.