Spiritual Health

Every culture and civilization has its own ways to treat different ailments and diseases through the various methods like using the herbs, exercises, pressure points and the energy forms in our body etc. A similar technique that was followed by the Japanese as well as the Chinese people was the use of needles to cure the various types of ailments and the diseases. This technique is today very commonly known as acupuncture.

There is a very thin line of difference between the acupuncture techniques that were followed by the two cultures.

• According to the Chinese technique, the needles used in the treatment are pricked deeper at the specific points so as to cause heavier stimulation which helps to cure the ailment. The area pricked with the needle has a slight achy sensation due to the deep piercing. In the initial stage, the person may feel the pain and also a bit of discomfort, but slowly tends to relax with the passing time.
• While according to the Japanese technique, the needles are pricked gently onto the specific points which cause a mild stimulation in the ailing region. The technique is usually painless, but sometimes, the patient may feel a slight prick while inserting the needle into the specific regions. These points are selected according to the studies and the information gathered by the practitioner through the diagnosis of the pulse, palpation of the acupuncture meridians and the abdomen. These specific points stimulate the precise anatomical points of our body for curing the ailment.

Treatment through acupuncture can be performed through its various different techniques that are followed by the well qualified acupuncture practitioners. These techniques include:

• Needling: Needling in acupuncture is the most common technique that is used on nearly all the patients except for smaller children. In this technique, the practitioner uses needles to cure the patient from the ailments. He carefully pricks the single use, sterilized disposable needles on the skin surface. These needles are pricked very carefully such that it doesn’t cause much pain to the patient.
• Moxibustion: Another highly used acupuncture method is the moxibustion technique. This technique uses the ancient herbs are applied on the skin surface of the patient after which heat from the burning mugwort is applied over the needle so as to arouse the metabolic activities for the proper healing and recovery of the patient.
• Non-insertion needling:  The non insertion needling technique is the most common acupuncture techniques especially used for the treatment of children. The treatment is also known as Shonihari acupuncture treatment for children where in, metal implements are used to arouse the acupuncture points for treating them from the specific ailments.
• Cupping: This is a non needle acupuncture technique that is used for the treatment of specific ailments. The glass or the plastic cups that are easily available in the market are used over the patient’s skin so as to create vacuum. This vacuum created in the center of the cups help in pulling away fever, relieving pain, relax muscles, break the scar tissues from the body and the mucous congestion’s from the chest etc.
• Electro acupuncture: In this technique, a very mild electric current is passed through the acupuncture needles that are punctured in the specific parts of the body. The electric current passed through the needles helps to increase the stimulation in the affected regions which thus increases the healing process.
• Ion pumping cords: Another acupuncture technique where in electric current is used to heal the patient. In this technique, a simple wire is attached to the tip of the needle that is further connected to another needle through a clip which helps to direct the body’s energy to flow in a specific direction for the fast recovery of the affected part of our body.

Also, the same effects can be achieved through the acupressure methods or techniques. The massaging forms that help in gaining the same results includes Tui na, Shiatsu, Sotai, Amma etc.