Craig Williams studied Chinese medicine and Western herbs with Michael Tierra before pursing a master's degree in Oriental medicine. He studied at the International Institute of Chinese Medicine in New Mexico. While there, he also studied TCM diagnosis privately with Ping Chen, author of a well-known book on diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine. In addition to his studies in traditional Chinese medicine, he studied ayurveda with Dr. Vasant Lad at the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico.
Mr. Williams finished his master's degree at the Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and undertook a private tutorial in ayurveda with Dr. David Frawley shortly thereafter. He currently operates a private practice in Austin, Texas, specializing in gynecology. He also serves as a clinic supervisor at the Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and is a professional member of the American Herbalists Guild. Craig is a certified East West Herbalist and is an approved tutor for students at the East West School of Herbology.
To read articles from Planetary Herbalism, Craig's other Acupuncture Today column, click here.
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.
| Digital Exclusive
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?
| Digital Exclusive