Ice Age Acupuncture!

In 1991, the scientific world was rocked by the discovery of Otzi, a 5,000-year-old mummified man found in the mountains along the border between Austria and Italy. Named after the Otz valley in which it was discovered, the mummy's body was remarkably well preserved, as were most of his clothing, tools and weapons. Scientists have examined the mummy's remains thoroughly, learning much about the everyday life of ancient Europeans. One of the most remarkable discoveries was a complicated system of bluish-black tattoos running along Otzi's back, right knee and left ankle.

Experts from three acupuncture societies then examined the locations of the tattoos. In their opinion, nine tattoos could be identified as being located directly on, or within six millimeters of, traditional acupuncture points. Two more were located on an acupuncture meridian. One tattoo was used as a local point. The remaining three tattoos were situated between 6-13mm from the closest acupuncture point. X-rays of the ice man's body revealed evidence of arthritis in the hip joints, knees, ankles and lumbar spine. Nine of the mummy's 15 tattoos are located on the urinary bladder meridian, a meridian commonly associated with treating back pain. In fact, one of the mummy's two cross-shaped tattoos is located near the left ankle on a point, which is considered by several texts as a master point for back pain. The fact that not randomly selected points, but rather corresponding groups of points were marked by tattoos, seems especially intriguing, the researchers noted.

From an acupuncturist's viewpoint, the combination of points selected represents a meaningful therapeutic regimen. It’s fascinating to see evidence that acupuncture was actually practiced in ancient civilizations.

Meridian Harmonics

Oriental Medicine – More Than Treating Pain

I am asked all the time exactly what conditions can be treated using Oriental Medicine. Often, patients are surprised to discover that most conditions treated by a western doctor are successfully treated with Oriental Medicine. Most patients equate Oriental Medicine with acupuncture. The fact is that OM involves many different modalities designed to correct imbalances and disharmonies manifesting as symptoms. Symptoms commonly seen in my clinic are all the female related disorders: menopausal, gynecological, menstruation, yeast infections, urinary tract infections, as well as others affecting both men and women: migraines, headaches, gastrointestinal disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, allergies, emotional stress, depression, anxiety, acid reflux, hives, psoriasis, eczema, post stroke paralysis, seizures, epilepsy, arthritis, peripheral neuropathy, smoking cessation, weight loss and of course, pain, to name a few. Once a patient realizes OM has an 8000 year history, it really isn’t that surprising to see the many conditions treated using Oriental Medicine.

Meridian Harmonics