Dr. Mercola December 20 2008 32,785 views
Acupuncture works, but it appears to work equally well with or without needle penetration. This conclusion was drawn from a treatment study involving cancer patients suffering from nausea during radiotherapy.
In a series of acupuncture studies that involved more than 200 patients who were undergoing radiation treatment, roughly half received traditional acupuncture with needles penetrating the skin in particular points, while the others received simulated acupuncture instead, with a telescopic, blunt placebo needle that merely touched their skin.
Afterwards, 95 percent of the patients in both groups felt that the treatment had helped relieve nausea, and 67 percent had experienced other positive effects such as improved sleep, brighter mood, and less pain. Both groups felt considerably better than a separate control group that received no acupuncture of any kind.
The acupuncture was performed by physiotherapists two or three times a week during the five week long period of their radiation treatment.
This study confirms the effectiveness of techniques I’ve been advocating for quite some time. While acupuncture has proven to be an effective treatment for pain, high blood pressure, nausea, morning sickness, and a variety of other problems, the secret to acupuncture has never been the actual penetration of the needles; rather it is the principle of your body’s meridians.
Jing Luo
The Chinese use the term "jing luo" to refer to this; that term means channels, conduits, or meridians. According to traditional Chinese acupuncture, these are the invisible channels through which qi (energy) circulates throughout your body. Acupuncture is targeted at specific points -- the locations where the channels rise close to the surface. There are 12 main meridians and numerous minor ones, which form a network of energy channels throughout your body.
Traditional Chinese acupuncture states that when energy is flowing freely through these meridians, your body is balanced and healthy, but if the energy becomes blocked, stagnated or weakened, it can result in physical, mental or emotional ill health. Imbalances can result from problems in either your physical state or your emotional state. Acupuncture is intended to stimulate the points that will counteract that imbalance.
Pain Gates
How does that square with modern understanding?
Quite well, actually.
For example, one theory states that pain signals must pass through certain high-traffic "gates" as they move from the area of injury towards your brain. These nerves can handle only a limited number of nerve signals at one time. Acupuncture is thought to generate competing stimulus, blocking the pain signals from reaching your brain.
Doesn’t sound too different from targeting specific points on an energy meridian, does it? And research shows it works -- the use of acupuncture on pain-relief points affects your brain within seconds. Studies have also shown that there is a correlation between the electromagnetic fields in your body and the meridians, which may account for some of the other effects observed.
You Don’t Need Needles!
But while meridian-based energy therapies like acupuncture are quite useful for treating a number of health problems, and are almost always better than drugs or other more invasive treatments, I prefer needle-free acupressure techniques like EFT. The technique uses exactly the same principles, using specific points on your meridians to clear away imbalances, but since it is needle-free and non-invasive, for many purposes you can do it yourself at home.
I have found that using EFT, which involves tapping on the meridians to input kinetic energy to them, is incredibly effective in treating psychological problems and has provided permanent relief to many of my patients. The treatment can also help with physical problems such as fibromyalgia, in addition to psychological problems such as depression and eating addictions.
So I am pleased to see that modern research is finally catching up with the clinical observations I have been making for years. Meridian-based treatment has proven effective in study after study, and not only that, it need not have anything to do with needles. As so often happens, once a traditional cure was put to the test, it was confirmed, better understood, and in fact found to be something that can be easily done by nearly anyone.
We used EFT for about a year with my 5 year old son who was the victim of abuse, for his panic attacks, anxiety and also PTSD. I used the method from the website and we also went to a counselor/therapist who used EFT as part of his protocol. I was deeply disappointed in the effectiveness of EFT, for both my son and also for us, his parents. After spending hours on the EFT website, one would start to believe that EFT is a real miracle, but in reality, it isn't. It is just another tool that helped, but definitely not to the level that the website would have you believe. The website should depict a more realistic view of the effectiveness of EFT, not that it is a cureall for whatever ails you.
Cool !
Did you notice the new click-icon at the top right-hand corner ? Some sort of new software that translates text to speech.
Acupuncture and acupressure have different applications. Acupuncture requires more practice, therefore it is not 'easy to sell' as video or book. To say acupressure is as effective as acupuncture is not correct. First acuprssure is only good for acupoint which are close to the surface.
What is a placebo anyway? Something working without a known cause? It works, it works.
That said I have used EFT on people who do not know what I am doing and without any words and seen results.
Hypnotherapy - offers evidence that the mind is very powerful. Absolutely there are mind components in EFT, that is why it is so powerful. It mixes working with meridians with working with the mind. Both have shown great results.
I have seen many people who do not believe it will work get results as well as many people who don't know what you are doing.
The ego challenges things it doesn't understand - I look at results. If it is all in the mind, so be it. Results talk.
I did acupuncture on my sons cat that was cripple from the cord being tied around his leg. A birth injury on a 3 year old cat that was cured with 2 points and one treatment. Musta been the placebo effect:)