Re: Electroacupuncture - Stimplus Units

[Guest guest]

I've used electroacupuncture for headaches for just over 2 years. It

also can work for sinus headaches amoung other things. I use the

Stimplus that was discussed a couple weeks ago on the board. I find

that it works sometimes and sometimes it doesn't.

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I am in favor of, encourage, and support anything that helps bring

all of this into the mainstream where it can be used.

My big objection to electroacupuncture is the same objection I have

to " true " acupuncture. Objection isn't really a good description

because it implies I am against them and I most certainly am not.

Like I said, I am in favor of anything that gets this out there

where it can and will be used.

Personally, I prefer to think of both of them more as training

wheels. Neither of them do anything that cannot just as effectively

be done with your hands. And there are aspects of the work using

your hands that neither needles nor electrical stimulators can even

begin to do.

To begin with, all three work with the same energetic system – the

meridian structure and its associated acupoints. One of the most

basic principles of Oriental medicine is that " dis-ease " STARTS with

an imbalance in the body's energetic system. It manifests in the

energetic before manifesting in the physical. Consequently,

treatment protocols that ignore the energetic only go part of the

way in effecting a " cure. " By extension, this is one of the reasons

why western medicine is not particularly effective in treating many

of the chronic conditions. It simply suppresses symptoms without

addressing the cause. And as long as western medicine continues to

ignore or deny the reality of an energetic body, it will continue to

fail.

There are different types of imbalance. A meridian/channel can

simply be blocked, like a dam or a log-jam cutting off the flow of a

stream. It can be excessive like a flash flood in the Arizona desert

or deficient like a kink in the garden hose. The purpose of

acupuncture or acupressure, regardless of the " method " used, is to

restore that balance. And there are many, many " methods " available

from which to choose.

Something like a Stimplus is great for someone just starting out and

having difficulty locating the acupoints. The meridians run both

superficially and deep within the body. Acupoints are simply spots

along a meridian where the meridian approaches more closely to the

surface. A Stimplus works by first detecting the difference in

electrical conductivity of the skin to locate the point (nothing

esoteric about this – pure, hard, western based science involved

here). The point is then " stimulated " with a mild electrical pulse

or current. I don't know a lot of technical detail on them, but

from what I have read, it is my understanding that you can adjust

the settings. (One of the things that drives me nuts is how many

people are perfectly comfortable with and will use something like a

Stimplus because it is powered by a battery but at the same time

will totally reject the very idea that there even is such a thing as

an energetic system in the body.) They work, they are good, they

are useful, but they only address a small piece of the picture. They

provide a preset level of " stimulation " but do nothing for

identifying or addressing the question of balance. Furthermore,

they are being used by folks with absolutely zero meaningful

training in the art, science or theory of oriental medicine or

energy channels.

The exact opposite is true where needle acupuncture is involved.

You don't get a license as an acupuncturist without first having

extensive training, and in a whole lot more than just the location

of the specific meridians and points. And it isn't simply a case of

inserting a needle or series of needles at different locations

to " stimulate " the points. They are inserted where they are to

bring about specific, desired results. One set of points might be

used to increase energetic flow while a different set is used to

diminish flow in cases of excess for the same meridian. They also

use variations on just needles, including applying heat or cold to a

needle or moxibustion (which is the burning of special herbs under a

small glass bowl on an acupoint), or a form of suction at a point.

But whatever the specific technique, it is still a " mechanical "

approach. It is far more sophisticated and effective than the

battery powered Stimplus, but it still lacks something in my

opinion.

And that something lacking is intention, the power of the mind,

entrainment, etc. To a certain extent, it also has an element of

being " preset " like the Stimplus, even though the range

of " presets " is far vaster with needles. I have run into too many

students of acupuncture, or even licensed acupuncturists, in my

classes who don't actually work with energy hands-on. In some

cases, they have never even felt it before. The studies that have

been done scientifically on energy workers while working have shown

that the hands constantly " scan " through a range of frequencies.

And it is also well documented in " legitimate " medical research that

the body's self-healing mechanisms are a function of different

frequencies; one for bone knitting, a different one for soft tissue

repair, etc.

When you " work the points " with your hands, you open the door for

far more than just " stimulation " of a couple of points. When using

a two-hand position with a local and a distal point, you can detect

and go for a balance (again, I don't try to increase or decrease

when working – I just seek a balance). But the greatest potential

(in my opinion) is opening a door or window for entrainment and

scanning. Mechanical aides or tools are by their nature limited –

your hands are not. I have had more than enough experiences now

working on people using energy to know how that " scanning " can

elicit totally unexpected results. I have repeatedly had cases where

I was basically just doing a full body acupressure release routine

and ended up with things like a scapula shifting to free up a frozen

shoulder or a tilted pelvis dropping back into proper position. You

don't get that kind of result with just needles or battery operated

electrical stimulators.

Besides, you will always have your hands with you. You don't need

to remember to drop your Stimplus in your purse or make an

appointment with " the needle guy. "