Acupuncture
There is no doubt in my mind that acupuncture works, but
just why it works, and how it works are still open questions.
Acupuncture is used in the general area of treatment of the sick, and also
generally, there are only two methods of treatment - Chinese and Western - both
are based on two different philosophies. How we view acupuncture therefore
depends on which philosophy we believe, or which culture we come from.
Acupuncture may work on a cat too, but in this case the cat has no
understanding as to why it is helped, therefore the issue is twofold.
Medically, and in a practical way, acupuncture works, but philosophically,
there is more than one reason, and each reason depends on what you bring to the
phenomenon rather than what is already there.
In a similar way, many people believe in astrology.
These believers point to certain results as proof that the stars and planets do
indeed have an influence over people's lives, yet an astronomer may
point out that, while some of the predictions are correct, they are correct for
entirely different reasons. A psychologist or sociologist might have a better
explanation too.
Again, there are people who claim that certain kinds of
music have a beneficial effect on the growing ability of plants. A
horticulturist may explain this growth on entirely different things - care and
attention, light, soil, seed quality, etc. The same results can be interpreted different
ways, depending on what the observer already believes.
Some people believe that a plant is helped if it is spoken
to, while other people believe that the person who speaks to plants will
also care for them in other ways, thus producing a beneficial effect on the
plant.
While acupuncture has its beneficial effects in entirely
practical and logical causes, the Chinese person and the Westerner both
interpret these causes in ways which suit their own philosophical bias.
Some Christians I know of have no hesitation in slamming
acupuncture as 'New Age' (and therefore evil, and of the Devil).
Other Christians - a minority - heartily commend it, not only because it
"cured my arthritic pains" but also because "the cat's never
looked better". And of course what would a cat understand about
acupuncture?
This is the main problem when the subject is brought up : is it good or bad? Should a Christian use acupuncture,
or would that be the same as consulting an astrologer? Should a Christian use
exclusively Western medical treatment, or is acupuncture a 'legitimate' type of
treatment which ought to be placed alongside Western drugs, Western anaesthetics, and Western surgery?
One encyclopaedia says that
'acupuncture is a system of inserting long, thin metal needles into the body at
predetermined points to relieve pain, or, as an anaesthetic
in surgery, and to assist healing. The needles are rotated manually or
electrically." Notice the word 'predetermined'. This means that if the
needles are not pushed in at the right places, the pain-relief is not produced.
(If they are pushed in at the wrong places they may cause injury or no relief.
Acupuncture seems to have started over 3000 years ago.)
Chinese philosophy maintains that the whole functioning of
the body and mind are dependent on the normal flow of body energy, or life
force, which they call Chi. Chi is said to be a universal energy which
surrounds and pervades everything. It can be taken in and used to maintain good
health, and it can also be expelled once used.
Western philosophy, on the other hand, recognises
that certain foods contain high concentrations of vitamins and minerals. When a
person feels 'run down' the Chinese would say the life force is low, and the
patients is needing more Chi, while the Westerner would say they needed to
improve their diet. The Western remedy is based on research, while the Chinese
remedy is based on philosophy. Most people in the West trust the Western way of
treatment because vitamins and minerals have been observed, whereas Chi is
undetectable.
Another Chinese belief is Yin and Yang. These are said to be
aspects of everything, such as right and left, negative and positive. They
cannot exist apart from each other, and their imbalance causes malfunctions.
Yin is associated with coldness, slowness, dimness, quietness and solidity.
Yang is said to be hot, fast, bright, excited and insubstantial. Yin represents
female characteristics, and Yang represents male characteristics.
The Western way of looking at this is similar to a certain extent,
in that it is basic, good science that all forces work together, even though
they may be opposites. Buoyancy and gravity, cold and heat,
light and dark, etc. Every male has some female characteristics, and
every female has some male characteristics, but these are determined by
hormones, which are complicated chemicals whose structure has been analyzed,
which can be observed under a microscope. The Chinese may have different words
for opposite forces, but the forces themselves always obey known laws, and so
can be treated with known treatments.
For example white blood cells are the body's defence against infection. These cells need many
things, including vitamins C, E, zinc and magnesium. An infection may be caused
by a deficiency in these things.
Western treatment may be 1. an
antibiotic to treat the infection, or 2. a change of
diet, to give the white blood cells the things they need to recover their
strength.
The Chinese way of looking at it would be to say that the
yin and yang are out of balance. The Chinese cure may be brought about by 1. antibiotics, or 2. a change of diet.
So the two philosophies behind the treatment are quite
different. One deals with germs or viruses, while the other deals with the flow
of energies, and the balance between opposing forces.
Because the Chinese believe in Chi, they also believe that
Chi flows into and out of the body. Chi is said to flow through channels, or
lines like tubes, through the body, in 12 pairs, plus a few others. Each of the
12 major meridians is associated with an organ of the body. The meridians are
said to have surges of energy, and slackness of energy
at different times in the day.
The Western approach is different. It explains the energy
fluctuations in terms of blood-sugar levels, and hormones, whether one has had
enough sleep, or whether one is bored, or working too hard, and also the fact
that we all have a biological clock in our brain which regulates our wake-sleep
cycle. Humans go through different levels of alertness and energy as their bodies
pass through a daily natural cycle - wake, eat, work, eat, work, eat, sleep. To
the Western mind, the fluctuations have nothing at all to do with meridians and
Chi and universal energy flows. They are all things which can me measured and
recorded in natural terms.
Treatment by acupuncture.
The Chinese view is to look at the symptoms and then begin
to insert needles at points along the meridian along which it is believed that
the problem lies. Every complaint has its meridian points, but the positioning
of the needles correctly is the result of a vast amount of subtle factors.
In classical Chinese philosophy, it is believed that the
world consists of only five elements : earth, wood, water, metal and
fire. All these elements, say the Chinese, are in the human body. Western
science, on the other hand, has shown that none of these 'elements' is a simple, or separate thing by itself, and none of them is an
element in the Table of Elements. But the Chinese view is that these five
elements are intimately involved with all things, including the meridians. The
heart meridian, for example, is believed to be also a fire meridian, since heat
comes from the heart.
The Western view would say that heat is pumped by the
heart, but not produced entirely by it. As to fire, well the digestive
process, and basic metabolism produce heat, not no
mention the muscles when they are working hard.
The Chinese view is that disruption to one element will
affect all the others. The Western view agrees with the principle, but not the
philosophy. A sore toe can affect the mind, the heart and the digestion, but
not because of elements or meridians, but because of pain, and the distraction
or stress of that pain.
Now comes the complicated part. If acupuncture was simply a
matter of poking a needle into a point on a meridian, just about anyone could
do it to themselves, but the Chinese method includes several other aspects.
There are rules governing the effects of elements upon each other, and
therefore of meridians on each other. These relationships are compared to
mother-child, and servant-master relationships.
For example wood is said to control earth, since it grows in
and over it. Earth controls water by damming and diverting it. Water controls
fire by extinguishing it. Fire controls metal by melting it. Metal controls
wood by fashioning it into tools and other things. So now we have returned to
where we started.
Therefore : the wood meridians (liver and gall
Bladder) exert control over the earth meridians (spleen and stomach). These two
control the water meridians (urinary, bladder and kidney), which control the
fire meridians (small intestine, heart, and pericardium). The fire meridians
control the metal meridians (lung, and large intestine) and the metal meridian
controls the wood meridians.
So each meridian has four connections through the five
elements. Each meridian is nourished by one meridian and controlled by another,
it then nourishes a third and controls a fourth. Therefore each element is
connected with every other element. Into this web of connections we must also
add the yin and yang forces.
Acupuncture is therefore the control, it is believed, of
energy flows, not bacteria or viruses.
That the Chinese approach is quite often correct, but for
the wrong reasons, can be illustrated from time to time. One example is the
Chinese view that the liver and the heart are linked by meridians and elements.
The Western view is that the liver is the storehouse for various vitamins and
minerals, including iron and vit.B12, which are essential for blood formation.
A deficiency in the liver may have a serious effect on the blood, causing anemia,
which may affect the action of the heart, which is put under stress during anemia.
Another example is the link between the spleen and the heart.
Red blood cells, which are the oxygen carriers, have a life span of about 120
days. Having reached this age they are replaced by new cells, and the old cells
are broken down, the iron from them being reused in the bone marrow to form new
cells. However, the breaking down of the cells is done in the spleen. In some
forms of anemia, where excessive quantities of blood cells are broken down, the
heart may be affected, and in extreme cases, heart failure may follow.
What Westerners call the independent functioning of the
whole body, the Chinese interpret in terms of energy, and meridians, and
elements. The treatments sometimes work on the same principles, but the
philosophy behind the treatment is very different. Cures may follow, but again,
the interpretation of why the cure was effected may
also be quite different. Disease is not seen as bacterial or viral, but in
terms of invasion of harmful Chi.
This whole Chinese approach is quite understandable when we
consider that bacteria were not even seen until the 18th century, so some other
explanation was likely. Other societies blamed evil spirits for sickness, or
the Devil, or the actions of a god or goddess.
Since acupuncture is but one part of the whole Chinese
medical system, we will skim over some of the other tools. As you will see, the
tools and the reasons for using them are quite similar in some ways but also
very different in others, to those which the Westerner uses.
The Chinese medical kit also includes the Six External Factors : cold,
wind, damp, dryness and summer heat. Thus if a person comes down with the flu,
the diagnosis might be 'invasion of cold'. Whatever illness comes, there may be
one or more of the External Factors involved. A case of having two at the same
time would be summer heat (yin) accompanied by drinking cold water (yang) -
thus we have a fever with great thirst. The Westerner would talk in terms of
sweating, high temperature, and viral infection.
And there are also the Seven Emotional Factors : joy, anger, melancholy,
obsessive thinking, grief, fear and fright. Each emotion has a yin or yang
association, and affects different elements and meridians.
The Western approach would be to notice how certain emotions
released certain beneficial or harmful hormones, or caused peace or stress on
certain parts of the body.
As well as all the above, there are four Miscellaneous Factors : 1. stagnant blood and phlegm, 2. irregular eating,
3. excessive stress, 4. lack of physical exertion and trauma.
There are also Eight Syndromes. Having ascertained
the type of syndrome from which the patient is suffering, the acupuncturist has
to then decide which parts of the body are affected, which meridians are
involved, what affect each needle will have on all the other factors involved,
and where the Chi energy is flowing.
When a Western doctor takes a pulse, he places two
fingers over the radial artery in the wrist. He may also use a stethoscope and
an ECG machine (electrocardiogram). By using these tools, the Western doctor
can easily diagnose a patient, and observe and monitor the heart rhythm over a
number of days. He can also see at a glance whether the patient's heart is
improving or not.
When a Chinese doctor takes a pulse, he feels the same
stretch of artery but in six different places on both wrists. He will try to
find twelve major meridians and assess the balance of the Chi as it flows to
and from the organs. He will take into account the yin and yang forces, and
work out the effect the acupuncture may have on the balance of the five
elements.
That there are many different kinds of pulse is obvious. A
weak heart produces a weak pulse, and so on. But the Chinese system of
interpretation differs dramatically from the Western interpretation.
For example an irregular heartbeat, to a Westerner, may be
due to an electrical misfiring of the muscles of the heart. The Chinese doctor
would say that the blood is stagnating and interfering with the flow of Chi and
yang. Depending on the interpretation, needles would be inserted according to
the interpretation of the symptoms.
Chinese doctors look at the patient in many ways. They
examine the tongue, the eye, the health of the skin. They ask about personal
habits, eating preferences, diet, lifestyle, work load, sleeping habits, and
many other things. Using experience, general knowledge, and deduction, the
likely causes of some illnesses can be assessed. Gradually a patient profile is
built up, but in most cases, a completely different interpretation is
made out of the information - compared to the interpretation a Western doctor
would draw from the same information.
Far from making fun of the Chinese method of diagnosis, we
ought to respect them for their care and diligence towards the sick and
injured. When an acupuncturist pushes a needle into a point which, for example,
may be specific for dispelling the effects of "invasion by wind" from
the body, his aim is to change the flow of Chi, and to restore harmony to the
patient in the way he believes it can be done. To the Western doctor, such talk
of a "life force" is sheer nonsense. Western science likes to measure
and record real things, and a "life force" is not measurable.
But there is a Book which speaks of a "life force"
and that is the Bible. Chinese medicine, as I see it, is a sincere attempt to
treat that invisible but real "life force" which makes the non-living
materials of our body into "a living organism" (Gen.2:7). The Bible
truth that "God breathed life into Man" has been obscured and twisted
into a medical practice which tries to work with, in a sense, 'the breath of
God' - a noble aim, but not very promising. Why? Because in the end, all the
Chinese medical system can change is the machine, the body, the material aspect of the human. This is exactly the
same as Western medical system, only Western medicine
uses a vast array of machines, and examines the material side of the illness in
far greater detail. Westerners usually think that Western medicine is superior
to Chinese medicine because the latter is not surrounded by 'science' and machines.
But in both cases there is, increasingly, a desire to take a
sick or injured person and restore them to health - mental, physical and, dare
we say it, spiritual health - this is nothing but holism. But this aim
is not some modern new idea. It has been taught, by God, for more than 4000
years.
Treating the whole person has always been the aim of
God. Throughout the Bible there are references to wholeness, and harmony, in
body and spirit, but they are always connected with obedience to and love for
God. Holistic medicine started in the Bible first, and was picked up, partly,
by the Chinese, and others, to become a form of medicine without Christianity.
"God be merciful to us, and bless us; and cause his
face to shine upon us; Selah.
That His way may be known upon
earth, His saving health among all nations". Ps.67:1
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not on
your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your
paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from
evil.
It shall be health to thy navel,
and marrow to thy bones". Proverbs 3:5-8
"My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my
sayings.
Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst
of your heart.
For they are life to those that find
them, and health to all their flesh". Proverbs 4:20-22
"Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper
and be in health, even as your soul prospers. 3 John 1:2
Many of the cures brought about by acupuncture and
acupressure are a result of manipulation of either the hormones or the nervous
system. Modern medicine is still struggling to understand these marvellous systems, and there is still a vast amount yet to
be discovered. But some of the findings, as they relate to acupuncture, are interesting :
* The human body contains several nervous systems. One is
the autonomic, which regulates the heart, lungs, stomach, intestines,
bowels and reproductive organs. The autonomic comes in two parts - the sympathetic
and the parasympathetic. These systems are intimately related, but they
govern quite different functions. Acupuncture seems to affect these systems,
though just how is still a mystery.
* Stimulation of acupuncture points has been shown to cause
the body to release endorphins, which are painkilling chemicals.
An endorphin is a natural substance, a polypeptide, which
modifies the action of nerve cells. Endorphins are produced by the pituitary
gland and hypothalamus, in vertebrates. They lower the perception of pain by
reducing the transmission of signals between nerve cells.
As yet, no-one knows why acupuncture stimulates endorphin
production.
* Felix Mann, in his book 'Acupuncture: the Ancient Chinese
Art of Healing' puts forward the theory that the responses obtained in various
organs of the body when points on the skin are stimulated, tie in with the way
in which the body develops as an embryo. Each section of the body, together
with its nerve supply, develops from a different section of the embryo. Very
often, but not always, both an organ, and the acupuncture points that
affect it lie in the same dermatome. These are the 'meridians' for the
acupuncturist.
* The system of meridians and the belief that Chi flows in
and out of the body may be just the Chinese description of the whole nervous
system.
* Acupuncture works on animals - which have no interest,
belief or faith in the practice. This proves that acupuncture works, but it
does not explain why or how.
* Certain aspects of Chinese medicine deserve attention. Its
first object is the prevention rather than the cure of a disease. This
is helped along by the patient, who refuses to pay the doctor until a cure is effected. But the underlying theory is that the patient's
body is made of many interdependent parts, all of which affect each
other. The patient is also seen in the context of his environment and lifestyle.
(The movie 'Patch Adams' starring Robin Williams catches this idea admirably)
My own opinion on the whole matter is this
: If people put God first, and obeyed Him, they would naturally tend to
be healthy. This is actually 'spiritual' living, though in many ways it is just
plain down-to-earth good sense. If people lived lives obedient to God, He would
take their worries and stresses. He would guide them into constructive
happiness and help them with every aspect of their lives. God's love would
cover their faults, and God's great sacrifice - the death of His Son on the
cross for their sins - would take away their guilt. His Spirit would empower
them to live good lives, and their fellowship with other Christians would
ensure harmony and peace. Because they loved God, they would want to please Him
in every way. They would care for their bodies and treat them as "the
temple of the Holy Spirit" ( 1 Corinthians
3:16-17 ), which is another way of saying that they would look after every
aspect of their lives, including their environment - no 'junk' food, or
overwork, or cigarettes, or other physical abuse. (Christians, incidentally, of
all people, ought to be the ones who lead the way in health-foods - only the
freshest and the best - fruit, vegetables and cereals. But sadly, many
Christians abuse their bodies as much as any unbeliever. Some even give thanks
to God before eating rubbish.)
It has been argued that Western medicine, for all its
knowledge, has as little understanding as to how medical treatments work as
Chinese doctors do as to how acupuncture works. The former, however, deals with
the real world, which can be measured and recorded.
The Chinese method is based totally and completely on
something which has never been seen, measured, or even proved to exist.
Western medicine is nearer to the Bible view of Man - that Man
is quite often the only one responsible for his own ill health, and Man
can utilize real substances from the world to cure himself.
Man can also change his environment, and his lifestyle. As there is no mention
of Chi in the Bible, it seems logical that it does not exist. If there is no
such thing as Chi, then the remedies in the Bible are the most likely to
succeed.
Personally, I prefer Western medicine, because, in certain
ways, it seems nearer to the Christian view that God created a universe, and a
world, and on this world He created plants and animals for the use of
"And (God) said, If you will diligently hearken
to the voice of the LORD your God, and will do that which is right in
his sight, and will give ear to his commandments, and keep all his
statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have
brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that heals you." Exodus 15:26
Research drawn from :
'Acupuncture for Everyone' by Ruth Lever
'
'A-Z of Complimentary Health' by Barbara Nash
'The Penguin Medical Encyclopedia' by Peter Wingate
'The Bible' by the Living God, maker
of heaven and earth.