Acupuncture
ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE IS A NATURAL HEALING SYSTEM DEVELOPED BY THE CHINESE AND SUCCESSFULLY PRACTICED IN THEIR CULTURE FOR MANY CENTURIES (CLAIMED TO BE OVER 5,000 YEARS OLD.)
THE EARLIEST TEXT IS FROM HUANG-TI-NEI-CHING SU-WEN (The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine or Nei-ching) COMPILED FROM 2500 TO100BC. Acupuncture was first introduced in Europe about 200 years ago by Jesuit priests who served as Catholic missionaries in the East. Most of its modem popularity in America and Europe followed the normalisation of relations between the West and the Peoples Republic of China (Healing At Any Price? p. 28).
THE TECHNIQUE IS USED TO UNBLOCK AND REDIRECT ENERGY FLOW THROUGH THE INSERTION OF NEEDLES- -ACUPUNCTURE, OR USE OF PRESSURE-ACUPRESSURE, AT KEY POINTS ON THE BODY TO BALANCE THE ENERGIES MANY OF THE PLACES THE NEEDLES ARE INSERTED HAVE NO NERVE ENDINGS .IT IS BASED ON THE OCCULTIC SYSTEM OF TAOISM OFTEN CALLED YIN/YANG,CHI OR KI. A COMMON FORCE THAT FLOWS THROUGH THE UNIVERSE.
'The Nei Ching states that 'The entire universe is an oscillation of the forces of Yin and Yang.'... In terms of medicine, the interaction of Yin and Yang is the basis of the energy pervading and activating the body, and an imbalance in the relative amounts of Yin and Yang energy Is seen as the root of all pathology" (The Holistic Health Handbook, pp. 47-50).
THESE SPECIFIC POINTS RUN ALONG WHAT ARE CALLED MERIDIANS (zones). THERE ARE DIFFERING OPINIONS OF HOW MANY OF THESE MERIDIANS THERE ARE. HOLISTIC HEALERS CLAIM 10, ACUPUNTURISTS SAY THEIR ARE 12 MERIDIANS OR ZONES CORRESPONDING WITH DIFFERENT ORGANS OF THE BODY. THE MERIDIANS RUN UP AND DOWN THE BODY FROM THE TOP OF THE HEAD TO THE TIPS OF THE TOES.
THEY BELIEVE THAT DISEASE RESULTS WHEN THE BODY'S ENERGY FLOW BECOMES UNBALANCED; THEY INSERT LONG, VERY FINE NEEDLES INTO SPECIFIC SPOTS ON THE BODY, OR USE FINGERTIP STIMULATION TO BRING THE ENERGY FLOW INTO BALANCE OR RELEASE THE BLOCKAGES. THIS FREES THE ENERGY OF THE UNIVERSE TO FLOW FREELY(CHI) GIVING HEALTH TO THE ORGANS AND BODILY SYSTEM. ACCUPRESSURE WAS INVENTED FOR THOSE AFRAID OF NEEDLES!
TRUE CHINESE ACUPUNCTURISTS DO NOT NAME SPECIFIC DISEASES IF YOU GO TO THEM FOR TREATMENT-THEY WILL JUST TELL YOU THAT YOU HAVE A BLOCK IN A CERTAIN MERIDIAN AND TREAT YOU-THE NEW WESTERN ACUPUNCTURISTS DO NAME SPECIFIC DISEASES-THEY'VE ADAPTED THAT IN RESPECT TO TRADITIONAL WESTERN MEDICINE. THEY ARE WORKING WITH SOMETHING THAT IS NOT SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN --- AND IS A SPIRITUAL CONCEPT FOR PHYSICAL AILMENTS.
Dr. Chang, author of The Complete Book of Acupuncture states "According to the Law of the Five Elements, the lungs (metal) support the kidneys (water). If the lungs are indisposed and consequently must use all their energy to sustain their functions, the kidneys must become polluted. Because they do not have enough energy to function. To revitalise the kidneys, one must treat the lungs" (the five elements are earth, metal, fire, wood, water)
Dr. Chang himself accepts the metaphysical, Taoist basis for acupuncture, he mentions some non-religious explanations. That the needles, "block the impulse from reaching the brain... or generate an Impulse that will preoccupy the nerve centre in the brain. The nerve centre, being preoccupied with the surrogate impulse, fails to attend to the original pain, which has become secondary and will eventually subside" (The Holistic Health Handbook, p. 46). this very well could be the accurate reason why it works.
As Christians we should not seek practitioners who offer metaphysical cures that manipulate invisible energy . The Acupuncture theory is noncompatible with both scientific evidence and diametrically opposed to the Christian world view of the human body and spirit .The Bible never describes energy zones or meridians in the human anatomy. While admittingly there is much unknown, this has always been the practice of metaphysical and occult practitioners.