Hi Everybody,
HOW DOES IT WORK?- On a regular basis we are asked how acupuncture works. There are many, many theories that have been tested out scientifically, and every time acupuncture is tested, a new way that it works seems to be discovered. That being said, there is one big theory that is currently coming out and makes a lot of sense.
BLOOD FLOW- In general, every part of the body needs good blood flow. Blood carries all the life generating nutrients needed by the body to each and every part. Veins then pull the old blood away from the area, allowing new fresh blood to move in.
Blood carries Oxygen, Nutrients, Hormones, Pain Killers, Cancer Killers and all sorts of other things to and from every body part in the body. The better the blood flow to the body part, the healthier that body part is, as long as your blood contains a good amount of nutrients and oxygen. In fact, researchers in the lab have found a way to keep body cells alive forever by giving each cell fresh blood continually, and draining away the old blood.
The more restricted blood flow is to a certain area, or the more nutrient and oxygen depleted the blood is, the more unhealthy that part of the body will be, and the quicker it will degenerate and die off.
THE EMPERORS MEDICINE- So what is being discovered is that Acupuncture seems to increase blood flow to different areas of the body, thereby increasing the health of that body part. If the area is injured or not working quite right, acupuncture seeks to increase blood flow to that body part, which speeds up the healing process. (Chiropractic works in a similar way with the nerves, restoring nerve flow – kind of like the wires and electrical current in the body.)
The other side of this is diet and herbs. The purpose of diet and herbs in Acupuncture is to make sure the blood contains good nutrients and oxygen, so when blood flow is increased to a body part, there are enough healing nutrients in the blood to get the job done.
So the purpose of Acupuncture, Diet and Herbs is to increase the nutrient content of the blood and then increase the blood flow to injured or damaged parts of the body. For prevention, the purpose of Acupuncture, Diet and Herbs is to increase the blood flow to every part of the body to prevent, as best as possible, disease from building in the first place.
This was the medicine used to treat Emperors in the old days of China, and it is believed to be why the Emperors of that time were living well into their 90s while the lifespan of people in other parts of the world was only around 30 or 40.
MAINTENANCE AND PREVENTION- The best way to use acupuncture is as prevention. Just like with anything else (your teeth, your car, your home) it’s easier and cheaper to do regular maintenance and prevention than it is to fix a major problem. The same goes for your health, in all aspects. A good diet, moderate but regular exercise, along with chiropractic and acupuncture to maintain healthy nerve and blood flow, will go a long way towards helping your body last longer and feel better. This doesn’t mean you will never get sick or have a problem…even people who brush and floss their teeth daily and get regular dental checkups can still get cavities. But you greatly improve your odds if you do good, general maintenance and prevention. A good schedule for prevention is one to two visits per month for chiropractic and acupuncture.
HEALTH = NUTRIENTS IN THE BLOOD + BLOOD FLOW + NERVE FLOW (to each and every part)
Hope this helps,
Dr Matt and Dr Robin
mattandrobin@yahoo.com (email)
This week’s bit of Useless Information: In Finland, there is an annual wife-carrying championship called Eukonkanto. The winner receives his wife’s weight in beer.
This email is courtesy of Matthew Barnes, D.C. and Robin Barnes, D.C. Neither this nor any of our emails are intended to be medical advice and should not be taken as such. They are opinion and are for informational purposes only. None of the nutrients discussed here are meant to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.