Acupuncture

Don Kimon Lightner

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to promote healing, it regulate blood flow, the nervous system, cellular metabolism and helps brings the body into balance. Acupuncture works by stimulating an electromagnetic current or Qi which is accessed via very specific points along the twelve main and eight extraordinary meridians. Almost anything can be successfully treated using acupuncture if a correct Chinese medical diagnosis is made. While in some cases a single treatment can have profound effects, it is wise to expect a series of treatments to resolve one's condition, especially if it is a chronic condition. The thorough knowledge of each of the point's locations, the experience and knowledge of how to combine points for optimal effect and the practitioner's cultivation of their own Qi is what makes a good acupuncturist. 

The beauty of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is that there are many ways to treat the same imbalance or condition. Don draws from many of the different traditional styles of acupuncture such as Classical (pre-Mao), TCM (post-Mao and the western world), Wu-Xing (Five Phase/Element), Japanese styles, Korean wrist-ankle, I-Ching Balance Method, modern science-based acupuncture, and various cupping techniques.

Conditions commonly treated with acupuncture:

Fatigue, immunity, women's health, fertility, Men’s health, anxiety, stress, depression, back, knee or shoulder pain, sports injuries, migraines/headaches, neck and shoulder tension and pain, sleep problems, digestive problems, spasms, tendinitis, adrenal fatigue, lung problems (chronic cough, asthma, bronchitis, etc.), allergies, Bell's Palsy, the side-effects of chemo and radiation and many more.

Interstitium

Recently, in the world of modern science and technology, scientists have discovered the Interstitium which is a vast body-wide complex fluid-filled network which accounts for 25% of the fluid in the body (four times more than blood). The Interstitium, or the Jing Luo/Meridian Sysytem, is what Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine has been accessing, mapping and utilizing for over 4000 years. The fluid is a combination of water, proteins, hyaluronic acid and other components that transport cells and information throughout everywhere in the body.

Click here for article on the science of acupuncture.

Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture Training: a Licensed Acupuncturist graduates after completing between 2000-3000 hours of training and must qualify for national certification with the NCCAOM and be licensed in the state they practice. In contrast to this, Naturopaths receive an average of 300 hours or less training in acupuncture and MDs (medical acupuncture), chiropractors and auricular acupuncture techs receive less than 100 hours of training. Physical Therapists whom practice acupuncture under the guise of "dry needling" have typically taken only a weekend class in acupuncture, which raises serious issues of safety and ethics.

World Health Organization and TRADITIONAL MEDICINE. 

Chinese Herbal Medicine

Don Kimon Lightner

Prescriptions filled by Yong Sheng Herbs

please call (520)975-3983

CUSTOM CHINESE HERB FORMULAS - WHAT TO EXPECT

Chinese herbal medicine has evolved from international empirical knowledge over the past three thousand (or more) years and through scientific biochemical studies since the 1950's (most notably research done since the 1990's).  Chinese Traditional Medicine is unquestionably one of the world's most complex forms of medicine and most effective. Chinese Medicine uses more than 350 different ingredients from all over the planet and strategically combines them into synergistic formulas which treat an individual's specific Chinese Medical Pattern. What is paramount is determining a precise diagnosis of an individual's pattern and then choosing the most beneficial herbs to address each piece of that pattern. Often a single western medical disease will manifest as diverse Medical Patterns. Pharmaceuticals are generally aimed at suppressing symptoms of a disease while Chinese Herbal Medicine treats both the root cause of a condition and its manifestations or symptoms and does so without the often annoying and sometimes dangerous side-effects which drugs often have, not to mention being much less expensive.  

The elegance of Chinese herbs is that they can be combined into a formula that treats an individual, instead of a statistical average, at the particular stage their malady is presenting, and PREVENT disease. A formula is thus often adjusted as the individual's pattern develops or changes. There have been thousands of standardized formulas (called patents) created in pill, tablet and various other forms to address common patterns/ailments. Sometimes if the individual's problem matches a pre-made formula then tablets can be taken (very similar to the pharmaceutical model of treating an average). Otherwise, the formula needs to be customized using bulk herbs or powdered herbs, which is how I practice, as custom formulation gets the best results. Powdered herbs tend to be the method of choice for busy people as they are easy to take and don't require any preparation on the part of the patient.

Q: "Are Chinese herbs safe?"

A: YES! If prescribed by an expert in Chinese herbal medicine. MDs, NDs and other health care practitioners do NOT have sufficient training to make a Chinese medical pattern diagnosis, nor training in Chinese Herbal prescriptionology and thus CANNOT safely prescribe Chinese herbal medicine (Also, not all acupuncturists have had sufficient training in Chinese herbology). And yes, the herbs we use are of high quality and have been rigorously tested to ensure they are free of pesticides and other hazardous chemicals.

Q: "Is Chinese Medicine scientifically proven?" 

A: Absolutely! We know the molecular structure of each of the herbs we use, their pharmacological properties, uses and proven clinical trials. There would be no pharmaceuticals without the knowledge of traditional medicinal herbs, as herbs are the source of most drugs. However, the biased scientific model that is used to test and approve drugs is not sophisticated enough for the complexity of the synergistic effects of multiple herbs in a complex formula nor is it economically viable since an herb cannot be patented (Also, most drugs are being prescribed for diseases which they were not tested nor approved for and herbs cannot be patented because nature makes them not chemists). 

Q: “Do you use herbs which are not Chinese?”

A: Chinese Medicine is a SYSTEM, the herbs come from all over planet earth.

Q: “I heard that Chinese Medicine uses endangered animal products, is this true.”

A: No! We don’t condone the use of endangered species in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Dietary supplements found at a health food store or online are NOT the same as Traditional Medicine. Dietary supplements often come with unrealistic claims and are of questionable quality. We do not offer supplements.

World Health Organization - Traditional Medicine

World Health Organization article on sustainable medicine here.