Accupuncture

[the buddha & the beast]

I have become very interested in accupuncture and I would like to learn more. I have watched videos on youtube about where needles go and about the basic idea of rebalancing the body. Can anybody tell me why it works? I'd also like to know about what areas effect what other areas. I for one would need it for stress, anxiety, and stomach aches. I noticed you can purchase the needles online. Does anybody ever do it on themselves?

[VCraigP]

I have become very interested in accupuncture and I would like to learn more. I have watched videos on youtube about where needles go and about the basic idea of rebalancing the body. Can anybody tell me why it works? I'd also like to know about what areas effect what other areas. I for one would need it for stress, anxiety, and stomach aches. I noticed you can purchase the needles online. Does anybody ever do it on themselves?

 

Time to do some reading.

 

I recommend "The Web that has no Weaver"

It's a classic introduction to oriental medicine theory. Very readable.

 

DONT try to needle yourself. Do find a teaching clinic of a school if possible to sample cheap acupuncture session.

 

I am sure you can find more than just Youtube videos to learn more for free online.

 

Craig

[Aetherous]

Yeah, don't do it yourself. I say this because I did. More than anything it's just a waste of time! It won't accomplish what you want it to do, even if you have the books. Worst case scenario is that you injure yourself...I suppose it is possible to stimulate the wrong points for your particular type. The art is very complex.

 

The best thing would be to find an acupuncturist that can actually treat your conditions (some won't be able to), and then ask them how you could learn what they know. Some have been raised in it, because their family were acupuncturists...and so they have family methods that you probably won't find at any school or in any book. If those methods work, cool! Others went through schools, and it seems that not every school is the same.

 

As for books: "The Web that has no Weaver" is a great theoretical introduction, but you won't be able to practice with it. A good book for specific points is Peter Deadman's "A Manual of Acupuncture", and you will be able to practice a little with it, but you'll be in way over your head and won't be able to achieve the desired effect.

 

So, good luck.

[z00se]

I have become very interested in accupuncture and I would like to learn more. I have watched videos on youtube about where needles go and about the basic idea of rebalancing the body. Can anybody tell me why it works? I'd also like to know about what areas effect what other areas. I for one would need it for stress, anxiety, and stomach aches. I noticed you can purchase the needles online. Does anybody ever do it on themselves?

 

Yep, go to an accupuncturist. If it works when u come out draw little crosses on the pinholes still in ur body so when they heal u know where they still are. After u have a shower remark. Then in a week or so just pop em in the same places and hey presto u'll have the same effect. Thats what i did and i've been doing it for years. Just relaxes me a bit and makes me feel better.

 

... I realised this after paying 50buxs a time and she was just doing the same thing every time

[Eternal_Student]

acupuncture is an art and a science, all wrapped up into one neat little package.

 

to find a qualified acupuncturist in the states, head to NCCAOM.org. Every person on that list is Nationally Certified.

this takes a long time. my education was nearly 3500 hours long. some of the previous acupuncturists out there have a doctorate at the end of their name, and they barely had 500 hours of education. make sure whomever you use, is nationally certified. the requirements are strict.

 

do not get acupuncture from a chiropractor or a western MD. these people get to take a very short course which teaches them protocols that have been standardized. these protocols do NOT work in every person. each day has a different energy to it, as each hour, year, season and state of the patient. if your acupuncturist does the same thing every time, its time to go to a new practitioner. a superb acupuncturist will be aware of the hourly fluctuation of your qi, and can adjust accordingly. that is why chiros and MD's should stick to their respective practices, as we do not dabble in surgery or adjustments!

 

do not attempt to repeat points on yourself. each 500 plus points on the system have their own exact needle angle, depth and insertion technique. you could very easily puncture a vein/artery or cause neurological damage. popping a lung is a very long 72 hours been hooked up to a machine that re-inflates the lining. not fun.

 

besides, each of the points have a healing property as well as a damaging property. insertion times, actions, techniques and types of needles have different effects on your energy field. you could also leave an energetic leak in the wrong area.

 

what i am saying is, refer yourself to a qualified acupuncturist. hopefully one who ACTUALLY takes care of their energy signature on a regular basis. its beyond important...

[the buddha & the beast]

Well I must say I feel a little better knowing I'm not the only one who thought of doing it to themself! Thank you all so much for the information. I will continue to read more about this.

[joeblast]

I was interested in learning the art formally, until I saw the ridiculous time & cost - I simply dont have that kinda time nor money.

 

agreed on western doc/chiro - I had it once from a chiro, the sob didnt half listen to me or give me much of a diagnosis.

 

I've studied for a few years on my own and do some of my own needling, sometimes my back is too bad for much of anything else to have an effect. deadman's manual is a must if you wish to learn the art.

[Ya Mu]

I have become very interested in accupuncture and I would like to learn more. I have watched videos on youtube about where needles go and about the basic idea of rebalancing the body. Can anybody tell me why it works? I'd also like to know about what areas effect what other areas. I for one would need it for stress, anxiety, and stomach aches. I noticed you can purchase the needles online. Does anybody ever do it on themselves?

 

I was thinking about getting into brain surgery. Do you know of any online sources for scalpels?

OK, a bit facetious, but dude! It takes a whole lot of study to learn acupuncture.

 

I will both agree and disagree about the comments of seeing western MD and chiropractor for acupuncture. Acupuncture results will be directly proportional to the amount of qi cultivation the practitioner has done, the amount of patients he has seen, and the amount of study he has done. ANY ONE of those considerations could possible outweigh the other. For instance a classically trained acupuncturist that is too damn lazy to practice qigong may/probably will not get as good results as a western MD that has met certification requirements of medical acupuncture AND practices qigong daily. We ARE talking about the manipulation of qi here. I am not a fan of the chiropractic application of acupuncture but that is not to say that any specific chiropractor has not actually studied more than anyone else (I have never seen this, but possible).

 

Self acupuncture will never work as well as acupuncture done by a qigong practitioner (trained in acupuncture). The reason is the energy potential difference. In other words you are at the same energy potential as yourself.

[joeblast]

you're not saying one cant produce a potential by oneself, are ya?

[Trunk]

A safe way to DIY is self-acuPRESSure (no needles, just self-massage). Link.

 

A dr wouldn't be bad either; you could do both. In fact, if you do go to a dr, you can ask him/her what acupoints would be helpful for you to work on at home

 

I have become very interested in accupuncture and I would like to learn more. I have watched videos on youtube about where needles go and about the basic idea of rebalancing the body. Can anybody tell me why it works? I'd also like to know about what areas effect what other areas. I for one would need it for stress, anxiety, and stomach aches. I noticed you can purchase the needles online. Does anybody ever do it on themselves?

[Ya Mu]

you're not saying one cant produce a potential by oneself, are ya?

 

I believe the words were it would never work as well.

 

The same thing applies to therapists/doctors etc that work on their spouse (energy medicine of any type). Because of the merging potential, it makes it more difficult to get results with a spouse than with a patient. I have actually interviewed hundreds if not over a thousand practitioners and asked about this. In this informal survey every single one said that it was much more difficult.

[doc benway]

I recommend "The Web that has no Weaver"

It's a classic introduction to oriental medicine theory. Very readable.

+1

[joeblast]

I believe the words were it would never work as well.

 

The same thing applies to therapists/doctors etc that work on their spouse (energy medicine of any type). Because of the merging potential, it makes it more difficult to get results with a spouse than with a patient. I have actually interviewed hundreds if not over a thousand practitioners and asked about this. In this informal survey every single one said that it was much more difficult.

very interesting thanks!

[Prince...]

Honestly, your best bet is to find an acupuncturist. If you study M.A. you just may get lucky and have one in your class. My buddy who first started teaching me taiji graduated from Southwestern and has his own practice back home. Since we're friends, he said if I'm ever hanging out at his place and want some work, it's free. Unfortunately, I waited until I moved 200 miles away to decide I need some work, so I'm having to pay a woman up here. I may have landed her 3 additional clients this week, so maybe she'll give me some free work if I keep advertising for her.

 

And yes...not all acupuncturists know the same techniques. I know someone studying in school who has been studying with some traditionally trained people for years before he started school. According to him TCM is not really all that traditional.

[Trunk]

Not to discount a doctor - obviously critical if you've got an acute condition, but...

 

Self-acupressure (not puncture, no needles) has been one of the most grounded, practical, and incremental avenues of inner exploration~integration that I've taken up within the last few decades. My self-work with it over the last several years has been... absolutely critical to my gradual process of "opening the channels".

 

Unless you've gotten regular massage and qi gong practice since you were a child, (or unless you're just really gifted), I don't see how anyone can really comprehensively open their channels without it. Under the heading of "essential self work" for those into internal cultivation - I'm more and more convinced.