Traumatic Stress: Management of Physical and Psychological Trauma with Acupuncture Hamid Montakab
Traumatic stress or shock reaction is a psychological condition arising in response to a terrifying or traumatic event which induces an acute and strong emotional response, which may develop into a condition known as ‘PTSD’ (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). The acute traumatic stress is defined by a ‘dissociative’ condition, with reduced perception and awareness, even coma. Later there will be a total or partial amnesia concerning the traumatic event. This article shows how this condition can be understood through an analysis of the Chinese medicine model of the psyche, and the way in which the functions of the Sinew Channels, the luo-Connecting Vessels and the Eight Extraordinary Meridians are modified by trauma, and how they can be used in treatment. Case histories clarify and illustrate this approach.
New Beginnings: How 9/11 Changed the Face of Acupuncture and Established Community Trauma Medicine Janet Bardini
The 2,000-year-old medical practice of acupuncture has been brought into the 21st century through proven and effective researched methods to treat patients in times of shock and trauma. The NADA protocol, developed in the United States by licensed physicians, is currently used on military personnel in the United Kingdom and the United States for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition, community acupuncture has been used to aid citizens during times of critical disasters; these include post 9/11 treatments for the New York City community, in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, in the Connecticut community of Sandy Hook following the elementary school shootings, and currently in the UK for the victims of London’s Grenfell Tower fire. This article recounts the first-hand experience of an American acupuncture practitioner at the forefront of establishing community trauma medicine in 2001.
Emergency Acupuncture: Grenfell Tower Fire, June 2017 Sheira Chan
Sheira Chan presents a personal account of her experience, with fellow practitioner Gisela Norman, in setting up Emergency Response Acupuncture for people affected by the Grenfell Tower fire in West London in June 2017.
Medicine of Peace Diana Fried, Melanie Rubin and Carla Cassler
Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB) has been providing ‘medicine of peace’ treatments throughout the United States and many countries outside the U.S. since 2005. Founded to address the needs of residents and first responders in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, teams of acupuncturists provided over 8,000 trauma treatments to residents, first responders, NGOs, government agency staff, law enforcement and others in the New Orleans area most impacted by the hurricane. Out of this initial year-long response by AWB to the devastation of one of the United States poorest neighbourhoods, AWB’s purpose was crystallised: to bring healing from the trauma of disasters and crises primarily in the United States, but also around the world when catastrophic events occur.
Acupuncture in the Supportive Care of Colorectal Cancer Survivors: Four Case Studies, Part 1 Beverley de Valois and Rob Glynne-Jones
Colorectal cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide, yet there is little information about using acupuncture to support people living with and beyond the disease. A philanthropically funded hospital-based outpatient acupuncture service facilitated long-term treatment for colorectal cancer survivors experiencing consequences of cancer treatment. In this two-part paper, the authors present four case studies illustrating how acupuncture affected a range of troublesome symptoms experienced by patients who had completed cancer treatments (surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy). The cases are enriched by comments written by the patients themselves and by their oncologist, providing a broader view of the effects of acupuncture treatment.
The Forbidden City and its Correlation with Classical Acupuncture and the Human Body Stuart Lightbody
Built to house the Ming Emperors, the Forbidden City was the most awe inspiring palace complex ever constructed - a reflection of the might, power and grandeur of Imperial China. Hidden within its design, however, the architect had woven another, which is considered to be a correlation of its structures and spaces with those of the human body. A number of theories have been put forward to explain this correlation; this paper shows how from the viewpoint of Classical Acupuncture a different understanding emerges. The presence of a virtuous and upright Emperor within this seat of power ensured not only that the kingdom and its people would flourish in a state of peace and harmony, but that this state and its internal workings would mirror those of the human being.
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