WOMEN’S BODIES: ACUPUNCTURE AND HERBALISM
Acupuncture arose from the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism. One of it teachings is that healthy life is a balance between two opposing but complementary forces, yin and yang, that influence everything in the world. Yin forces (also called female or negative) are passive am calming, and include moon, earth, darkness, coolness, moisture and stillness Yang forces (male or positive) are aggressive and stimulating, and include sun, sky light, heat, dryness and movement.
Another basic concept of acupuncture is belief in a life force or vital energy, called ch’i, that maintains a healthful balance in living things. Ch’i is believed to circulate in our bodies along precise pathways called meridians. Anything that disturbs the flow, amount or quality of ch’i in the meridians can result in ill health.
In acupuncture, needles are inserted through the skin to stimulate certain points along the meridians so that ch’i energy will be attracted to a deficient area, dispersed from an area of excess and released if the flow is blocked.
Acupuncturists diagnose the imbalances by taking a full health history, making observations (such as skin colour, voice, posture, tongue appearance) and by feeling the pulses.
Acupressure This is based on the same principles but uses pressure instead of needles over the meridian points.
Shiatsu This Japanese technique uses vigorous massage over the vital points. Shiatsu wasn’t a therapy until the twentieth century: before this it was a home treatment for the relief of pain, muscle tension and fatigue, with the know-how being passed down through generations so that family members could help each other. Japanese children still give their parents Shiatsu to restore energy after a hard day’s work.
The use of plants for healing is as old as history, and herbalism is the parent of modem pharmacology. The majority of today’s drugs were previously used as plant extracts: for example aspirin from willow bark, narcotic analgesics from poppies, digitalis from foxglove. However, now that therapeutic plant chemicals have been isolated and their chemical structure identified, they are often synthesized by pharmaceutical companies because it is cheaper to do so and results in a purer product for more accurate dosage. Plants contain many powerful chemicals that are active in humans and other animals. Some plants contain multiple drugs, and some of these aren’t yet identified – a potential danger when whole plant extracts are used.
Like pharmaceutical products, herbal remedies can have side-effects and be toxic in overdose. And remember that many plants contain poisons. Any farmer or vet can tell you about animal illness and death resulting from eating toxic plants. ‘Natural’ doesn’t always mean ’safe’. However, herbalists are generally well trained, knowledgeable, caring and responsible, and are aware of possible toxic effects of some plants. Their diagnoses are based on taking very detailed health and social histories, and remedies are prepared or chosen to treat the immediate problem and promote future health.
Herbal products that you can buy in shops are safe if taken according to the manufacturer’s advice. Their manufacture and sale are now monitored by federal health authorities.
Two therapies are closely related to herbalism.
Aromatherapy Essential oils from plants (these oils give plants their smell) are used in this therapy. Aromatherapists believe that the oils have medicinal properties. They are used in baths, rubbed into the skin (usually as part of massage) or inhaled. Except for when they are used in the bath, the oils must always be diluted according to the therapist’s directions: otherwise they can burn skin or the lining of the airways.
Bach Flower Remedies These 38 preparations of plant extracts are taken by mouth in a very diluted form. Though the remedies are used to treat illness, they are selected and blended for each individual according to the patient’s emotional state.
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