RePosted from Post City Online, http://www.postcity.com/Post-City-Magazines/January-2012/Eye-of-the-needle/
Eye of the needle
If you had Canada’s top acupuncture practitioner Dr. Joseph Wong, founder of the Toronto Pain & Stress Clinic, cornered for 10 minutes, what would you ask him?
BRIANNE HOGAN
Acupuncture has been becoming more mainstream with each passing year. Dr. Joseph Wong has been practising in Toronto for more than 40 years. He is the director of the Toronto Pain & Stress Clinic, the chief lecturer of the Acupuncture Foundation of Canada Institute and the originator of neuro-anatomical acupuncture.
How does treatment work?
It has been around for many years. In China, it was believed that the treatment started out 10,000 years ago. It’s more philosophical. It’s related to the body and its different meridians, and the meridians are related to different things in the body. When you insert the needle into meridians, the acupuncture points will be affected by the stimulation and will change the meridian.
It has been around for many years. In China, it was believed that the treatment started out 10,000 years ago. It’s more philosophical. It’s related to the body and its different meridians, and the meridians are related to different things in the body. When you insert the needle into meridians, the acupuncture points will be affected by the stimulation and will change the meridian.
How did it develop?
It is based on the philosophy of the Taoism. The idea is that we’re all made of yin and yang, and the principle applies to the human body and the medical system in the body. If the yin and yang are not in good balance, the patient will be sick, so the acupuncture will help get the patient back to balance.
It is based on the philosophy of the Taoism. The idea is that we’re all made of yin and yang, and the principle applies to the human body and the medical system in the body. If the yin and yang are not in good balance, the patient will be sick, so the acupuncture will help get the patient back to balance.
Do the needles hurt?
Usually when we first insert the needle, it may cause some pain, but with the treatment, you won’t feel any severe pain at all.
Usually when we first insert the needle, it may cause some pain, but with the treatment, you won’t feel any severe pain at all.
What are the common ailments treated by acupuncture?
Inflammation of the joints, any injuries, sprains.
Inflammation of the joints, any injuries, sprains.
What are the health benefits of using acupuncture as opposed to more conventional methods?
In the Western world, we have been using a lot of medications to deal with pain, but unfortunately most of the pain medications only stop the pain temporarily and then the pain will reoccur. Also, some of the pain medications have side effects. Acupuncture doesn’t have side effects, but also, it doesn’t just take the pain away. It helps to take away the condition, like the inflammation, making the tissue or bone heal. In that way, acupuncture is a better treatment.
In the Western world, we have been using a lot of medications to deal with pain, but unfortunately most of the pain medications only stop the pain temporarily and then the pain will reoccur. Also, some of the pain medications have side effects. Acupuncture doesn’t have side effects, but also, it doesn’t just take the pain away. It helps to take away the condition, like the inflammation, making the tissue or bone heal. In that way, acupuncture is a better treatment.
Why has it taken so long for Western doctors to adopt acupuncture?
You have to understand that for thousands of years China wasn’t open to the Western world. It’s been only the last few hundred years when we started opening our customs to the rest of the world, so people had no knowledge what acupuncture was until, gradually, Western people went to China. When Richard Nixon went to China in 1971, journalist James Reston successfully tried acupuncture there, and they helped spread the world.
You have to understand that for thousands of years China wasn’t open to the Western world. It’s been only the last few hundred years when we started opening our customs to the rest of the world, so people had no knowledge what acupuncture was until, gradually, Western people went to China. When Richard Nixon went to China in 1971, journalist James Reston successfully tried acupuncture there, and they helped spread the world.
What’s the future like for acupuncture in traditional medicine?
Judging by the progress of acupuncture in this city and country, more people are learning more about acupuncture, and more people are less happy with the prescription medicine.
Judging by the progress of acupuncture in this city and country, more people are learning more about acupuncture, and more people are less happy with the prescription medicine.
What is one of your specialties?
Physical medicine as well as rehabilitation. We treat a lot of people who need rehabilitation, mostly people who go through an acute stage of their disease, and it’s our specialty to help them to recuperate.
Physical medicine as well as rehabilitation. We treat a lot of people who need rehabilitation, mostly people who go through an acute stage of their disease, and it’s our specialty to help them to recuperate.
Is there a place in which you haven’t stuck a needle?
You don’t place it in the chest — you might traumatize the internal organs, like the heart, the lungs.
You don’t place it in the chest — you might traumatize the internal organs, like the heart, the lungs.
What is the average treatment time?
Each time, it usually takes 20 to 30 minutes. It depends on what the condition is, and usually you need to do more than a few treatments to make the condition healed. It depends on the individual.
Each time, it usually takes 20 to 30 minutes. It depends on what the condition is, and usually you need to do more than a few treatments to make the condition healed. It depends on the individual.
What are people nervous about the first time?
From our experience, because acupuncture has been around for some years now and people have knowledge about it, people in Toronto don’t appear to be nervous and they have a good expectation that acupuncture will happen and they seem to be fine with it.
From our experience, because acupuncture has been around for some years now and people have knowledge about it, people in Toronto don’t appear to be nervous and they have a good expectation that acupuncture will happen and they seem to be fine with it.
Is it just physical ailments, or can you treat mental issues such as depression?
I think it helps mental aspects as well as physical aspects, but I don’t think any particular treatment is only aiming at the depression of the patient. I don’t think we can generalize conditions like that.
I think it helps mental aspects as well as physical aspects, but I don’t think any particular treatment is only aiming at the depression of the patient. I don’t think we can generalize conditions like that.
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