Avery Yackel - Treatment Methods

Treatment Methods

Traditional Oriental Medicine looks at the entire person, not just symptoms - body and spirit, as well as environment, living habits, diet, emotions, and many other factors in order to determine the patterns of imbalance
methods of diagnosis include taking the case history and asking questions related to the functioning of the internal organs and overall state of health
another very important method is palpation, or examining by touch, and includes taking the pulse as well as feeling acupuncture points on the abdomen and back which correspond to various internal organs and energy pathways
all of these diagnostic methods combine together to give a complete picture of the condition and serve as a guide to help bring the person back towards a balanced state of health

a network of interconnecting pathways that circulates vital energy throughout the entire body, including the internal organs
in a healthy person, this flow of energy is properly regulated and continuously circulating in a smooth manner
when a person becomes out of balance and sick, the meridian flow becomes interrupted, with particular pathways becoming either deficient and weak, or stagnant and blocked, much like a river of water can either run dry, or back up and overflow
the goal of Traditional Oriental Medicine is to restore and maintain the proper flow of this vital energy within the body in order to promote health and well-being

treats the meridian system by using special needles which are inserted at acupuncture points along the meridians in order to adjust their energy flow
by regulating the meridians, the body is brought back towards a state of balance and helps to unleash the person's innate natural healing power
the acupuncture needles are sterile and disposed of after one-time use and are much thinner than the typical medical needles that one may have experienced in a doctor's office
when performed by an appropriately qualified practitioner, most people find acupuncture to be an extremely relaxing and pleasant experience
Traditional Japanese acupuncture uses very gentle techniques so is ideal for people who are very sensitive, dislike needles, or may have had negative experiences with other types of needling

treats the meridians by burning moxa, which comes from the leaf of the Asian Mugwort plant, on various acupuncture points
traditionally used in conjunction with acupuncture to enhance the effects of treatment
the moxa herb contains many healing properties and has a self-regulating nature which allows it to add energy to deficient areas while releasing blockages and promoting circulation in regions of stagnation
creates an extremely small burn (approximately 1 mm in size) on the acupuncture point, but through its unique combination of vital energy, chemical reaction, and infra-red heat triggers a powerful healing response throughout the entire body, including boosting the immune system and reducing inflammation

a form of traditional Japanese massage that is based on the same meridian system as acupuncture, but instead of using needles, pressure is applied to the meridians using the hands and thumbs
can be used in conjunction with acupuncture and moxibustion, but may also be used on its own
although treatment can be quite relaxing and enjoyable, some discomfort may be experienced, especially when releasing areas which have stagnation and congestion
however, this discomfort is only temporary and the amount of pressure used can also be adjusted according to comfort levels.