At Rē we are honored to present Jeff Luker, MsAOM, L.Ac. to our friends and clients. He became interested in acupuncture in 2004 when he was successfully treated for a chronic shoulder injury. Always a proponent of natural healing, he found that the combination of acupuncture and herbal therapy to be an excellent way to wellness without resorting to pharmaceuticals or surgery. As national interest grows,we believe that Traditional Chinese Medicine will only become more frequently used for complementary healthcare.
Jeff Luker is a nationally certified Acupuncturist and Herbologist. He has bachelor's degrees from Northeastern State and Oklahoma State Universities, and studied Traditional Chinese Medicine at the Texas College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Austin, TX graduating with honors in April, 2009. He is licensed as an acupuncturist in Texas.
To contact Jeff, email him at TCM@ReTulsa.net
What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an ancient medical system that takes a deep understanding of the laws and patterns of nature and applies them to the human body. TCM is not "New Age," nor is it a patchwork of different healing modalities. TCM is a complete medical system that has been practiced for more than five thousand years.
At the heart of TCM is the tenet that the root cause of illnesses, not their symptoms, must be treated. In modern-day terms, TCM is holistic in its approach; it views every aspect of a person's body, mind, spirit, and emotions as part of one complete circle rather than loosely connected pieces to be treated individually. In their book, Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine, Harriet Beinfield and Efrem Korngold succintly describe the "body as a garden", as seen by TCM, where western medicine's view of the body is more like the "body as a machine".
Major TCM Treatment Modalities
Often Western practitioners and their patients or clients derive their understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine from acupuncture. However, acupuncture is only one of the major treatment modalities of this comprehensive medical system based on the understanding of Qi or vital energy. Some of teh major treatment modalities are:
- Qigong: an energetic practice, generally encompassing simple movements and postures. Some Qigong systems also emphasize breathing techniques.
- Herbal Therapy: the use of herbal combinations or formulas to strengthen and support organ system function
- Foods for Healing: the prescription of certain foods for healing based on their energy essences or energy signatures, not nutritional value.Acupressure: the use of specific hand techniques on specific points to stimulate, disperse, and regulate the flow of Qi within the body.
- Acupuncture: fine needles are inserted at specific points to stimulate, disperse, and regulate the flow of Qi, or vital energy, and restore a healthy energy balance.
- Moxibustion:the traditional Chinese medical way of restoring the balance of yin and yang that is based on the therapeutic value of heat. It consists of the burning of sticks or cones made from the herb moxa (Artemisia vulgaris, also known as mugwort) on or beside an acupuncture point.
Traditional Chinese Medicine works by assisting your body’s self-healing mechanisms and correcting biochemical imbalances.
Treatments
Acupuncture and other forms of Oriental medicine are used, including Chinese herbs and moxibustion (a localized heat treatment) to facilitate optimal health. This form of treatment has been proven effective for many, many conditions.
All treatment begins with a proper chinese medical assesment, which takes place during your first visit. A lot of time is spent getting a complete picture of your health and lifestyle. The condition of your tongue may be examined, (is it cracked, coated, excessively pink? etc.), as is your pulse(s) on both wrists (the quality of your pulse gives information about possible imbalances). Questions about your emotional state, and specific symptoms you may have are also explored. This is done because unlike Western medicine, TCM treats the whole person. Instead of merely focusing on the symptoms of your condition, TCM treats the underlying cause(s) of those symptoms.
The first visit (with diagnosis) can last from an hour to an hour and a half, and may end with a treatment. Your subsequent visits will be usually an hour long. If it’s warranted, an herbal formula may be reccommended. Herbs are nearly always prescribed in a balanced formula, where different herbs have supporting effects. Thousands of years of use and research have shown that this is far more effective than large doses of a single substance.
Typically acupuncture treatments are given once a week. If the condition is acute and painful, treatments may be given 2-3 times per week until the condition starts to come under control. The exact duration of treatment depends on the condition, your basic level of health, and how well you respond to acupuncture.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a very comprehensive system of medicine. It works with your body to produce true healing instead of suppressing symptoms. A few of the conditions successfully treated by acupuncture and Oriental medicine:
- Women’s issues, including painful periods, menopause, and other gynecological issues. These are treated without requiring uncomfortable examinations.
- Chronic pain, especially joint and muscle pain, arthritis, as well as headaches and other discomforts.
- Fatigue, including chronic fatigue syndrome, or a general feeling of being down.
- Most conditions that respond to drug treatment, may respond even better to acupuncture and Chinese herbs - without side effects. However, we insist on partnering with your doctor to determine a proper course of treatment. Some medications need special care and planning.
- Most chronic conditions such as allergies, asthma, and more respond extremely well to acupuncture.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Do acupuncture needles hurt?
Most people barely feel a thing when needles are inserted. Some people feel a slight pinch, and others ask “Is it in yet?” The reason acupuncture needles don’t give the painful sensation you might expect is because they’re very, very thin in comparison to the hypodermic needles used to give injections. Hypodermic needles are necessarily hollow so that the shot can be injected. They also have a very blunt point (actually a wedge shape) in comparison to an acupuncture needle. Forty acupuncture needles can fit into the tip of one standard 18 gauge hypodermic needle.
There are certain sensations associated with the therapeutic effects of acupuncture, which are known as de qi (pronounced “day-chee”). These may include slight cramping, heaviness, distention, tingling or electric sensation traveling along a meridian. If any discomfort is experienced, it is usually mild.
Is acupuncture safe?
Acupuncture is very safe. A visit to an acupuncturist is at least as safe as a visit to your doctor.
Acupuncture needles are extremely safe, because they are pre-sterilized, individually packaged, and disposable. Every properly trained practitioner gets extensive training in anatomy so as to avoid accidentally inserting a needle in a place that can cause damage.
Do I have to believe in it for it to work? Does acupuncture always work?
Acupuncture and herbs work whether you believe in them or not. Good results are seen in the majority of cases. When all other treatment methods have failed, this indicates a systematic imbalance - exactly what acupuncture and herbs excel at treating.
What Should I Expect On My First Visit?
All treatment begins with a proper chinese medical assesment, which takes place during your first visit. A lot of time is spent getting a complete picture of your health and lifestyle. The condition of your tongue may be examined, (is it cracked, coated, excessively pink? etc.), as is your pulse(s) on both wrists (the quality of your pulse gives information about possible imbalances). Questions about your emotional state, and specific symptoms you may have are also explored. This is done because TCM treats the whole person. Instead of focusing on the symptoms of your condition, TCM treats the underlying cause(s) of those symptoms.
How often would I need to come in for treatment?
Typically acupuncture treatments are given once a week. If the condition is acute and painful, treatments may be given 2-3 times per week until the condition starts to come under control. The exact duration of treatment depends on the condition, your basic level of health, and how well you respond to acupuncture.
How does acupuncture work?
In Chinese medical theory, acupuncture works by balancing the body’s Qi. Qi can be described as a form of bioenergy that runs along 12 major meridians. If Qi gets blocked, it shows up as an imbalance or illness. Basically, if you have a health condition, some part of your body’s system is "out of whack". Chinese medical theory allows us to diagnose the imbalance… and facilitate a re-balancing.
In Western medical theory, acupuncture appears to work by stimulating parts of the brain. It also stimulates the body to release natural biomolecules such as neurotransmitters, vasodilators, and hormones. The exact mechanisms which brings this about are unknown, but the effects are measurable.
A good example of this is the use of acupuncture to induce labor. One of the first things that Oriental medical students learn is that there are a few points that are absolutely forbidden to use with pregnant women. These points cause the release of oxytocin, which is the hormone that naturally induces labor. Studies have shown that using acupuncture to induce labor reduces the active (painful) phase of labor by an average of 3.6 hours.
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