complementary health
a glossary of acupuncture terms Acupuncture
also called needle puncture. a European term invented by Willem ten rhyne, a dutch physician who visited nagasaki in Japan in the early part of the 17th century. Has a clearly recorded history of about 2,000 years, but some authorities claim that it has been practiced in China for some 4,000 years.
Chen
the Chinese character used to describe acupuncture; literally means “to prick with a needle,” a graphic description of this therapeutic technique.
Bian
Chinese character describing the stone knives or sharp-edged tools used during the stone age to puncture and drain abscesses. Literally means the “use of a sharp edged stone to treat disease,” while the modern Chinese character “bi,” representing a disease of pain, is probably derived from the use of bian stones for the treatment of painful complaints.
Chi
also called ch’i or qi, this is an energy that allegedly permeates all things. it is believed to flow through the body along 12 main pathways called meridians. When someone is sick, diseased or injured, there is an obstruction of chi along one of the meridians. acupuncture unblocks chi by inserting needles at specified points on the body to balance the opposing forces of yin and yang.
Meridians
pathways through which chi and blood flow. the 12 pathways are related to the 12 organs: three yin channels of the hand (lung, pericardium and heart), three yang channels of the hand (large intestine, san jiao, and small intestine), three yin channels of the foot (spleen, liver and kidney) and three yang channels of the foot (stomach, gallbladder and bladder).
Yin and yang
When yin and yang are in harmony, chi flows freely within the body and a person is healthy. there are six yin and six yang channels – three yin and three yang channels on each arm, and three yin and three yang on each leg.
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enhance magazine
Sources: healthy.net and wikipedia.org