Japanese Acupuncture, LLC (480) 246-0624:
600 N. 4th Street, Unit 147, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Volume 1, No. 17: July, 2008
In The Beginning
When our ancestor did not have technical knowledge to observe and understand a human body, they relied on empirical observations of the external manifestation to infer the functions of organs within. They were apt to grasp the nature, or, the Intention* and the manifestation of diseases, and they perfected the observation of the exterior and the insight to the interior. They emphasized the human body as a whole to the relationship with the natural phenomena they experienced; such as day and night, light and dark, hot and cold, four seasons, etc. By regarding a human body as the small universe* (therefore, a part of the Universe), astronomy and Ba Gua were further refined to incorporate physics and mathematics. By applying and establishing laws, they strived to attain the fundamental truth that transcended time (The Tai Qi). To the day, the fundamentals of Oriental Medicine have not changed over millenniums.
*Intention: Yi (意)
*Small Universe: we are made of atoms that are constantly vibrating (the energy).
Most Commonly Asked Question
Everyone asks me if a particular symptom is treatable by acupuncture. To this, my answer is 99.9%, yes. I cannot think of a single symptom which acupuncture cannot treat. If we treat the body as a whole and bring everything in balance (homeostatic balance), then every possible symptom can be treated. It means by treating all major organs, namely, the Liver, the Heart, the Spleen, the Lungs, and the Kidneys, all diseases could be treated (or, one might say, all disease are the results of imbalance with the five organs). This is called the Tai Qi Treatment. Millions of diseases are deduced to the five elements, then to the Three*, then to Yin and Yang, and finally the Tai Qi (Oneness). This fundamental approach has not changed for millenniums.
Therefore, I do not like the idea of specialization in acupuncture. Specialization is a western idea, and it is against the spirit of ancient Chinese who established and perfected acupuncture 2000 years ago.
Consequently, I do not use fancy equipments. I believe in basic treatment with needles (Yin) and moxa (Yang). My mentor once told me that if there was pain, then it was not acupuncture. My treatment is very comfortable, and most of my patients fall asleep.
*The Three: could be interpreted as the Heaven, the Earth, and the Man, or the Liver, the Kidneys, and the Spleen, or the Upper (Jiao), the Middle, and the Lower, etc.
Western Medicine And Oriental Medicine
In western medicine, there are too many names for disease or symptoms that do not have cures. I will be very much ashamed of myself when I discover a new disease and name it Frank Aoi Disease, if I do not know the cure. For example, the restless leg syndrome or the fibromyalgia. The causes of the symptoms are unknown, yet doctors will prescribe you pain killer drugs (just because they have names). My MD used to say that fibromyalga is in the head. But the symptom is real. We need to address more on a treatment.
On the contrary, Ancient Chinese treated all diseases without fancy names. They had general terms and they paid more attention on treatment than discovery. They strived to treat no matter how weird and strange a disease may be. If you have a modern disease, most likely, ancient Chinese had already treated it 2000 years ago ("been there, done that"). Of course, western medicine excels in many areas of medicine. But it is time to reexamine the benefits of oriental medicine, and a good doctor should know the two disciplines well.
© 2008 Dr. Y. Frank Aoi/Japanese Acupuncture
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