Very little has been written on acupuncture and the Oriental medical view of health for the lay person in recent years. Even less has been written on the training requirements which vary enormously. This unique book clarifies this situation. It introduces the reader to the key concepts of healthy living, wellbeing, longevity, and their own inner kingdom. It draws upon the wisdom inherent in ancient Chinese philosophy whose universal principles were laid down in the Nei Jing, the oldest extant medical book in the world, written around 221 BCE. It brings alive and makes relevant this ancient understanding of the human being and the concept of health maintenance in the 21st century and is presented in a clear, easy to read and interesting format. It involves the individual in looking at their own health and lifestyle and offers advice as to how these might be optimised for life in the modern world. This book covers the historical background of oriental medicine, gives details of the 5 Element and Yin/Yang theories and brings to light its remarkable transition from one side of the world to the other. It explains how diagnosis, the consultation process, acupuncture and moxabustion work and offers extensive advice on preventive health.

Very little has been written on acupuncture and the Oriental medical view of health for the lay person in recent years. Even less has been written on the training requirements which vary enormously. This unique book clarifies this situation. It introduces the reader to the key concepts of healthy living, wellbeing, longevity, and their own inner kingdom. It draws upon the wisdom inherent in ancient Chinese philosophy whose universal principles were laid down in the Nei Jing, the oldest extant medical book in the world, written around 221 BCE. It brings alive and makes relevant this ancient understanding of the human being and the concept of health maintenance in the 21st century and is presented in a clear, easy to read and interesting format. It involves the individual in looking at their own health and lifestyle and offers advice as to how these might be optimised for life in the modern world. This book covers the historical background of oriental medicine, gives details of the 5 Element and Yin/Yang theories and brings to light its remarkable transition from one side of the world to the other. It explains how diagnosis, the consultation process, acupuncture and moxabustion work and offers extensive advice on preventive health.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed -- and misdiagnosed -- disorders of childhood. In ADHD Alternatives, Aviva Jill Romm (a professional midwife and acting president of the American Herbalists Guild) and Tracy Romm (director of a high school for gifted students, many of whom arediagnosed with ADHD) offer a holistic approach to diagnosing and treating ADHD with nutrition, herbal medicine, and targeted parenting instead of Ritalin and other psychostimulant drugs.

"

This book deals with the creation of the algorithmic backbone that enables a computer to perceive humans in a monitored space. This is performed using the same signals that humans process, i.e., audio and video. Computers reproduce the same type of perception using sensors and algorithms in order to detect and track multiple interacting humans, by way of multiple cues, like bodies, faces or speech. This application domain is challenging, because audio and visual signals are cluttered by both background and foreground objects. First, particle filtering is established as the framework for tracking. Then, audio, visual and also audio-visual tracking systems are separately explained. Each modality is analyzed, starting with sensor configuration, detection for tracker initialization and the trackers themselves. Techniques to fuse the modalities are then considered. Instead of offering a monolithic approach to the tracking problem, this book also focuses on implementation by providing MATLAB code for every presented component. This way, the reader can connect every concept with corresponding code. Finally, the applications of the various tracking systems in different domains are studied.

The five elements - Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water - are fundamental to Chinese medicine and metaphysics, but it can be difficult to get beyond the purely intellectual level of understanding. This rich book gets to the heart of five element theory, and offers passionate reflections on the spirit of each element, and the practice of five element acupuncture. The author provides accessible accounts of each element, explaining what it looks like, how it presents in an individual's characteristics, how it can become unbalanced and how treatment might be approached to restore balance. With profiles of various well-known figures, including David Beckham and Elvis Presley, the author explores what it means to live in harmony as a unique being and how the five elements help shape and cultivate our body and soul. The book explains how Chinese physicians understand and diagnose their patients and offers invaluable insights into how to practise five element acupuncture effectively. A valuable and thoughtful addition to any library, this book will be of particular interest to acupuncturists, practitioners and students of complementary medicine as well as anyone contemplating Chinese medicine as a treatment option or interested more generally in human psychology.

Significant advances made by Western medicine in the treatment of cancer are well-documented, but little has been written in English on complementary holistic treatment with Chinese medical methods that manage its symptoms and ameliorate the side effects of surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This book explains the complementary approach using cases from the medical files of Professor Rencun Yu, who was trained in Western medical oncology but also practices Chinese medicine. In addition, introductory chapters explain the basic principles of Chinese medicine, while other chapters cover the prevention of cancers through appropriate nutrition and living habits. The book should command the attention of medical professionals as well as the layperson interested in preventing and understanding the illness. There is no equivalent book in English that so skillfully combines an introduction to Chinese medical principles and cancer management for the general reader with detailed clinical studies of the crucial complementary role played by Chinese medicine in Western treatments for cancer patients.

The User's Manual is a transformative guide to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine for the 21st century, showing how these differ from those underlying Western medicine, what that means in practice and how we can help our bodies to heal themselves and thereby achieve a longer, healthier life. Books about TCM tend to be thousands of years old, very detailed and without reference to contemporary scientific knowledge. As a former computer engineer, Alex Wu draws parallels between the way a computer functions and the functioning of the human body in order to interpret the key concepts within Chinese medicine so that they become significantly easier to understand for today's readers. As he explains, Chinese medicine provides a dramatically different point of view to that of Western medicine, in particular its foundation belief that the body has a powerful self-healing system that must be nurtured and encouraged, not stifled with symptom-suppressing treatments. Taking the simple examples of gout, psoriasis, the common cold and today's obesity epidemic, the author explores the TCM and conventional medical approaches, showing how promoting body energy and self-healing can resolve the `incurable'. Alex Wu says: `Many readers have used the simple methods described in this book to achieve a healthy lifestyle and thereby improve their health within a short time... Modern medicine has not made significant advances in many chronic conditions for many years. It may be that the problem stems from its basic philosophy.' Here is an opportunity to look at health and medicine from a completely different point of view.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) originated from the traditional medical system in the Chinese civilization, with influences from the Daoist and Chinese folk traditions in bodily cultivation and longevity techniques. In the past few decades, TCM has become one of the leading alternative medical systems in the United States. This book demonstrates the fluidity of a medical ideological system with a rich history of methodological development and internal theoretical conflicts, continuing to transform in our postmodern world where people and ideas transcend geographic, ethnic, and linguistic limitations. The unique historical trajectories and cultural dynamics of the American society are critical nutrients for the localization of TCM, while the constant traffic of travelers and immigrants foster the globalizing tendency of TCM. The practitioners in this book represent an incredible range of clinical applications, personal styles, theoretical rationalizations, and business models. What really unifies all these practitioners is not their specific practices but the goal of these practices. The shared goal is to strive for health, not just health in terms of the lack of illness but the ultimate health of achieving perfect balance in every aspect of the being of a person-physically, mentally, spiritually, and energetically.

This path-breaking book reinterprets Chinese medicine using the approach of the philosophy of science in a manner that strikes common ground with biomedical science. It strips Chinese medical theory of the mystique and metaphysical pretentions that too often plague the discipline, presenting this theory as being derived from empirical observations and clinical findings. Concepts like qi and phlegm and vital organs like the shen (kidney) are interpreted, not as physical entities with defined measurable properties, but as constructs to facilitate the application of models for diagnosis and therapy. The author evaluates the five-element model and the diagnostic-therapeutic paradigm of Chinese medical syndromes, and suggests how these heuristic models can be subjected to clinical trials. Principles governing the use of herbal, acupuncture, tuina and qigong therapies are elucidated and critically examined. Written for medical professionals, philosophers of medicine and discerning readers interested in alternative therapies, the book also has practical chapters on the placebo effect and Chinese medical treatment of chronic illnesses, and a useful compilation of common Chinese herbs and formulations.

Cancer is one of the leading killers in the world and the incidence is increasing, but most cancer patients and cancer survivors suffer much from the disease and its conventional treatments side effects. In the past, clinical data showed that some complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) possessed anticancer abilities, but some clinicians and scientists have queried about the scientific validity of CAM due to the lack of scientific evidence. There is great demand in narrowing the knowledge gap to explore the scientific and evidence-based knowledge of CAM in the anticancer field. With this aim, an unparalleled undertaking of a book series is launched to structurally consolidate this area.

Although acupuncture and moxibustion have been practiced for millennia, they have come under scientific investigation only recently. Acupuncture and moxibustion have been used clinically to treat cancer-related symptoms (e.g. cancer pain, anxiety, depression and insomnia), manage treatment-induced side effects (e.g. hot flashes, nausea and vomiting) and enhance immunity (e.g. blood cell count, lymphocyte and natural killer cell activity). This is the first book manages to provide comprehensive and updated scientific evidence of the effectiveness of acupuncture and moxibustion intervention for cancer care. Laboratory and animal studies have uncovered the mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion for cancer therapy. Promising results of most clinical trials show the efficacy and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion in cancer management. This book consists of fifteen chapters which address a range of important aspects that will impact on the application of acupuncture and moxibustion. An overview of the safety and side effects of acupuncture and moxibustion for cancer care are also covered. In addition, the integration of acupuncture with Western medicine in cancer treatment and recent clinical trials are included as well.

Opinion leaders around the world have teamed up to pursue a thorough and up-to-date review of the area, this volume will contribute great to the cancer, clinical and academic community by providing evidence-based information on the efficacy of acupuncture and moxibustion as an anticancer therapy."

Practiced for more than 2,000 years, acupuncture was once restricted to the realm of alternative medicine. It was thought to be based on mythical elements and not easily understood by those in the scientific community. Acupuncture: An Anatomical Approach, Second Edition dispels these notions and brings this once backroom therapy into the forefront-explaining it in terms that can be easily comprehended by all medical professionals. Presenting a scientific, anatomical approach to acupuncture, this volume discusses: The basics of the nervous system Acupuncture points located in the head and face, formed by the cranial nerves The cervical plexus, which forms acupuncture points in the neck region Acupuncture points formed by the brachial plexus in the upper limbs, spinal nerves in the body trunk, and the lumbar-sacral plexuses in the lower limbs The anesthesia effect of biochemical substances in the nervous system The measurement and quantification of pain Applications of acupuncture in clinical practice, from cases easy to treat to those more challenging Theories on the future of acupuncture The treatment of pain, in general, is controversial, as many therapies have unintended consequences and side effects. Acupuncture provides a therapy that is quick, easy to perform, and requires no medications. This volume enables physicians, osteopaths, pain specialists, chiropractors, and other health professionals to perform this effective treatment for their patients who experience both chronic and acute pain.

This book summarises the recent development in acupuncture research and in particular, the neurobiology of acupuncture. It provides a focus but a diverse range of subjects covering many body systems. The first a few chapters discuss the basic principles of acupuncture, then its modulatory effects on nervous system such as induction of neurotrophin and neurogenesis in the brain. Late chapters explore the clinical effects and potential mechanisms of acupuncture on different conditions ranging from neurological diseases such as Parkinson s, Alzheimer s, and stroke, to psychiatric illnesses, insomnia, hypertension, gastrointestinal diseases and drug addiction. We believe this will promote the understanding acupuncture treatment and enhance acupuncture research in the future.

This volume of "International Review of Neurobiology" brings together cutting-edge research on the neurobiology of acupuncture. It reviews current knowledge and understanding, provides a starting point for researchers and practitioners entering the field, and builds a platform for further research and discovery."

Offering a Taoist map of the human psyche, the "Five Spirits" provide a mythical view of the nervous system and form the basis of Chinese medical psychology. An understanding of these Five Spirits is the key that opens the doorway to the mysteries of Taoist psycho-spiritual alchemy.

Written by widely respected acupuncture expert Yun-tao Ma, PhD, LAc, Biomedical Acupuncture for Sports and Trauma Rehabilitation shows techniques that will enhance athletic performance, accelerate recovery after intensive workouts, and speed trauma rehabilitation after injuries or surgeries. Evidence-based research is used to support the best and most effective techniques, with over 100 illustrations showing anatomy, injury, and clinical procedures. Unlike many other acupuncture books, this book uses a Western approach to make it easier to understand rationales, master techniques, and integrate biomedical acupuncture into your practice. Unique! Explores acupuncture treatments for sports injuries in the acute phase, rehabilitation, and prevention. Includes acupuncture for performance enhancement and injury prevention, emphasizing pre-event acupuncture used to help increase muscle output, assist with pre-competition stress, and prevent soft tissue injury. Provides evidence-based research to show the science behind the best and most effective techniques, based on the author's background in neuroscience and cell biology and his 35 years of clinical acupuncture experience. Offers an overview of the science of biomedical acupuncture including the mechanisms of acupuncture, anatomy and physiology of acupoints, and discussion of human healing potential. Uses terminology and concepts familiar to Western-trained health professionals, making the material easier to understand and incorporate into practice. Includes more than 100 illustrations showing anatomy, injury, and clinical procedures. Covers useful techniques including those that increase muscle force output, joint flexibility and stability; prevent sports injuries like muscle sprain, tendonitis, bone strain, stress/fatigue fracture and bone spurs; reinforce muscle output for specific sports; normalize physiology of dysfunctional soft tissues; predict treatment response; reduce physiological stress; use the new Vacuum Therapy for deep tissue dysfunctions; and balance the biomechanics of musculoskeletal system.

This title was first published in 2003. In laboratories around the world the active principles in traditional herbal medicines are being isolated and characterized. A systematic effort at the Chinese Academy of Sciences is underway to identify the structure-activity relationships that result from the link between chemistry and medicine that is permitted by this data. This book, which provides the only systematic English-language description of the chemical structures and pharmacological effects of compounds active in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), is now in its second edition. The new edition provides English-language monographs on over 9000 chemicals isolated from nearly 4000 natural sources used in Chinese medicine and features the addition of in-depth bioactivity data for many of the compounds. Effects and indications of the medicines are included. Extensive indexing permits cross-referencing among English, Chinese and Latin names for natural medicinal sources, effects and indications, and the chemical components of the medicines. The second edition of Traditional Chinese Medicines includes 2300 new compounds, 2400 additional plant sources, more CAS Registry Numbers, and more pharmacological data. The structure of the book has been extensively reorganised to make cross referencing the data much simpler. This new edition is therefore a substantial improvement on the first edition of this important reference on the structural chemistry of traditional Chinese medicines.

This title was first published in 2003. In laboratories around the world the active principles in traditional herbal medicines are being isolated and characterized. A systematic effort at the Chinese Academy of Sciences is underway to identify the structure-activity relationships that result from the link between chemistry and medicine that is permitted by this data. This book, which provides the only systematic English-language description of the chemical structures and pharmacological effects of compounds active in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), is now in its second edition. The new edition provides English-language monographs on over 9000 chemicals isolated from nearly 4000 natural sources used in Chinese medicine and features the addition of in-depth bioactivity data for many of the compounds. Effects and indications of the medicines are included. Extensive indexing permits cross-referencing among English, Chinese and Latin names for natural medicinal sources, effects and indications, and the chemical components of the medicines. The second edition of Traditional Chinese Medicines includes 2300 new compounds, 2400 additional plant sources, more CAS Registry Numbers, and more pharmacological data. The structure of the book has been extensively reorganised to make cross referencing the data much simpler. This new edition is therefore a substantial improvement on the first edition of this important reference on the structural chemistry of traditional Chinese medicines.

Cancers are on the rise across the world. Except for viral-based cancers, overall cancers are diseases that may be preventable. This book looks at the many levels of determined, probable, and possible causation for several common cancers. These causes include realities found in culture, anthropology, sociology, politics, the environment, agriculture and food, beliefs, and the modern lifestyle. These realities are filtered through the perennial science of Chinese medicine - an ecological system of knowing and understanding the human body as it relates to the world around us.The book covers lung, colorectal, breast, prostate, and virally-caused cancers. It interweaves conventional medical knowledge of these cancers with modern realities of everyday life we all live, and with Chinese medicine interpretations and strategies for treating probable pre-cancerous conditions. This makes it a book that is useful for the practitioner of Chinese medicine. It is also useful for the patient suffering a cancer diagnosis in terms of survivorship and for other medical practitioners who wish to understand how integrated care for cancerous diseases and conditions may relate to Chinese medicine and prevention.The final chapters of the book are dedicated to finding answers for a cure for cancer through making connections between how we live, what we believe, the environment we are creating based on those beliefs, and the social and political mechanisms we now have in place that keep us from change and, therefore, from the cure for cancer.

Cancers are on the rise across the world. Except for viral-based cancers, overall cancers are diseases that may be preventable. This book looks at the many levels of determined, probable, and possible causation for several common cancers. These causes include realities found in culture, anthropology, sociology, politics, the environment, agriculture and food, beliefs, and the modern lifestyle. These realities are filtered through the perennial science of Chinese medicine - an ecological system of knowing and understanding the human body as it relates to the world around us.The book covers lung, colorectal, breast, prostate, and virally-caused cancers. It interweaves conventional medical knowledge of these cancers with modern realities of everyday life we all live, and with Chinese medicine interpretations and strategies for treating probable pre-cancerous conditions. This makes it a book that is useful for the practitioner of Chinese medicine. It is also useful for the patient suffering a cancer diagnosis in terms of survivorship and for other medical practitioners who wish to understand how integrated care for cancerous diseases and conditions may relate to Chinese medicine and prevention.The final chapters of the book are dedicated to finding answers for a cure for cancer through making connections between how we live, what we believe, the environment we are creating based on those beliefs, and the social and political mechanisms we now have in place that keep us from change and, therefore, from the cure for cancer.

Written by many scientists and clinicians from China, USA, Canada and other countries, this monograph discusses translational research on acupuncture. Besides general topics on acupuncture practice (e.g., different styles and techniques of acupuncture), topics include some refractory diseases such as chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson's disease, cardiovascular dysfunction, chronic pain, post-concussion syndrome and post-traumatic stress disorder and cancer-related symptoms. The factors influencing acupuncture research are comprehensively addressed in the final chapter. This unique book provides a translational perspective on modern acupuncture for not only acupuncturists, but also neuroscientists, neurologists, and other clinicians. For medical students and undergraduate and graduate students majoring in biology, this book is an advanced course for learning the progress in alternative and complementary Medicine.

This path-breaking book reinterprets Chinese medicine using the approach of the philosophy of science in a manner that strikes common ground with biomedical science. It strips Chinese medical theory of the mystique and metaphysical pretentions that too often plague the discipline, presenting this theory as being derived from empirical observations and clinical findings. Concepts like qi and phlegm and vital organs like the shen (kidney) are interpreted, not as physical entities with defined measurable properties, but as constructs to facilitate the application of models for diagnosis and therapy. The author evaluates the five-element model and the diagnostic-therapeutic paradigm of Chinese medical syndromes, and suggests how these heuristic models can be subjected to clinical trials. Principles governing the use of herbal, acupuncture, tuina and qigong therapies are elucidated and critically examined. Written for medical professionals, philosophers of medicine and discerning readers interested in alternative therapies, the book also has practical chapters on the placebo effect and Chinese medical treatment of chronic illnesses, and a useful compilation of common Chinese herbs and formulations.

The ancient art of Chinese medicine is known throughout the world for its unique methods of diagnosis and treatment. To many, its image is that of an esoteric art.Essence of Traditional Chinese Medicine provides a comprehensive and in-depth coverage of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Topics ranging from theories, practical experience and traditional material to modern technology offer a good foundation for understanding TCM. Diagrams and illustrations enhancing understanding of the text. The practical aspect is made relevant and applicable; stories of famous physicians are put across in a lively manner. All these make this book an easy and informative read.This book illustrates, in an easy-to-understand format, its fundamental concepts and history:

This quick reference guide for acupuncture students and qualified practitioners provides acupuncture treatments for 1000 Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Actions, and Western signs, symptoms and disease states. Treatments are listed alphabetically, and most conditions are covered - from the most common signs and symptoms like neck pain to rarer and more chronic ones like Raynaud's phenomenon. TCM Actions incorporate "Liver Yang Rising," "Sanjiao," "Qi Stagnation," etc - they are the cornerstone of any treatment planned by a TCM practitioner and are an important inclusion to this new edition. The remaining disorders are Western signs/symptoms/disease states, as well as treatment principles to adopt in certain situations. Basic signs and symptoms include memory loss and headache, disease states include hepatitis and irritable bowel syndrome, and treatment principles include inducing labour and reducing lactic acid build-up. Each of the 1000 disorders is presented with TCM Actions (referenced), main acupoints (referenced), secondary acupoints, and additional notes necessary to better understand the condition.

Struggling to locate and remember the extended meridians? This guidebook and colouring book allows you to colour and draw along the path of each meridian, supporting visual learning. An effective revision tool for students of Zen shiatsu, it includes 39 double-page spreads with anatomical meridian drawings and tips on locating the meridian and the points. Appropriate treatment positions are also covered, with photographs illustrating the positions for the arms and legs. There are blank anatomical drawings at the back of the book for you to freely colour and draw on to aid your understanding and memory of the extended meridians, which are notoriously tricky to locate and remember. Colour drawings showing the multiple meridians in relation to each other are included at the back of the book for reference.