In Japanese, “acupuncture” is called “Shinkyu”鍼灸, and are two Chinese characters that mean acupuncture ( 鍼”shin”) and moxibustion (灸”kyu”). The oldest written record of acupuncture is found in the Internal Canon of the Yellow Emperor in China, which dates back to approximately 200 BC. It does not even distinguish between acupuncture and moxibustion, giving the same indication for both treatments. Acupuncture serves to balance and improve the positive energy “Qi” that flows through the body along the meridians. Through the use of very fine needles, the doctor can direct this energy and tonify energy deficiencies.
Read more:
What is an Acupuncture needle?
What are we stimulating?
Connecting everything together
Our tools in oriental medicine are varied but massage is a basic practice that animates your subconscious to bring attention to an area that is lacking attention.
At Steve’s Acupuncture Clinic we use Shiatsu, Do-In or Anma massage, depending on the needs of the patient. Shiatsu 指圧 means “finger” and “pressure”, Anma 按摩 means “to squeeze” and “to rub”, and Do-In 導引 means “to direct” and “to drag”. All these massage techniques are aimed at improving the flow of energy in the body and are used independently or in conjunction with acupuncture and moxibustion.
