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Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine: a discussion!
with Mark Bayley.
The
question is often asked whether a system of medicine
with its roots in such metaphysics as yin yang theory
has anything to communicate to western science/medicine?
Chinese
medicine (especially acupuncture) has achieved limited
acceptance on the fringe of western medicine/culture.
Acupuncture
is an object of widespread curiosity and some attempts
have been made to integrate some of its techniques into
western medical practice, to the point that in some
areas of society Chinese medicine is "in vogue".
People
have inflated expectations about medicine with the Doctor
of "Oriental" medicine all too easily becoming a focus
for people hoping for a cure-all, an infallible elixir
or sideshow.
Routine
Western
medicine is rooted in a society whose routine processes
not only provoke stress - they contaminate the environment
to such an extent that new comforts often conceal a
new threat to life.
Chinese
medicine offers a different vision of health and disease.
It
attempts to treat illness within the context of an individual's
total physical, psychological being and environment,
with the remedies balanced to a patient's entire state
of being.
Modern
health care too often avoids seeing humans as unique
organic beings.
Consequently
much that is humanly and medically effective remains
to be discovered or has been lost.
No
Chinese physician (or person for that matter) can fail
to be awed by the achievements of western medicine.
For
example antibiotics or surgical techniques can penetrate
to the core of disorders that Chinese medicine finds
intractable and complex.
Western
medicine is clear, precise and definitive. Its technology
and precision allows swift intervention, which can be
crucial in life threatening situations, yet many illnesses
elude it.
Modern
western and traditional Chinese medicine are two discrete
systems of theory and practice that have complementary
strengths and weaknesses. Can either absorb anything
of real consequence from the other?
For
science to remain science, it must believe what it discovers
tomorrow may undermine or revolutionise everything it
believes today. There is hope that the metaphysical
Taoist spirit of inter-relatedness will illuminate the
places that evade the western model.
The
western book of medicine, because it is constantly changing,
may yet include traditional Chinese medical concepts.
For those readers who may want a better understanding
of traditional Chinese medicine I thoroughly recommend
The Web That Has No Weaver by Ted Kaptchuck. It is available
through municipal library.
Mark
Bayley Acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist Fellow of
Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association,
Mark
uses 13 years of clinical experience with traditional
acupuncture and herbal medicines in managing the root
cause of ill health. He completed postgraduate studies
in China and Japan in 1990 & 1998. As well as general
health care Mark has interests in injury management,
women's health, infertility and paediatrics.
To
contact Mark direct
click here or call 07 3252 3177
To find a practitioner closest to you
click here
Horstmann Technique: Release & Relief
The Horstmann Technique is a form of bodywork consisting
of Ileosacral Release (for lower back and hip problems),
Arm & Shoulder Release and Foot Release processes.
Developed
in the mid 1990s The Horstmann Technique was developed
by Australian Natural Therapist, Trish Trowbridge -
Horstmann was Trish's birth name.
The
Horstman technique can help you heal through the release
of energy blockages, which usually manifest as pain
or stiffness, and may be physically or emotionally based.
This technique is performed while you are fully clothed,
with your joints being taken through a range of movements
while specific energy points are held. This provides
effective relief for lower back pain, hip pain and stiffness,
frozen shoulder, tennis elbow and general neck and shoulder
stiffness. Horstmann helps you release negative belief
patterns that you may have held onto since childhood.
For
a great introductory offer to The Horstmann Technique
click
here
Harmony
Health Cover: Significant savings on natural therapies!
GREAT NEWS FOR NATURAL THERAPY USERS
Here's
how to claim the maximum amount back from your natural
therapy consultations.
Harmony Natural Therapies Cover is a special extras
cover from Australian Unity, which takes a holistic
approach to your health. It helps you maintain your
body from head to toe, inside and out, with a wide range
of services balancing natural therapies and conventional
treatments.
Value
Harmony Natural Therapies Cover provides real value
for money. It's the right choice if you want an extensive
selection of services and providers, without paying
an arm and a leg. As an extras cover, it offers rebates
on services that are not covered by Medicare or associated
with a hospital admission. You can take out Harmony
separately or combine it with one of our hospital tables
to get the most comprehensive cover.
The
Range
Harmony covers a huge range of complementary treatments
that benefit the total you. These therapies can be used
to address a particular health concern or as preventative
care to help improve your health and wellbeing. Plus,
you'll benefit from a $25 rebate per consultation for
the following: Naturopathy Aromatherapy Homoeopathy
Acupuncture Herbalism Chiropractic Traditional Chinese
Medicine Osteopathy Remedial Massage Reflexology Shiatsu
Iridology Myotherapy Bowen Therapy Dietetics Alexander
Technique
Harmony
also looks after you with cover for physiotherapy and
speech, eye and occupational therapies. Australian Unity
is committed to offering you the best preventive health
care services, for a minimum investment.
Add
some "Harmony" in your life, and save money
- naturally!
Click
Here to find out more
Fitness
Questions?: Kerrie Blumson has your answers!
Q. From Natalie: What would you recommend as the
best motivator to get healthy! I have little motivation
to do any exercise even thought my diet is perfect.
any secrets?
Dear
Natalie, Thanks for your email, not to mention your
million dollar question! Now unfortunately I don't know
that there is a single answer as to what constitutes
the best exercise motivator. Often, the hardest thing
is getting started!!
One of the most important things you can do is set yourself
some goals. Decide what is important to you. Why do
you want to be fit and healthy? Is it to feel good,
is it so you can run to the bus without puffing or is
it simply that you want to look good naked? Whatever
it is, it must be an honest, realistic and achievable
desire. It must be something that you can rely on to
remind yourself just how good it will feel to achieve
it. It should give you a reason to exercise!
Secondly,
the exercise you choose must be fun for you. Who wants
to do something they don't enjoy - I know I don't? Con
a friend into doing it with you or try something new
and different - whatever it is that works for you! I
guess the other most difficult obstacle is sticking
to your planned program.
Despite the goals and despite the fun, life often gets
in the way and we tend to put exercise further and further
down our list of daily priorities (ask anyone). Obviously,
this is something you need to workout and try to schedule
into your week.
Personally, I find it beneficial to sit down and discuss
with my ladies a 4 week program. We look at each week,
considering social occasions, work, holidays etc. Then
I ask them to make a commitment to themselves and to
me that they will follow this as best they can. Of course
it also helps that each week has a scheduled Personal
Training session. This is an appointment they feel obligated
to make (just like the hairdresser or dentist.
If your exercise is just another part of your week and
you know there is someone waiting for you - really keen
to achieve your goals then how can you say no?? You
should email me back and let me know how you go. How
about a 4 week check in Good luck!
Ask
Kerrie a question by clicking
here
Click
here to visit Fernwood Womens Health Club -Toowong.
Health Buzz: The latest news on all
things good for you!
Brought
to you by www.mindandbody.com.au
New
mood food
The latest development in natural depression management
is called SAMe (pronounced sammy), a compound produced
naturally in the body that's now available in tablet
form to help sufferers of mild to moderate depression
to enhance mood. Like its herbal equivalent St John's
wort, SAMe has been the subject of extensive clinical
research and has been shown to help manage mood swings,
depression, anxiety and nervous tension. SAMe is not
recommended for sufferers of bipolar depression, and
of course, if you're thinking of changing your depression
medication see your doctor first.
Sleep
herb puts nerves to bed
Valerian
is already a popular sleep aid, but new research suggests
the herb may also help us cope better in stressful situations.
Researchers from the Department of Psychology at the
University of Surrey in the UK used blood pressure and
heart rate as measures of stress in people subjected
to a standardised colour/word mental stress task. Those
people given valerian in the seven days preceding the
test showed a significant decrease in systolic blood
pressure and heart rate. Individuals taking valerian
also reported feeling less pressure during the task.
Heart
hope for hawthorn
Omega-3
fatty acids get all the headlines when it comes to cholesterol
and heart health, but those with their fingers on the
pulse of natural cardiovascular care hold the herb hawthorn
in high regard. Hawthorn, Crataegus oxyacantha, can
help to improve the integrity of the blood vessel walls,
improve coronary blood flow, and clinical trials demonstrate
that it may be beneficial in the treatment of congestive
heart failure. Preliminary research conducted this year
at the University of Reading, England also suggests
hawthorn may be useful for lowering blood pressure.
Iron-clad
friends
Everyone
knows that iron is essential for building healthy red
blood cells and preventing tiredness and anaemia, but
did you know that your body's uptake and utilisation
of iron relies on vitamin C? Combining your iron intake
with foods that contain vitamin C will increase your
body's absorption of iron and help you get the most
out of this vital mineral.
Brought to you by www.mindandbody.com.au
Short
and Sweet: Curried
Sweet Potato and Orange Soup with Grilled Peaches
Serves
: 4
Ingredients : "
15g Australian Butter " 1 onion, finely chopped " 1
teaspoon curry powder " 500g sweet potato, peeled and
chopped " 3 cups water " pepper, to taste " 1 cup Australian
Skim Milk " 2 teaspoons fresh coriander, chopped " grated
rind of 1 orange " 2 peaches, halved and stoned " 1
tablespoon brown sugar " extra orange rind , for garnishing
"
Method
: Melt butter in saucepan and saute onion until tender.
Add curry powder and sweet potato and cook for 1 minute.
Add water and pepper and simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes
or until tender. Puree mixture until smooth and place
into a clean saucepan. Add milk, coriander and orange
rind and re-heat until heated through. Sprinkle brown
sugar over the cut surface of peaches and grill until
sugar has caramelised and peaches are warmed through.
Serve
soup in individual bowls, topped with a grilled
peach and garnished with orange rind and coriander.
**This
recipe is suitable for lacto-ovo vegetarians who have
adopted a vegetarian diet for health reasons. Nutritional
Analysis per serve Serves : 4 Carbohydrates : 30 g Energy
: 711 kJ Calcium : 118 mg Protein : 5 g Iron : 1 mg
Fat : 3 g
Laughter
is the best medicine!
A Zen Buddhist walks up to a hot dog vendor in the park
and says: "Make me one with everything." The hot dog
vendor makes him a hot dog with everything on it and
hands it to him, saying: "That will be five dollars."
The Zen Buddhist hands him 20 dollars and waits patiently.
After nothing happens, he says: "Where's my change?"
The hot dog vendor says: "Change is within." And he
slowly walks away.?"
Quote
of the month!
"There is no need to go to India or anywhere else
to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence
right in your room, your garden or even your bathtub".
Elisabeth
Kubler-Ross
Win
a Healthy Life Gift Voucher in time for Xmas! Valued
at $400.
Over
the next 8 weeks we are giving away a gift voucher to
the value of $400 thanks to Healthy Life. With over
10 stores in South East Qld Healthy Life are the perfect
spot for Healthy Christmas gift ideas! Don't forget
that all subscribers to Naturally Happy are automatically
included in all our giveaways- GOOD LUCK!
Click here for more details.
In
the next issue of "Naturally Happy"
- Special
Christmas edition!
- Youthealth!
- Fitness
Questions?
- Health
Buzz:The latest news on all things good for you!
- Short
and sweet!
My
Health Specials provides this information for your personal
education and enrichment. Information provided should
not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem
or disease. Nor should the information replace the advice
of your health care practitioner. Always seek professional
advice if suffering an illness.
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