Prevention

The other half of Chinese medicine is prevention. Acupuncture is brilliant at this.  As I have said elsewhere, by treating a current symptom at the level of its root cause, not only can the symptom go away, but future illness can be prevented. Unchecked, the imbalance that is the root cause of the symptom will simply progress and create an energetic imbalance in another organ. An established imbalance will gain strength as times goes on. It does not go to sleep just because we are not currently experiencing symptoms. The imbalance gets entrenched, like a habit, and, as I said, it will eventually throw other organs off balance.  It is much easier to prevent an illness, than to cure it once it has manifested.

Life style is critical in preventing illness: Correct nutrition, exercise, and getting enough rest, all guided by the Chinese instruction of  “moderation in all things”. Neither too much nor too little.

Moderation in living is only possible with  balance – emotions, mind and spirit. Just wishing for it doesn’t make it happen. Most of us find our lives very stressful. We are not in balance and harmony within ourselves. For many of us, our organs and  nervous systems  are exhausted. We all experience negative emotions and thoughts triggered by stress.

Acupuncture is excellent for these problems. Recently, scientific findings have discovered that most chronic illnesses reveal the biochemical footprints of stress. Acupuncture is also excellent for the reduction of  the effects of stress and the prevention of chronic illness. Through conversations  with my patients, we often come up with ideas of how they can live a healthier more moderate  life, with  a healthier body, more balanced emotions and mind, and better spirits.