With the millions of baby boomers now present in our population, there is - especially now - an increasing interest in the organic process of aging. This process involves not only the body, but also the mind and spirit.
Unconventional modalities such as acupuncture offer a preventative alternative that can enhance longevity, beauty, quality of life and youthful vigor, while still honoring the accumulated wisdom that can be the reward of long life. We as acupuncturists are in a unique position to synergize ancient knowledge with modern technology, and likewise guide and educate the population about "healthy aging," constitutional facial acupuncture, acupressure and herbal support. This is a growing, comprehensive field with a captive audience, and facial acupuncture can serve as a wonderful adjunct to any standard acupuncture practice. First, however, there is a need to educate acupuncturists about this abundant modality, and then reach out to the public with knowledge, wisdom, compassion and skill.
While most acupuncture texts associate the concept of rejuvenation with aging and its corresponding treatment with facial acupuncture, we feel that the idea of renewal is more in keeping with the spirit of this new millennium. In these new times of uncertainty, fear and posttraumatic stress, renewing oneself implies embarking upon a journey that is not simply dedicated to the re-attainment of youth, but embodies much more.
In such a journey, there exists a kernel of possibility for transformative change. This revolution originates from within and manifests itself outwardly in the radiance of our shen, reflecting tolerance, compassion, beauty and peaceful balance.
In future columns in this series, we will discuss issues that are relevant to "healthy aging," beauty and longevity, both on esoteric and practical levels. Our ongoing exploration of this new, transformative approach to aging will include discussions of:
We look forward to establishing our connection with you in this new field of "healthy aging."
Chronic pain afflicts over 20% of the adult population. Sadly, most MDs have essentially no education in treating pain, beyond offering a few toxic medications. Then they tend to steer people with pain away from those health practitioners who are trained. This puts the acupuncture community on the front lines for addressing this epidemic.
When the body is going through a stressful event, the sympathetic system is activated. This activation will help the body with a life-threatening situation. If this state is activated for prolonged periods of time, it starts to consume energy. These traumatic events that generate stressors in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) will eventually become internalized.
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One of the things that makes acupuncture so difficult to measure is that the medicine actually does contain some esoteric aspects. There have been numerous studies that demonstrate the neurochemical reasoning behind why acupuncture points stimulate the autonomic nervous system to enact change However, not all the benefits of TCM can easily be measured by randomized, controlled trials. But does that make them fundamentally and definitively untrue?
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