The confusion between dry needling and Acupuncture
There is constant confusion over the differences between dry needling and acupuncture from a patient’s point of view. I akin it to the difference between a “backyard” mechanic, and a fully trained mechanic. The backyard mechanic knows enough to fix a few problems but doesn’t have a deeper understanding of the workings of the vehicle he is trying to fix. Dry needling is a form of acupuncture performed largely by western health professionals such as osteopaths, myotherapists, chiropractors etc. They use what they’ve identified as “trigger points” in muscles to help relieve pain and relax the tissue. This falls under what the Chinese have for centuries called “ashi points”, basically meaning a tender point which isn’t a recognised acupuncture point. From a western medical perspective the approach is the same as with acupuncture, they know it works, but can’t explain how, they simply use identified “trigger points” to treat certain muscle groups. Chinese medicine however still uses their very comprehensive diagnostic method to diagnose musculoskeletal problems and formulate a treatment plan accordingly. Here in lies the problem with dry needling, for most they simply do a course spanning a few weekends and they are then allowed to needle. Chinese Medicine practitioners study for several years and undergo 400+ clinical hours before are qualified to needle the general public. Though I don’t believe any real harm can be done by dry needling, the public needs to be aware that they are not the same, and if dry needling didn’t achieve a satisfactory result, this doesn’t mean acupuncture won’t either. The case being that proper acupuncture will always achieve a better result than dry needling, simply due to the practitioner being better trained in the art and having a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanism at work. Attached is an article published by the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association in regards to their opinion on “dry needling”.
Emptying Our Soul Creates Room For Happiness
This is an old Daoist principle that a teacher told me several years ago. He explained why money doesn’t always buy happiness, and why many rich and famous people are troubled.
He explained how our soul and spirit works in a similar way to our digestive system, it is designed for things to flow through it, not just in. for example; If you constant eat and never excrete the waste, then you feel very sick, like to want to burst. Similarly if you over-eat more than you should you feel very sick, as you have over-filled your stomach.
Our spirit works in a similar way. Famous people are a good example, as they recieve so much in the way of; money, admiration, attention and so on. but how many give an equal amount back? They are effectively recieving all this Qi but not letting any out, thus their spirit becomes full to the point they cannot take in anymore. their spiritual Qi becomes stagnant. Qi by nature wants to constantly move, otherwise it causes disharmonies.
However, if you receive things and also give, whether it be in the form of volunteering, donations, helping out friends and family etc. then your soul and spirit is being emptied and ready to receive fresh Qi. When someone constantly takes and takes from others, then this causes stagnation, which is why they never seem trully happy. they are stagnant spiritually.
This is largely comes from the Daoist principle of “going with the flow”. A healthy soul and spirit is one that lets Qi flow through, not just in.
Think of it as not being a spiritual glutton.
Analytical versus Poetic Medicine
Both Western and Eastern medicine have their own frameworks for explaining illness and pathogenesis. Due to this fundamental difference, it is borderline impossible to explain one medicine’s theories using the others framework. If though, you gain an understanding of the key differences in principles and perception, understanding each medicine’s viewpoint becomes much easier.
To Western Medicine, understanding illness means finding a single distinct entity which is separate from the patient’s being; In Chinese Medicine, understanding means witnessing the relationships between all the patient’s signs and symptoms in the context of their life. Let me explain what that text book example means:
In simplest terms, The western view is about “What X is causing Y?”, whereas in Chinese Medicine the importance is on “What is the relationship between X and Y?”
Western Medicine is far more analytical and clinical in its approach looking for a singular causative factor, where as Chinese Medicine works to paint a more poetic description of the person as a whole. Both approaches achieve the same goal, providing the practitioner with a framework for treatment. Western medicine works on finding, isolating and either controlling or destroying the entity. Chinese medicine views it as a “Pattern of Disharmony”, whereby the individual needs to be returned to a state of balance.
This difference in approach shows in many studies performed in China, where for example, 6 patients are all be diagnosed with “stomach ulcers” by western physicians. The Chinese Medicine doctors however see 6 different patterns of disharmony, as each individual always paints a different picture. As a result, in Biomedicine all 6 patients receive the same treatment, whereas in Chinese Medicine, each patient receives a slightly different treatment to match their individual presentation.
