Acupuncture: Interview with Caroline Chen, L.Ac

Acupuncture: Interview with Caroline Chen, L.Ac
16 December 2005
Shaun Yeu
ChinatownConnection.com

I had the opportunity to interview acupuncturist Caroline Chen of Acupuncture For Life. Below is our conversation about Chinese acupuncture.

What is Acupuncture?

For thousands of years, acupuncture has been used to treat diseases, facilitate healing and restore healthful vigor. Originating in China, acupuncture is part of a Taoist system of medicine that approaches each individual as an interconnected sum of physical, emotional, and spiritual qualities, constantly flowing, changing and affecting each other.

There are 365 acupuncture points on the human body. They are connected through channels of energy and goes through the nervous points of the body. These channels of energy is also known as "Qi" (pronounced chi). "To achieve optimum health, Qi needs to flow smoothly," says Caroline. "When an illness or injury occurs, there is a blockage in the channel and a Qi imbalance occurs." Acupuncture helps by unblocking the channels and allow it to flow smoothly again.

During an acupuncture treatment, ultra-thin, sterile needles are inserted into specific points on your body. For most people, there is little or no discomfort from this process. In fact, many people (even those once afraid of needles) find acupuncture so restful they fall asleep during a treatment. Caroline gives the following advice and procedure when going to an acupuncture specialist:

Wear loose clothing, but not too loose.
Have a snack or small meal beforehand so you are not hungry
When going in to Acupuncture For Life for example, Caroline will do a pre-diagnoses to see what kind of treatment is required.
Do not worry about the needles. They are in sealed packages and sterile.
The needling will not hurt. If you can withstand a mosquito bite, you can withstand acupuncture.
The needles will stay in 10-20 minutes. During that time you might feel a bit of heaviness, tingling, or something inside moving around (which is your Qi). However, most people feel relaxed.
Certain treatments may require ear acupressure as well. It is said that the ear is a blueprint of the entire body from head to toe, inside and out. Each pressure point on the ear represent an organ or a part of the body.
The most important thing to remember is that acupuncture will not fix ailments overnight. At least 5 treatments are necessary to have any sort of effect. It is a slow, gradual process.
Fact or Fiction: In acupuncture, there is such a thing as a "death spot". Caroline says "it is possible for a master of Qi Quong to reverse ...