5 Elements Acupuncture

Where Five Elements Acupuncture Stands in Relation to the "Others"

There are many "forms" of acupuncture around: Five Elements, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Japanese Acupuncture, Auricular Acupuncture, Acupressure, Electro-Acupuncture are probably the most well known at the moment.

Five Elements Acupuncture

Five Elements Acupuncture, also known as Classical Acupuncture, is the "oldest" version of the major varieties of acupuncture. It retains the the holistic philosophy and pioneering spirit of inquiry that coalesced into this medical discipline during the Han Dynasty around 2000 BC. It continues to evolve as empirical evidence proves the efficacy of new methods. For instance, today's needles are as fine as cat's whiskers whereas the original needles would have made fine arrowheads.

In general, five Elements practitioners try to balance the traditional with the modern, trying not to be blind to an advantageous approach to treatment just because some one derides it either as untraditional or as unscientific. Practitioners are thoroughly trained in the traditional disciplines and in a variety of modern medical disciplines as well. Many practitioners come from western medical backgrounds. We feel that the breadth of training and the eclectic viewpoint gives Five Elements Practitioners an advantage in determining the treatment path for a client.

This style of acupuncture was brought to America and Europe in the 1950s by an Englishman, Professor J. R. Worsley. Today, there are a number of colleges around the world that are dedicated to teaching this style of Acupuncture., including the local school in Hollywood.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is not traditional at all. It came into being during the 1950's in the aftermath of the Chinese Communist revolution. It is a result of a Chinese governmental directive to "modernize" the discipline. In China it is referred to as “New Acupuncture” (Xin Zhen Jiu). This is an herbalized acupuncture based on diagnosis by discerning the external causes of disease and often addressing the symptoms rather than the underlying cause. This kind of acupuncture is sometimes called Formula Acupuncture. How it became known as TCM here in the west is a marketing mystery.

Chinese herbal medicine is considered the most core of TCM and acupuncture point selection and protocol is formulated based on Chinese herbal diagnosis. TCM acupuncturists use thicker and longer needles and almost always attempt to produce a sensation of numbness, heaviness, or distention at the area of needle insertion. They believe that this "loss of sensation" is essential. In addition, most TCM practitioners emphasize the importance of taking herbs in order to obtain the full benefit of acupuncture

Japanese Acupuncture

Acupuncture was introduced into Japan about 1500 years ago. The basic principles of Japanese acupuncture remain similar to the Chinese meridian system, but, like five elements, the treatment style became quite different. There are large variations in treatment procedure from practitioner to practitioner among “Japanese style” acupuncturists.* In 1994 a publication surveyed 2184 acupuncturists in Japan and reported that 33% Japanese acupuncturists treat patients primarily by a medical based system, only 23% by meridian therapy, 14% systemic regulation method, 12% tender point approach, and the remaining 18% used several other styles of treatment method. However, Japanese practitioners generally use much finer needles, stimulate more superficially and gently than their TCM counterparts.

Electro-Acupuncture

Electro-Acupuncture is, as you might imagine, an acupuncture technique that has only recently come into use. Since the 1960’s, Electro-Acupuncture has become an somewhat popular means of pain relief. Electro-acupuncture is commonly practiced by medically trained acupuncturists (Physicians, Physical Therapists, Chiropractors, etc.) and, because the use of electricity symbolized"modernity", most of Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners.

In Electro-Acupuncture, needles are inserted at specific points on the body and s are then attached to a device that generates continuous electric pulses. These devices are used to adjust the frequency and intensity of the impulses being delivered, depending on the condition being treated. Electro-Acupuncture is a similar therapy to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), which have became widely available to consumers through TV infomercial's. The main difference is that Electro-Acupuncture uses acupuncture needles as the electrodes instead of electrode pads which are used with the TENS units.

Auricular Acupuncture

Auricular acupuncture is one of the more widely used microsystems within oriental medicine and in western Europe. Microsystems use one aspect of the body - ears, hands, or feet, for example - to treat conditions that are present anywhere in the body. Auricular acupuncture may be used as a primary mode of treatment or in conjunction with other full body treatments such as acupuncture or bodywork, or even other microsystems such as korean hand acupuncture or reflexology.

Simply explained, Auricular (Ear) Acupuncture is a specialized complementary therapy where acupuncture points on the outer ear are treated, using either needles or electro-acupunctoscopes to help relieve many chronic complaints, e.g. anxiety, arthritis, asthma, back pain, depression, drug addiction, hay fever, insomnia, migraine, obesity, PMS, sciatica, sinusitis, smoking addiction, etc. There are over 200 acupuncture points on the outer ear, each point named generally after various points on the anatomy to which they seem to correspond, e.g. knees, hips, shoulders, liver or heart. With its many nerve junctions, the outer ear seems to acts similar to a switchboard. When acupoints on the ear are stimulated, this seems to trigger electrical impulses to the specific area of the body that is being treated. Auricular acupuncture is widely used in England and Germany.

Acupressure

Acupressure is a catch all name for many is types of bodywork that involve pressing specific points on the body with the fingers, knuckles, and palms as well as the elbows and feet to relieve pain, reduce stress, and promote general good health. One version of acupressure can be considered the antecedent of acupuncture. Acupressure is part of the system of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), It is important to note that many different culture have evolved forms of acupressure. Therefore, one persons "acupressure" might be another's reflexology.

The modern variant of acupressure of most interest is the version which uses the same meridian system and "points" as acupuncture. In a sense it is a return to acupunctural fundamentals. Acupressure of this sort is used in China as a form of first-aid: The Chinese typically practice it on themselves or on family members to treat everyday ailments such as colds, headaches, sore muscles, and hangovers. Specialists are consulted for more complicated problems.