What is Acupuncture?

By now, most Americans have heard of acupuncture.  You probably know that acupuncture is a kind of therapeutic treatment from China that is done by inserting small “Acupuncture Needles” into certain points on your body, called “Acupuncture Points”, and that somehow that is supposed to help with medical problems.

To a lot of people, that seems mysterious, possibly scary, and kind of weird.  How could that work?  It might seem unbelievable, but you might have heard from friends or the media that a lot of people have been helped by acupuncture.  What is going on here?

Here is a brief overview.

Acupuncture did begin in China, somewhere over two thousand years ago.  By 200 BC, there were Chinese medical texts that describe the use of acupuncture in great detail, indicating that it had already been widely practiced by that time.  Acupuncture as a therapeutic practice spread through much of Asia, and was adopted into many cultures, in many places being taken into the culture of an area and being practiced in a particular way in that culture.

In that way, China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and other places became cultures where acupuncture was accepted as a very useful medical treatment.  Because of the length of time it has been practiced, and the variety of cultures and schools that have evolved over the years, The practice of acupuncture has become very diverse, and is used in a lot of ways for a lot of things.

This is possible because acupuncture is a manifestation of a very comprehensive medical paradigm, and acupuncture needles are very versatile tools.

In general, Asian medicine looks at each person as a unique presence, and in terms of their  physical bodies, as existing and functioning as an intertwining complex of circulatory systems that circulate both energies and substances both inside and in relation with their environment.

Optimal health is present when all of the circulatory systems are unobstructed, flowing freely, and have enough of what they need.

Traditional evaluation methods are used to determine where and in what body systems circulation might be obstructed or deficient, and where to apply stimulation with an acupuncture needle to correct such an imbalance.

Acupuncture needles are used to affect the flow of energies and substances in the circulatory systems.  They can be used to influence blood flow, the movement of heat or body fluids, local areas of muscle tightness or weakness, nervous system function, hormonal balance, etc.

The acupuncture that I practice is primarily rooted in the Japanese tradition that I learned at the Kototama Institute, but has been influenced by Chinese acupuncture methods and other traditions.

For more information, please give me a call at (206) 632-5640, or email me at ed@hibikimedia.com (Click the envelope icon at the top right of this page)

Ed Antkowiak, L.Ac. - Seattle Acupuncture and Professional Education

Also look around this site - I will be posting more articles as time goes on…

Education - for Clients and Professionals

Watch this space - I will be offering classes for Clients, Acupuncturists, Massage Therapists, and other Professionals, and posting general informational articles here.  Check Back!

For more information, please give me a call at (206) 632-5640, or email me at ed@hibikimedia.com (Click the envelope icon at the top right of this page)

Ed Antkowiak, L.Ac. - Seattle Acupuncture and Professional Education

Education - Massage Therapists

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Education - Asian Medicine

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Education - Acupuncture

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Education - Moxabustion

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What does a Moxabustion treatment look like, and feel like?

Moxabustion treatment takes very  many forms -

Sometimes Moxa is used to warm up a part of your body that is suffering from diminished circulation, and is cold.  If a part of your body is chronically deprived of blood circulation, the tissues there will become malnourished and toxic.  This situation will prevent injured tissues from healing, and often will result in chronic pain.  Moxa therapy can help with this.

Sometimes, a person might have a systemic imbalance that results in a long-term illness, such as infertility, Fibromyalgia, Asthma, IBS, Diabetes, or other “Mystery diseases” that are not effectively treated by Western Medicine.  It is possible that regular Moxa/Acupuncture treatments could help with these kinds of conditions.

Moxa therapy is often useful for conditions that do not respond well to other forms of treatment - serious injuries such as cuts and post-surgical problems, injuries from car accidents, menstrual disorders, thyroid disorders, and many others…

How is Moxa used?

One way is by using Moxa to heat up an area of your body, with what is called a “Moxa Box”.  this is often used on the abdomen or low back.  It is a way to bring circulation to a large area of your body.  Most people find this type of moxa treatment to be very pleasant.

Indirect Moxa is done by using Moxa to heat either Acupuncture points or areas with Moxa to bring circulation to an area, or to disperse stagnation from an area.  This is often done with a “Moxa Stick” - moxa is rolled up into a paper, similar to a cigar, and one end of it is lighted and used to warm a point or area.  This is also usually experienced as a very nice form of treatment.  There are many other ways to do indirect moxa treatments, as well.

Direct moxabustion is a treatment that has been preserved especially through Japanese and Korean lineages.  Direct Moxabustion is so highly esteemed in Japan that it is a separately-licensed medical practice there.  My Teacher, Masahiro-Nakazono Sensei, was a specialist of this kind of medicine, and taught this form of treatment as a part of our curriculum at the Kototama Institute.

Some people love this kind of treatment - some do not like it for various reasons.  It is often so therapeutically valuable, though, that even if people do not like the sensation of it, the results are worth the minor discomfort that might be experienced.

Another form of moxa treatment is called “Moxa Needling”, and is done by placing a small amount of moxa on a needle inserted into an acupuncture point, and then burned to warm up the needle and the point.  I use this form of treatment a lot - I find it to be very effective for a wide variety of conditions.  Generally, I find that most people really enjoy the experience of this kind of moxabustion.

These are only some of the ways in which moxa is used therapeutically, but this overview will give you an idea of the range of application of moxa treatment.

When a person comes to see me, I will do a very comprehensive evaluation of their condition, and then decide on a treatment strategy (selected from the variety of techniques of my training) to apply what seems to be the best treatment for that person at that time.  I will generally do some combination of manual therapy, acupuncture, and moxabustion in the course of any given treatment, often combined with some recommendations for treatments that can be done at home to supplement the treatment in my office.

For more information, please give me a call at (206) 632-5640, or email me at ed@hibikimedia.com (Click the envelope icon at the top right of this page)

Ed Antkowiak, L.Ac. - Seattle Acupuncture and Professional Education

What is Moxabustion?

Moxabustion is a therapeutic treatment from Asia that is almost unheard of in America. It is one of the most powerful treatments practiced by Acupuncturists, however.  In fact, in the Chinese language, the term for Acupuncture is “Zhenjiu”, which could be translated as “Acupuncture/Moxabustion”.  In the traditions of Asian Medicine, Moxabustion treatment is considered as inseparable from acupuncture as a branch of medical treatment.

Moxabustion or Moxa treatment is widely practiced throughout Asia and the world, but for various reasons it is not known much in the US.

Some sources say that moxa treatment is actually older than acupuncture, being referenced in Chinese medical classics more than 300 years before Acupuncture is discussed.

Moxa treatment is done in very many ways in many different cultures, and this kind of treatment is very effective for a wide variety of illnesses and injuries.  Moxa is a very versatile treatment - it can be used to affect blood circulation, hormonal imbalances, pain of all kinds, immune disorders, and many other internal imbalances.

Ed Antkowiak of Hibiki Natural Therapeutics has studied and practiced Moxa treatment for over 25 years, and is a specialist of this kind of treatment.  I was originally trained by a Japanese teacher who was a specialist of Moxabustion treatment, among very many different fields that he excelled in.  I have used Moxa treatment over the years to treat many people for many different kinds of conditions, from breathing problems and allergies, to digestive problems, menstrual disorders and fertility issues, and musculoskeletal problems.

Look around my site to find more information about Moxabustion treatment…

How can Oriental Medicine help my athletic performance?

Oriental medicine has been used for centuries to increase performance and heal injuries.  Martial arts schools in China as early as the sixth century BC were centers of this medicinal knowledge.  The study of trauma medicine was used to treat injuries such as sprains, muscle pulls, bruises from impact trauma, even dislocations and bone fractures.  This type of medicine came to be known as “Hit Medicine”, due to the injuries sustained while practicing martial arts.  Practitioners were skilled at using acupuncture, moxabustion, special massage and bodywork techniques, and external applications such as compresses and herbal liniments.  This tradition has been passed down throughout Asia to the present day.  In Japan, there is a special class of professional licensed therapists known as Judo-orthopedists, who still practice this tradition.  In addition to acupuncture and other therapies, Ed Antkowiak’s teacher was trained as a practitioner of this Japanese trauma medicine.

In modern times, professional and Olympic athletes have used these techniques to speed healing and enhance performance.  These techniques can be used to speed up post-operative healing as well as for less severe injuries. Professional basketball and football players, triathletes, and dancers have credited acupuncture and Oriental medicine with improving their performance, endurance, and reducing recovery time from injuries.

Whitfield Reeves, co-founder and past president of the National Sports Acupuncture Association, says “Acupuncture, as a specialty of sports medicine, can offer therapeutic modalities of treatment that can be of great assistance in the prevention and treatment of athletic injury.  Traditional Chinese medical theory can offer tremendous insight into the nature of the athlete as a whole, not just reducing the patient to an injury or ailment.”

Women athletes, as a group, can especially benefit from Oriental medicine’s holistic approach to sports medicine.  Health issues particular to women or common among women, such as menstrual dysfunction, connective tissue disorders, anemia, eating disorders and the effects of past eating disorders, depression, etc., can affect women’s athletic performance or predispose them to certain injuries.  Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help by treating or effectively managing these conditions, freeing up energy and other resources which can then be channeled into improving performance.

For more information, please give me a call at (206) 632-5640, or email me at ed@hibikimedia.com (Click the envelope icon at the top right of this page)

Ed Antkowiak, L.Ac. - Seattle Acupuncture and Professional Education

Acupuncture and Auto Accidents

Hit Medicine:  Oriental Medicine, Martial arts, and Trauma

Traumatic injury is as old as the human race.  In the Orient, as in the West, orthopedic and trauma medicine is a specialized practice.  Practitioners of Asian trauma therapies are trained in specific evaluation methods, acupuncture techniques, bodywork, exercises, herbal treatments, and external applications (compresses and herbal applications).

Traditionally, throughout Asia, trauma medicine has been associated with martial arts.  In China it is generically known as “Hit Medicine” because of this association. Injury from falls, impact trauma, cuts, sprains and strains, and other major and minor injuries all come under this category of Hit Medicine.  Treatment of the whole body, in addition to the injured area, is one of the tenets of this approach.  It is analogous to orthopedic or sports medicine in Western medicine.

Whole body treatment is important for two reasons.  One is that when an injury occurs, not only is tissue damaged, but also the injured area loses its integration with the rest of the body.  Whole body treatment helps restore the integrity of your system.  When a major impact occurs, such as in a fall or an auto accident, often many injuries occur simultaneously, both large and small.  In our health care system in the US, often only the most severe are addressed, and are usually treated as a local condition, or generically treated as “Pain”, with strong pain medications that have significant side effects.  Treatment of the whole body can identify and address both major and minor injuries that may have been overlooked, but still need to be treated.

When you are in an automobile accident, there are usually several kinds of trauma involved – primary trauma comes from direct impact against a hard surface.  Secondary trauma is caused when inertia causes your body to be injured by internal forces when thrown against something during the accident, or just from the impact itself.  Whiplash and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)  are examples of a secondary injury.  These injuries are usually quite complicated, since while your injury will often manifest as pain at a specific point or area, the whole problem reflects throughout your body through the fascial system, or in other ways, and may cause injury or pain somewhere else in your system.    It is common for a pattern of injuries to all be related to a single impact.

A practitioner trained in hit medicine will be able to accurately evaluate the complicated nature of secondary injuries.

For more information, please give me a call at (206) 632-5640, or email me at ed@hibikimedia.com (Click the envelope icon at the top right of this page)

Ed Antkowiak, L.Ac. - Seattle Acupuncture and Professional Education

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