Acupuncture – other methods
Here some of the different methods used in treatment is described. The list is not exhaustive but it is meant to give an idea of the possibilities:
Moxibustion
Moxa is made of Chinese mugworth. By burning this herb it produces a very powerful and penetrating heat. The heat can be utilized therapeutically to stimulate acupuncture points, muscles and joints. The heat is used to add heat or spread stagnation, but also in the initial stages of colds. The terms used in Chinese medicine will be cold conditions, such as Yang Xu, Shi Cold, obstruction based on cold and damp. Moxibustion can strengthen and move both Qi and Blood.
There are several techniques and tools for moxibustion. The most commonly used is a moxa roll where the glow at the end of the roll is kept a few centimeters above the skin. You can choose to heat either a single point or a larger area of the body. Moxa can also be used to heat the needles. With this treatment a very gentle but penetrating heat is achieved. Moxa is also used rolled to a cone placed directly on the skin, on a slice of ginger or in a special box depending on the effect required.
Another kind of ‘moxa’ treatment could be to tape garlic to a certain acupuncture point. An example of this could be at the point Kidney 1 under the foot and where the desired effect could be to stop nosebleeds.
TDP / IT Lamp/ Bio Spectrum Lamp
Unlike normal infrared lamps and therapeutic appliances using microwaves, the TDP lamp (also called the IT lamp or Bio Spectrum Lamp) has a round plate coated with a mineral layer consisting of 33 different minerals that are essential to human beings. The lamp is also called a “moxa lampe” because it often replaces moxibustion treatment in China.
When the lamp is heated to a certain temperature, the minerals are put into motion and radiate their own specific electromagnetic waves of 0.002-0.050 mm within the infrared spectrum that is absorbed through the skin. This electromagnetic field complies with the body’s own electromagnetic field and penetrates into the depths and has a harmonizing effect. That way the imbalances found in the body will be turned into balance and tissue and organ functions will be restored. The lamp is placed 20-40 cm from the skin and you just lie and relax and enjoy the warmth.
The TDP lamp is known as an effective treatment for a wide range of disorders. Menstrual pain, infertility, impaired sperm quality, pelvic infections, pain relief, arthritis pain, joint problems and esophageal inflammation. Bio spectrum treatment has been proven to be completely free of carcinogenicity and can not cause any form of physical deformity or genetic changes. No adverse effects of treatment have been demonstrated.
Can TDP be used on all clients?
Yes! There are no limitations in age or gender. The treatment is painless – the lamp just emits a pleasant warmth.
Strengthening of the immune system
Bio-spectrum treatment improves the immune system and causes a significant increase in the number of white blood cells. The special frequency that the TDP lamp emits stimulates the thymus and the bone marrow and trials have shown that the body’s defense against disease increases by 60% when treated with the TDP lamp.
Gua Sha
Gua Sha is a widely used technique in Asia where you scratch or rub the skin hard with a smooth stone or horn. The effect is similar to using vacuum cups but is more moving and draining. In the treatment one seeks to create a “Sha” rash, a redness in the skin, as the idea is to emulate sweat and thereby drag underlying stagnation to the surface where it will spread more easily. This simple but highly effective tool is the foundation of a whole science, built over years of experience with scratching techniques.
Cups (Cupping)
This method is also known as vacuum therapy. I use cups in different sizes and materials depending on the diagnosis and the area being treated. In Chinese Medicine the use of cups is used to move Qi and Blood in the meridians and to exert pathogenic factors such as Wind, Cold and Moisture.
Dietary supplements (orthomolecular medicine)
Getting the appropriate supplement of vitamins and minerals can be crucial to our health. A good multivitamin tablet is almost to be considered a necessity as the available fruits and vegetables no longer contain the same amounts of vitamins and minerals as they did in earlier times. Several studies have shown that the content in just a few seasons has fallen drastically. It is of great importance that the bio accessibility of a dietary supplement is high. I typically recommend grants from the NDS product range where a patented method for increasing bio-opacity is used.
In addition the combination of minerals is important. For example for the use of calcium supplements it is crucial that in addition to vitamin D, magnesium is also in the ratio 2: 1 – otherwise the calcium can cause atherosclerosis and increase the tendency for drug seizures simply to name some of the side effects. All vitamins and minerals also influence on our body temperature – and here we move into Chinese medicine to look at vitamins and minerals, but also on food and herbs. Briefly described different foods or vitamins / minerals affect our body in a cool, warming, firming or relaxing way. C vitamin is known to have a cooling effect, why it can balance a `hot` condition. That is why we experience that vitamin C has a soothing effect on an inflammatory state with fever. When this knowledge of `temperature` is used, the use of subsidies will be better adapted to a diagnosis based on Chinese medical principles.