02.20.07
A Poke Here and a Poke There
Tonight I had a new experience. I was allowed to stand in during an acupuncture session and watch the needles get inserted. I’ve seen it on TV, but never in person. So this was nice. After the needles were inserted, the patient was left to relax for about 20 minutes with the needles in place. Since this acupuncturist is a friend of one of my sisters, I was allowed to take pictures. Below is a picture of four needles placed in the back. It’s a little hard to see the two needles on the right side of the picture (I noticed that the aol browsers don’t show pictures as well as other browsers), so I’ve drawn in arrows to point to where the four needles are.
Other needles were placed on other parts of the body like the head, near the ankles, and one on the hand. Below is a picture of the needles in the package. Actually, the needles can’t be seen, but at least you can see that each needle is packaged and sealed individually. They are disposable and discarded after use. Had I thought of it, I should have placed a penny next to the needles to give a size comparison. The needles themselves look about two inches long, but only a very short part of the needle is inserted.
One thing I found out today is that there is a Chinese method of acupuncture and a Japanese method of acupuncture. The Chinese method tends to use more needles than the Japanese. Also in Japan, their acupuncturists don’t use herbs, while in China, herbs are frequently used. I’m not clear as to whether it’s a law prohibition there or not, but that’s the impression I got. It appears that Japanese style acupuncturists here in the U.S. do use herbs, though. Also herbalism is considered more important and respectable in China than in the U.S. Acupuncture is considered more of a profession in the U.S. than is herbalism. I’m not sure why there is a difference in perception in each location, but there it is. Perhaps it’s cultural.
I was told depending upon whether the condition is acute or chronic would determine whether herbs would be recommended or not as well as how many treatments would be involved. For some simple conditions, a single treatment can prove sufficient, while more chronic conditions would require more sessions.
I asked what types of conditions benefit from acupuncture and was told that conditions like chronic pain, nervous conditions, and even strokes respond well to acupuncture. I was told that one of the best things a stroke victim can do is see an acupuncturist as soon as possible to help faciliate a faster recovery.
Okay, it’s getting late. Maybe I’ll try a couple pokes and check back in the morning.
Marlakins 
