Healing the Community-----WHAT IS COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE?

http://www.acuwithoutborders.org/community_acupuncture.php


Community acupuncture is a highly effective and efficient way of treating a variety of individual and community conditions in areas of conflict, disaster or devastation. Clients are treated in a group, sitting up in chairs, fully clothed. Needles are inserted in the ears based on a protocol developed by the National Acupuncture Detox Association. Other needles may be used on accessible body points as needed.



Much of the traditional treatment for anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress disorder in areas of disaster or conflict has been verbal (various forms of counseling) or has required medication. Acupuncture in a group setting has some advantages over these conventional treatments, and it can also be used along with more conventional talk and medication therapies to enhance their effectiveness.







EFFECTIVE

Acupuncture addresses physical and mental health conditions simultaneously.

Immediate effects include a sense of well being and relaxation, reduced anxiety and depression, and improved sleep.

General improvements in health (headaches and other pain, digestive complaints, etc.) make it easier for patients to receive other services (like counseling). Treatment outcomes improve when patients feel better.

Effects are immediate, but can also be long lasting, beyond the time the treatment is being given. While the treatment alleviates symptoms, it is also a general balancing treatment, which treats not only symptoms, but also the root cause of the symptoms. It addresses the whole person and has a comprehensive effect.





IMMEDIATE

Few other modalities, except medication, offer immediate relief. This makes community acupuncture ideal while clients are waiting for other services which may take longer to provide.





SIMPLE AND ACCESSIBLE

No long intake or paperwork is required.

No complicated equipment is necessary. Clients receive treatments sitting in a group so private offices or treatment tables are not required.

Clients do not need to undress.





VERSATILE - EFFECTIVE IN A WIDE VARIETY OF SETTINGS

Acupuncture can be successfully integrated into a wide range of programs already in existence, including medical programs that utilize medication, mental health facilities, and social service agencies.

It can be done anywhere. We treat in parks, churches, and waiting rooms, as well as health clinics.

Patients with varying needs (trauma survivors, staff, emergency workers, etc.) can be treated in the same group.





SAFE

There are almost no side effects or contraindications. It is non-addictive.





COST EFFECTIVE

Treatments are done in groups, so many people can be treated at once.





NON-VERBAL and NON PERFORMANCE DEPENDENT-

Acupuncture does not require any talking. Patients can relax without fear of exposing themselves or losing control.

Talking is hard when patients feel scared, tired, sick, hopeless, or embarrassed about feelings. It’s hard for patients to articulate clearly what the problem is when they can’t think clearly.

Clients don’t have to be able to intellectually understand or express their feelings to get relief.

Equally effective when there are language or cultural barriers.





COMMUNITY BASED

The effect of being treated in a group is that the benefit to the group is larger than the benefit would be if each client were treated individually. “Our bodies contain an autonomic mechanism to mimic or unite with a pulse greater than our own – speeding up or slowing down to sync up with a stronger external rhythm. This concept is called ‘entrainment,” explains Frank Lipman, M.D., one of the foremost practitioners of integrative medicine in the U.S. We entrain to rhythms around us all the time, when we sing in unison with a large group, for example, and the effect is different than just singing the same words alone.

Healing in a community environment is especially beneficial when a disaster, trauma, or conflict has affected the whole community. Acupuncture in a group setting allows the community as well as the individuals to experience healing.

In addition to the current work in New Orleans, according to Laura Cooley there are “hundreds of international programs using ear acupuncture”. Among these are:



“Dakota reservations in the aftermath of a series of tornadoes

Search and rescue personnel as a de-stressing, revitalizing and coping tool

Brigades to Honduras after a hurricane displaced 2 million people

Refugee camps in Burma

Refugees in the US suffering from PTSD”



Cynthia Neipris, L.Ac. does Community Outreach and Education for Pacific College of Oriental Medicine

Yin and Yang Meridians

Generating and Controlling Cycle of the Five Elements

In the five-element theory, an analogy between the features and actions of something, and the characteristics of the five elements is made so that the properties of things similar to those of wood are classified into wood; those things similar to fire, into fire, etc.




For instance, in classifying according to the five elements, the east is classified as wood because the sun rises from it, which is similar to the ascending and flourishing characteristics of wood; the hot south is classified as fire because it is similar to the flaring-up characteristics of fire; the sun sets in the west, and represents metal because it is similar to the clearing and descending characteristics of metal; the cold north, represents water because it is similar to water in nature.



In the attribution of the five yin viscera to the five elements, the liver corresponds to wood because it is concerned with ascendance; heart yang corresponds to fire because it is warming in action; the spleen corresponds to earth because it is concerned with nourishment; the lung corresponds to metal because it is concerned with descending; the kidney corresponds to water because it governs water.



In addition, the five-element theory also holds that things corresponding to the same element are related. For instance, the east, wind, wood and sour taste are all related to the liver. Therefore it is thought that the five-element theory is the basis for man’s relationship to the natural environment, shown in the following tables:

Tissues and functions can also be categorized into the five physiological and pathological systems which centre upon five yin viscera:


The five-element theory does not attribute things to the five elements mechanically and in isolation, but shows the integrity and harmony of things according to the interrelationship of the five elements, and shows what happens to the five elements after they have lost their balance.

a - Interpromoting and interacting



“Interpromoting” implies that a thing has an encouraging and generating influence upon another; “interacting” implies that a thing restricts and restrains the growth and function of another. In the five-element theory, both are thought as normal activities.



The interrelationships in the environment determine the ecological balance in nature and the physiological balance of the body.



The interpromotion of the five elements is as follows:wood promotes fire, fire promotes earth, earth promotes metal, metal promotes water, and water, in turn, promotes wood.



The sequence of the interaction of the five elements is: wood acts upon earth, earth acts upon water, water acts upon fire, fire acts upon metal and metal, in turn, acts upon wood.



The cyclic interaction among the five elements are: “promotes, promoting, acted upon, and acting upon.”



In the Classic on Difficult Medical Problems, the relation between “promoted” and “promoting” is compared to the maternal and offspring relation. The one that promotes the other is the “mother” while the one that is promoted, the “son”. Take fire as an example. As wood promotes fire, the wood is a promoting element; as fire promotes earth, the earth is the promoted element. Thus, wood is the mother of fire and earth is the son of fire. The promoted and promoting elements interact and other elements restrain them. For instance, water is promoted by wood, but water restrains fire. The five-element theory explains that everything is regulated to prevent any excess or deficiency and keep a dynamic ecological balance in the environment and a physiological balance in the body.



b - Counteraction



The concept of counteraction of the five elements was first seen in the Internal Classic and refers to the abnormal interaction of the five elements after their balance is upset.



Overaction of the five elements is when one of the five elements acts upon another excessively, resulting in an abnormal reaction.



The reasons why the overacting relation occurs are:



First of all, one of the five elements is so strong that it acts excessively upon and weakens another, resulting in abnormal interaction of the five elements. For example, wood is so strong that earth is overacted upon by it, causing a deficiency of the latter.



Secondly, one of the five elements is so weak that overacting of one by another appears to be stronger, resulting in one getting weaker, e.g., wood is originally not so strong, and when it overacts upon earth it is still within a normal range, but, owing to the deficiency of earth, the wood overacting upon earth becomes relatively strong, causing earth to become deficient.



The counteracting relation of the five elements implies that one of the five elements is so strong that it counteracts another element which then becomes overacted upon. For instance, on the one hand, wood is normally acted upon by metal. When it is particularly strong, it is not acted upon by metal but instead counteracts metal. On the other hand, metal may be too weak to act upon wood, but is counteracted upon by wood.



Both overacting and counteracting relations of the five elements are abnormal interactions. For instance, when wood is extremely strong, it can not only overact upon earth, but counteract metal; when metal is extremely weak, it can not only be counteracted by wood but overacted upon by fire. Hence, there is a connection between overaction and counteraction.

http://www.aworldofgoodhealth.com/articles/five-elements.htm

The Twelve Cyclical Flow of Qi

Zang                                                    Fu

Hand Taiyin Lung   3am-5am            Large Intestine  5am-7am Hand Yangming

Foot Taiyin Spleen  9am-11-am        Stomach 7am-9am Foot Yangming

Hand Shaoyin Heart  11-am-1pm     Small Intestine 1pm-3pm Hand Taiyang

Foot Shaoyin Kidney 5pm-7pm        Urinary Bladder 3pm-5pm Foot Taiyang

Hand Jueyin Pericardium 7pm-9pm   San Jiao 9pm-11pm Hand Shaoyang

Foot Jueyin Liver 1am-3am               Gall Bladder 11pm-1am Foot Shaoyang

Differientation Between Zang and Fu Organs

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are two types of internal organs, yin and yang. Yin and yang organs are called Zang Fu. Zang and Fu both means organs where Yin organs are called Zang, and Yang organs are called Fu.  Yin and Yang organs must be balance to obtain optimal health, yet Yin and Yang are interdependent and interrelated.

Yin organs store Vital Substances Qi, Blood, Essense and Body Fluids

• Yin Organs Lung, Heart, Pericardium, Kidney,Spleen and Liver 
• They store pure refined substances from the Yang organs after transformation of food.

Yang organs transport food and drink to produce Qi and blood.

• Large Intestine, Small Intestine, Stomach, Urinary Bladder, and Gall Bladder are yang organs.
• Yang organs fills, empty, transform and refine food and drink to excrete waste products.
• Yang organs recieve, move, transform, digest and excrete.

Pre-Quiz: Meridian: 1/31/2010 [i]Match to correct answer.

a) Crossing Points------------------------------------------------1) _____Conception (lieque --------------------------------------------------------------------Lu-7) Yin Motility (Zhaohai --------------------------------------------------------------------KID-6);Governing (houxi SI--------------------------------------------------------------------3) Yang Motility (Shenmai BL-------------------------------------------------------------------62);Penetrating (gongsun SP-------------------------------------------------------------------4) Yin Linking (Neiguan P-----------------------------------------------------------------------6);Girding (zulinqi GB-41) ----------------------------------------------------------------------Yang Linking (Waiquan SJ-5)

b) The confluent points of the eight extraordinary vessels----------2) ____Zang at

---------------------------------------------------------------- Sinew Zhangmen Liv---------------------------------------------------------------------------13/Yanglinguan GB-34;Fu near ----------------------------------------------------------------Vessels Zhongwan Ren ------------------------------------------------------------------------12/Taiyan LU-9;Qi near Bones -----------------------------------------------------------------Shanzhong Ren-17/Dazhu BL-------------------------------------------------------------------11;Blood used for Marrow Geshu ---------------------------------------------------------------BL17/Xuanzhong GB39

c) Luo-Connecting Points-----------------------------------------3) ____Connect one

--------------------------------------------------------------------meridian with another; ------------------------------------------------------------------------Regulating the general -------------------------------------------------------------------------functions of the body; Sp-6: --------------------------------------------------------------------for diseases of the liver, ------------------------------------------------------------------------spleen and kidney channels

d) The Hui-Meeting (Influential) Points----------------------- 44) ____Treat disorders ------------------------------------------------------------------------involving the two exteriorly---------------------------------------------------------------------interiorly related meridians --------------------------------------------------------------------and those in the area supplied -------------------------------------------------------------------by the two meridians.

e) Eight Influential Points----------------------------------------5)__ Near to the internal

-------------------------------------------------------------------organs; Treating diseases of --------------------------------------------------------------------relevant Zang Fu organs and -------------------------------------------------------------------body disorders related to the ------------------------------------------------------------------corresponding organs and the ------------------------------------------------------------------orifices. Treating yin disease, -------------------------------------------------------------------zang organs syndromes, ------------------------------------------------------------------------deficiency syndromes, cold ---------------------------------------------------------------------syndromes. Treating yang for ------------------------------------------------------------------yin disease, leading yin evil out ------------------------------------------------------------------through yang points….UB13 --------------------------------------------------------------------for productive cough, fullness -------------------------------------------------------------------in the chest, due to wind-cold -------------------------------------------------------------------(yin-type diseases) of the lung.

f) Back Shu-Points-----------------------------------------------6) ____Where qi & blood

---------------------------------------------------------------of the meridians are deeply ------------------------------------------------------------------ converged. Total 16 xi-cleft ------------------------------------------------------------------- points (12 primary & 4 extra ------------------------------------------------------------------meridians); Acute disease of the ----------------------------------------------------------------corresponding meridian and --------------------------------------------------------------------internal organs . Stop pain and/or ---------------------------------------------------------------stop bleeding. Yang channel stop ---------------------------------------------------------------pain and yang channel stops pain.

g) Xi------------------------------------------------------------7) ____Zang(Yang), Fu(Yin), ------------------------------------------------------------------Qi, Blood, Tendons, Vessels & ------------------------------------------------------------------Pulse, Bone,-Marrow

a) Lower He-sea Points-------------------------------------8) Zang Fu Organs. Treating -------------------------------------------------------------------Yang diseases, fu organ -------------------------------------------------------------------------syndromes,-excess syndromes, ----------------------------------------------------------------or heat-syndromes, leading the ----------------------------------------------------------------evil Qi out through the front-mu ---------------------------------------------------------------points. Treating Yin for Yang -------------------------------------------------------------------diseases Ren3 (UB), for copious, ----------------------------------------------------------------frequent uringation, bruning pain ---------------------------------------------------------------in the -urethra, dark yellow --------------------------------------------------------------------urine, etc, due to-damp-heat in -----------------------------------------------------------------the UB.

j) Front-Mu Points-------------------------------------------9) ____For the internal six Fu -----------------------------------------------------------------organs diseases; St-37, dysentery, --------------------------------------------------------------appendicitis, UB39, retention of ----------------------------------------------------------------urine due to dysfunction of San -----------------------------------------------------------------Jiao.

a) Yuan-Source Points--------------------------------------10)____Regulates the function of --------------------------------------------------------------the internal organs; Source-qi ------------------------------------------------------------------originates between two kidneys: ----------------------------------------------------------------Through the San Jiao spreads to ----------------------------------------------------------------Zang Fu organs and the twelve -----------------------------------------------------------------meridians

[i] Akee, Jenny. TCM StudyMoGuide. Febuary, 2, 2010.