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COLEGIUL NATIONAL “CORIOLAN BREDICEANU” LUGOJ LUCRARE DE ATESTAT LA LIMBA ENGLEZĂ Candidat: Rogobete Doris
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Page 1: English Atestat PaperDoris

COLEGIUL NATIONAL “CORIOLAN BREDICEANU”LUGOJ

LUCRARE DE ATESTAT LA LIMBA ENGLEZĂ

Candidat: Rogobete Doris

2012

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THE GREEN FACE OF MEDICINE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Rationale………………………………………………………………………p.4

Summary………………………………………………..…………………….p.5

Chapter I: Introduction: Homeopathy – cure or disguised danger? .…....….…p.6

The Placebo Effect………...………………………………...…p.7

Chapter II: Herbalism - Health out of Mother Nature’s Garden………………p.9

Branches

Chapter III: Acupuncture – a small price for health........................................p.15

Conclusion………..………………………………….………………………p.17

Appendix……………..………………………………………….…………...p.18

Bibliography…………..…………………………………………….……….p.20

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Rationale

Health is one of the most important aspects of a man’s life and it is only natural that

one would do everything in its power to keep it. Medicine has its roots in the primitive times, but

the most flourishing period of its development was during the Egyptian and Greek empires.

These peoples have set the ground stone of modern medicine. Even nowadays, with all the

technology medicine has at its disposal, certain ancient methods are still used.

However, conventional medicine has taken a path that sometimes proves more harmful

than helpful to the patient. This is caused by the fact that many treatments are synthetically

obtained and contain substances that cause severe side effects to the users. Traditional medicine

has come to treat symptoms instead of diseases. In other words, they adopted the motto: “a pill

for every ill”. As a result of this, the pharmaceutical sector has become an industry in its full

rights, gaining enormous profits yearly.

Given this fact, I chose to draw the attention to a less known division of the medical

world – the naturist and non-invasive treatments. These and other therapies of their kind have,

not seldom, succeeded where conventional medicine has failed. However, these facts are not as

widespread as one would hope, and people are, unfortunately, unaware of them. I myself was in

the dark until relatively recently, when I discovered on my own skin how efficient some of these

treatments really are.

Along with the flu and aches that these methods have helped me recover from much

faster than conventional medicine, I felt a clear improvement of the functioning of my body as a

whole. My immune system boosted and all the processes of my organism have become balanced.

This is why I will try to present in this paper some of the best known alternative therapies and,

hopefully, attract a few curious minds towards this almost forgotten art.

“Mankind has survived all catastrophes. It will

also survive modern medicine.”

(Gerhard Kocher)

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SummaryGiven the fact that in the last years alternative medicine has made important steps in its

development, people have started to trust such non-invasive treatments and use them on different

occasions. Be it for treating a simple rash, a mere flu or more serious ailments, natural medicine

and other unconventional methods have proven not only effective, but they have also shown less

side effects than the traditional, synthetic medicine. In his paper I will introduce a brief

description and methodology of a few branches of alternative therapy.

To begin with, there will be a description of the way homeopathy works and some of

the effects that this art and science has over the organism. Shortly, homeopathy means giving the

ill body a cure that would produce the symptoms of disease in a healthy person. In other words,

it means giving our white cells the chance to fight off a virus and become stronger.

Further, I will put forward a few facts about the Placebo effect and the therapies that

involve this method. As you will find out from the following pages, this is a successful way of

“training” the body’s own healing capacity without the use of substances that would fulfill this

role for the organism.

In the third part, we will take a look into Mother Nature’s gift bag and uncover some

of the most effective herbal cures for certain diseases. Although we are surrounded by all sorts of

plants every day, some of us forget that nature once held our ancestors alive and healthy. If they

could do it, why can’t we?

Along with herbalism, our daily help in maintaining our organism healthy and preserve

our energy can become more than just food supplement. Every disease has a cause, and many of

these arise because of the lack of vitamins in our bodies. This means that instead of treating the

symptoms, as conventional medicine does, we could treat the disease as a whole just by taking

vitamins.

Last, but not least, it will be the turn of acupuncture to uncover its secrets. This ancient

Chinese art has lost its practitioners and its clients. Most of the decrease in acupuncture’s

popularity was due to the development of modern pharmacy and other techniques that make it

look obsolete. However, people are starting once again to put their hopes into this method,

mostly when it comes to curing muscle and articular pain.

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CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTIONHOMEOPATHY - Effective cure or disguised danger?

Homeopathy is a practice that involves using highly diluted preparations that would cause a healthy person the same symptoms of one that is ill. The principle that this method is based on is “let like cure like” (Samuel Hahnemann – law of similars). However, although is has proved functional on many occasions, it has also been frowned upon, especially because many of the carried out studies have ended up in failure or even in a worsening of the patient’s state.

Samuel Hahnemann is the founder of homeopathy. He noticed, while translating William Cullen’s A treatise of the materia medica into German, that a cure for malaria produced on himself the same symptoms of the disease. Thus, he concluded that other effective treatments should have the same effects on patients. Later, Hahnemann and his colleagues ran a number of experiments to determine the symptoms various substances produced. By these experiences, the physicians also determined the specific doses that were necessary to cure the disease without affecting the patients’ health.

But how does it really work? In conventional medicine, symptoms of a disease are rather suppressed in order to be completely reduced. Homeopathy brings a new form of dealing with the effects of an ailment – it stimulates the body’s own capacity of healing. By giving the patient a substance that produces the same symptoms as the disease he suffers from, the organism reacts in order to protect itself. This means that the immune system is forced to increase its action, leading to an increase in its strength and a higher activity of the white cells.

Because each person is different, homeopathic treatments, unlike the traditional pharmaceutical ones, are also individual. This means that the prescribed medicine correspond completely to the patient’s organism. This is why the prescription of homeopathic treatments takes more time and patience. A doctor must know how the whole body of the patient works before applying a cure, in order to ensure 100% success. For example, there is no standard cure for a headache, although many homeopathic pharmacies do sell such products. If one presents himself at a homeopathic doctor with such a disorder, the physician would have to run a numbers of tests before prescribing the right substance for the kind of headache the person presents.

However, there is a strong opposition to the practice and treatments of this kind. People are, not rarely, skeptic as to what the nature of the substances used in homeopathy are. Many of them say that the remedies used are diluted to such a degree that there is actually a tiny amount of the active substance left in it. Others think that homeopathy works just like any other placebo. Conventional pharmacists and doctors claim that the treatments used in this area of alternative medicine are supposed to “trick” the body into thinking that they can cure it, while there is nothing more than sugar pills and alcohol to them. One of those who are strongly opposed to this practice is the clinical professor of medicine at Stanford University, William Sampson. He regards homeopathy as “absurd” and “bankrupt in theory and in practice”

All in all, just like every new revolutionary idea, there are those who uphold it and those who are against it. All that remains is that we seek to fulfill our own interests and keep our health by all means.

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The Placebo Effect

Before commencing to describe the Placebo effect and how it functions, I will start by uncovering its discovery. In the last years of the Second World War, because of the overwhelming numbers of injured soldiers and citizens, morphine was in short supply. Thus, doctors were forced to operate without anesthetics. On one of these occasions, an American anesthetist, by the name Henry Beecher, injected a seriously injured soldier with a harmless saline substance. To his surprise, the man settled down immediately, as if the simple saline solution had the same effects as “one of the strongest painkiller in the medical arsenal”, as morphine is described. He repeated this action several times and saw that it functioned on every trial. When he returned to America, he gathered a team of scientists at Harvard University and began to study the phenomenon.

In order to cast a bit of light upon this subject I will continue by asking a simple question: What is, in fact, the Placebo effect? - Wiki says: “A placebo is a substance or

procedure… that is objectively without specific activity for the condition being treated. Sometimes patients given a placebo treatment will have a perceived or actual improvement in a medical condition”. In other words, the Placebo effect, or, as Dylan Evans names it in the book with the same title – the belief effect, appears when sick people are given certain substances with no actual medical action ( such as sugar pills, or vitamin C .), but which stimulate the mind’s and body’s own healing capacities. This means that, technically, our organism will heal itself only by power of suggestion. This points out the importance of perception and the brain’s role in physical health. However, this technique has also caused certain controversies regarding medical ethics, mostly the way this method affects the doctor-patient relationship.

In order to ensure the success of a Placebo treatment, the patient must be kept in the dark as to what the real nature of the medicine he is taking is. This means, that he will be violated the right to be fully informed about the type of treatment he is receiving. However, many people disagree with this view. If the patient knew that he is given an inert substance, the chances for this method to work would be seriously diminished, thus, leading to the doctor being forced to make use of pharmaceutical medicine in order to heal the patient’s disorder.

On the other hand, a physician could obtain a Placebo effect by not being dishonest to his patient. An example of such a method was reported when a 45-years-old man, suffering from diabetes and hypertension, underwent the amputation of a second leg. The pain he had after the operation was so intense that he demanded to be increased the quantity of analgesics he was given. The nurses decided then to add a saline solution along with the painkillers, explaining to

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the man that this substance was also an effective analgesic. They shortly found out that the pain the man was feeling started to decrease.

As we can see from this case, although the saline substance had no real effect on the patient’s organism, by power of suggestion, the man reported less intense soreness. What is more, this result was obtained without having to hide from the patient the true nature of the treatment he was administered

One of the main advantages that the Placebo method has is the reduced number of side effects it may bring about. Because of the inert nature of the substances that are being used, the body will suffer no harm and the patient will not have to deal with dizziness, loss of taste or smell, or any other secondary effects conventional medicine has upon the organism.

Another definite plus is the fact that people would not be forced to make use of conventional medicine, which might cure a part of the body while affecting another. Pharmaceutical products are usually made out of synthetic substances. These might bring more harm to the organism and cause other diseases to appear. Not to mention the allergic reactions some patients might have from this artificial medicine.

The financial issue also represents a reason for which people are encouraged to go for the placebo method. Antibiotics and other conventional treatments for certain diseases are extremely expensive, causing an increase in the search of cheaper alternatives. Of course, the consult of a Placebo doctor might not be in handy for everyone, but there are always general practitioners who have undergone certain training and are able to use this method without restrain.

On the other hand, there are also a number of disadvantages that are to be taken in consideration. One of these is known as the nocebo effect. This reaction refers to an unpleasant or undesirable effect that the placebo has on the patient. However, this effect usually appears not because of the placebo that is given to people, but because of their personal feelings of uncertainty or pessimistic beliefs. In other words, the reaction is not physiological, but rather mental, behavioral.

Having mentioned the nocebo effect, the other disadvantage is minor, but should be considered. This is ineffectiveness. People tend to lose their faith in a certain procedure if it proves to be less efficient than promised. The placebo might not function immediately, causing a decrease in the patient’s trust and leading to a smaller chance of the success of the treatment.

In the end, although the Placebo effect has not been studied as widely as other branches of alternative medicine and despite the fact that its effectiveness has not been 100% proved, it still remains one of the safest methods to treat disease. In order to explain the slow development of this study, I must say that each and every person on this world is different. This means that there will not be two placebo effects that are identical. A medic cannot be sure that the procedure he used with a patient will be certain to work for all of them. This is what makes the Placebo so difficult to study, but so efficient in practice.

Did you know? The term "placebo" is Latin for "I shall please." The placebo effect is particularly apparent in illnesses that have a strong psychological component, such as anxiety and depression. Placebo help nearly half of depressed people get better.

CHAPTER II: Herbalism - Health out of Mother Nature’s Garden

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Herbalism offers easy applicable solutions in order to keep healthy. These have become increasingly popular lately and many people combine them with conventional medicine. The naturist method ensures the patient a feeling of wellness over a long period of time because it fits with his lifestyle and treats him like a whole – mind, body and spirit – without dealing only with pathological symptoms. Also, the target of herbal medicine is not only the healing of the disease, but also the prevention of others. What is more, this method is accessible to every walk of life, as its remedies come from folk practices and beliefs and can be easily found in the nature. However, basic knowledge of botany is essential in order to avoid the consumption of malign herbs.

As mentioned before, herbology has its roots in the folk knowledge of plants that has spread by word of mouth. This kind of medicine has been practised ever since the Neanderthal Era, as shown by a discovery made in Northern Iraq, where large amounts of pollen coming from eight different plants have been uncovered. It is worth mentioning that seven of these kinds of pollen are today used as natural remedies. Along with this discovery there are a number of books and antique writings that point out the importance of herbal medicine in great empires of the time ( Shennong Bencao Jing – China;  Sushruta Samhita – India; the writings of Hippocrates and Galen – Roman and Greek cultures; Historia Plantarum - Greece). Unfortunately, in the Middle Ages, herbology was often attributed to witchcraft and the women that had this kind of knowledge were killed or jailed.

Nowadays, herbalism occupies a central position in the lives of many underdeveloped and non-industrialized societies. This is due to the fact that most conventional pharmaceutical factories need a huge capital to sustain production and instructed workforce to keep the quality at high standards. This means that the poorest of the tribes in Africa, for example, must lean on the shamans’ knowledge of plants and their effects in order to keep healthy. Of course, there are many other countries and people that are deprived of conventional medicine out of financial reasons.

Branches Of course, as any other branch of alternative medicine, naturist medicine has its own

methods of treating the different ailments of the daily life. The most important of these therapies are: aromatherapy, phytotherapy and nutrition.

Aromatherapy Every plant contains

essential oils in its roots, stem, leaves, seeds and flowers. These oils have a great role in maintaining the balance and harmony of the human body, mind and soul. The effect these oils have on our organism comes probably from the influence they have on the hormones and other chemical substances that are responsible for transmitting information.

This way of using the essential substances of the plants dates back at about 4500 BC, when the Egyptians first created

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perfumes and cures out of them. They attributed a fragrance to each of their gods and used them in the process of embalming the dead. All the knowledge of this science has been kept by Roman, Greek and Arabian doctors and was widely used. However, in the XIX century, along with the production of cheaper, synthetic essences, came a decline in the use of natural cures.

Before commencing any aromatherapeutic treatment, you have to make sure that the other therapies you are using are not affected by the strong smell of the essential oil. Once this is done, the doctor will prescribe the aromas that suit your ailment and the session can begin. At home, you can practice aromatherapy either by inhalation (it is the fastest way of getting the essential oil into the blood course) or by bathing (the easiest way of absorbing the oils and a more pleasant one; it is a very effective way of relieving stress)

Some of the mostly used essences in aromatherapy are:

OILTea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)

Eucalyptus (Eucaliptus globules)

Lavender (Lavandula officinalis)

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Mint ( Mentha piperita)

MENTAL EFFECTSOver one hundred utilizations

Clears the mind and revigorates the body

It combats anxiety, stress and depression

Stimulates memory

Useful in treating emotional shock

PHYSICAL EFFECTSAntiseptic against bacterial infections; used for cleaning cuts and other superficial wounds.

Used against colds, dry cough, skin infections, muscular pain and inflammations.

Helps regenerate skin cells, reduces skin inflammation, decreases bad breath and nausea. Calms indigestion, helps blood circulation; calms muscle pain, stimulates skin cells regeneration and combats infections.

Helps calm cough and throat infections, intestinal cramps; it stimulates the liver and it cleans the digestive system; combats liquid retention in the organism.

Phytotherapy Using plant remedies to combat or

treat disease is probably the oldest form of medicine. Specialists say that the natural balance of active principles present in plants is more effective and less harmful than the synthetic medicine used in modern conventional pharmacy.

It is not known when people realized the therapeutic effects of plants, but it is believed that they first used them in their daily diet and was then developed as a primitive form

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of medicine by those living close to nature. It later spread by word of mouth from generation to generation.

Scientific progress has made it possible to isolate the active chemical substances in herbs and to produce them synthetically. The result of this process is mostly used in what we call classic medicine. However, plant specialists have always believed that, in order to maximize the effect the plant has upon your body, it is necessary to use the whole plant, not just the active part. This is recommended because the other elements in the herb help regulate the effects of the plant, or prevent side effects. These other parts can also play an important role in one’s diet.

Natural remedies can be used in treating a large variety of affections, from regular ailments to raising immunity and energy. There are specially trained phytotherapists that can prescribe the right treatment. In order to ensure the highest results from a treatment, the naturopath must know the way the patient’s organism function and to determine the underlying cause of the disease. Along with specialized help, one can also practise self-medication. The herbs used at home can be cultivated in the garden or jardinières and can be used whenever needed. However, one must not forget that these are medicine and can be harmful if used in a wrong way or in high quantities. Also, one must be sure of the type of the plant is used - if one is not sure of this, the plant should not be taken.

Interesting fact… In the old times, many hospitals that were administered by religious orders or monasteries had their own garden in which they cultivated the treatment plants they needed.

Precautions - Plant remedies contain active parts that can be harmful if ingested in excess, so

one must respect the recommended doses and concentrations;- The natural remedies should not be combined with conventional medicine

without the doctor’s approval;- In case of pregnancy or over 70-years of age, one should address the doctor

before commencing a natural treatment;- Children under 16 should not be given natural remedies without a doctor

established dose.

Nutrition & VitaminsToday’s world of speed and rush for

a better life has begun to take its toll on our lives. More and more people get caught up in a vicious circle, torn between their family, their career and the desire to have a comfortable life. In this struggle, they forget about what is most important for their health and what can really give them the energy to keep going – their diet. In Ancient Greece, a very wise man once said: “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food”. This man was Hippocrates and he managed to

foresee the greatest problem of modern world.The first step one should make in order to raise his energy level or to cure a disease is

to visit a specialist. Unfortunately, not many doctors in conventional medicine have nutritional studies. In fact, there are medical practitioners that prefer to undermine the effect of a diverse

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diet and of vitamins in the process of healing. Instead, they prescribe different kinds of conventional, synthetic medicine, which only treats the symptoms of an ailment, without identifying the underlying cause of it. These treatments sometimes have unwanted effects upon the healthy parts of our organism, weakening it slowly but steadily.

The real healing process must begin with a rich in vitamins and proteins diet. However, the foods we are provided with in supermarkets, stores or in the markets are already lacking their full nutritional value as they reach our hands. This is because they have traveled between 1000-3000 miles before being brought to the selling venue. By this time, 30% of their nutrients are destroyed because of the heat and unsuitable storage conditions. To this, we must add the pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers that are used in order to maximize production and embellish the aspect of the product. What is more, people usually cook the vegetables before consuming them. This way, almost 95% of their enzymes and useful components disappear and so, they fail to give us the necessary energy for a full day of work and agitation. Paul Kutschof published in a paper in 1930 an idea which stated that if 51% of the food one consumes is cooked, the body reacts to it as if it were a toxin, therefore failing to extract all the necessary substances for the normal processes. In other words, deficient food makes deficient people. This leads us to the conclusion that 51% of our daily intake of aliments should be raw.

This need of highly nutritive vegetables and other types of food has lead to the discovery of the so-called superfoods (raw honey, spirulina, Echinacea, goji, wheat grass, ginger etc.). These are superior sources of anti-oxidants and essential nutrients that we need, but are not produced by our organism. As a definite plus it is worth mentioning that they are easily decomposed and absorbed by our body. For example, spirulina can be dissolved in water, drunk, and the active substance in it will take effect almost immediately. This is not true for a steak. A huge amount of energy is needed in order to liquefy such a food and to make it absorbable.

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The effects of these superfoods are as varied and numerous as our body needs. Studies have shown that spirulina has the highest level of protein in the world. As proof, this algae has been consumed in Mexico as a primary source of protein for 500 years. Along with this, spirulina is also believed to have antiviral and anticancer properties, it helps boost the immune system and protect against allergic reactions. Another example of highly effective superfood is the cocoa bean. This has the highest content of minerals and is the primary source of magnesium, chromium, iron, copper, zinc and mangan in the world. However, chocolate has a more reduced percentage of all these substances, because they are destroyed by heat in the production process.

Did you know…? Bee pollen contains between

25 and 35 % protein, including 18 amino acids, a variety of water-soluble vitamins and minerals, and essential fatty acids, including omega-3

In what vitamins are concerned, there are the skeptics that say that a multivitamin a day is harmful or that vitamin C is a cause of kidney stone. They are fortunately proved wrong by those who have proved that high doses of vitamins can cure certain diseases. Such and example is Linus Parling, winner of two Nobel prizes (out of which one was for Chemistry), who first suggested that vitamin C is useful in the treatment of common colds. Also, there is medical researcher, Fred R Klenner, who used to treat viral illnesses using high doses of vitamin C, back in the 1940s.

The cardiovascular diseases are those of civilization. Conventional doctors say it is irreversible, but there are scientists that have proved the contrary. Not only is it reversible, but this can also be done without the use of drugs, but by having a balanced diet, rich in vitamins and stress reduction therapies. How does this work? For example, a stressful lifestyle leads to a high consumption of vitamin C by the body. This is caused by a huge level of adrenalin produced by the organism. Adrenalin causes the heart to beat faster and in the end, exhausted by unnecessary efforts, it fails. This can be prevented by giving the body the missing or the over-consumed substance, in this case - vitamin C. This is the best proof that sustains the fact that vitamins and nutrition are the safest and most effective way of curing ailments.

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The utility of vitamins is diverse:

VITAMIN EFFECTS

Synthesizes collagen, carnitine and neurotransmitters. It acts as an electron

donor for eight different enzymes. It is a powerful antioxidant, pro-oxidant, it boosts the immune system, and it is

antihistamic.Those who have a high level of ascorbic acid have a significantly reduced chance

to suffer a heart attack. It is necessary in treating and preventing

scurvy.

Plays a key role in the correct functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for

the formation of blood.It is used to treat B12 deficiency, cyanide

poisoning, hereditary deficiency of transcobalamin II. It is used to help detect

pernicious anemia.For elderly people it helps prevent brain

atrophy or shrinkage (related to Alzheimer disease).

Plays an important role in our vision, gene transcription, immune function, embryonic

development and reproduction, bone metabolism, skin and cellular health,

antioxidant activity.

In the end, we cannot live forever, but we can live a healthy life in a healthy way. Why not use what Mother Nature has given us instead of filling our bodies with synthetic substances that could prove more harmful than beneficial?

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CHAPTER III: Acupuncture – a small price for health

Acupuncture is one of the most widely spread alternative medical treatments nowadays. This therapy has its roots in the ancient Chinese culture, which had the belief that through our bodies flows a flux of an energy-like entity, called qi (or chi). This chi crosses the meridians of our organisms to reach all organs. When the energy flux is unbalanced, certain diseases will emerge. The therapists, therefore, stick very fine needles in different points, located along the meridians in order to suppress or stimulate the qi flow that reaches the weakened body parts, reestablishing the body balance.

The first record of acupuncture is found in the Huangdi Neijing (translated as The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) and it dates back to approximately 200 BCE. Starting in China, it later developed in the surrounding territories of today’s Japan, Taiwan and Korea.

Acupuncture is believed to help treat over forty ailments. The acupuncturist examines the body, emotions and the spirit, in order to obtain a panoramic view of what is necessary for the curing process. Acupuncture specialist Saskia Peck says that there is a close

connection between the physical and the emotional part of every human. When an emotional misbalance emerges in our body, it comes with a physical dysfunction and the other way around.

Ying and Yang is an important theory in the discussion of acupuncture. The qi energy mentioned before flows in nature, too, not just in the human body. This energy has two other parts that compose it – Ying and Yang. These components are opposed to each other, but when balanced, they keep nature and the human body in harmony. The disruption of this balance, leads to calamities and natural disasters in the world and to disease in our organisms. Ying is the representative figure of the feminine part and moves medially, deficient of Yang. The latter represents the male component and moves laterally, deficient of Ying. The most representative example of a perfect harmony between Ying and Yang is in us, humans. Each person receives attributes from both parents – the mother (Ying) and the father (Yang). This theory is of Taoist origin.

More than 400 acupuncture points have been described with the majority located on one of the main meridians, but there are also a number of “extra points” that are located outside the meridians. Each spot has its own name and a fixed location. Not all the points in the body are used in treatments. There are a number of approximately 20 which are the most common and effective. (Ax, Figure 1)

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There are some procedures that differ from the classic needle stimulation:1. Electro-Acupuncture (using small electric charges through the acupuncture

needles)How it works? The needles are inserted in the specific points around the body. The

next step is to connect the pins to an electric generator which will help adjust the strength and frequency of the impulses. The amount of power used is small, of only a few micro amperes. The frequency, however, can vary between 5-2000 HZ. The high frequencies are only used only in surgery, while the lower ones are effective in soreness relief.

EA is mostly used in pain-relief treatments and the prevention on pain. It has also proved effective in combination with nausea and vomiting drugs that are needed by chemotherapy patients.

2. Ear-Acupuncture (Auriculotherapy) This method builds around the fact that the ear has a great number of blood vessels and

nerve terminations, thus, it is probable to have connections all over the body. (Ax, Figure 2)It is mostly used in pain–relief therapies and chronically stiff joints. This method might

even be more effective than body acupuncture, for some of the patients. Ear acupuncture has also proved useful in treating obesity, alcoholism or drug addiction.

The main disadvantage is that the most painful spots in the ear must be stimulated in order to have full results. This is not good news for those who are sensitive to pain.

3. Moxibustion Moxibustion involves applying heat on acupuncture spots. The two practices are

complementary and are sometimes used together. This method is used in the treatment for bronchial asthma, bronchitis, certain types of paralysis, and arthritic disorders.

As in other healing techniques, the patient must change his lifestyle if he wishes to keep the balance obtained by acupuncture. Stress relief, diet, sports, meditation, all these are points to reconsider in modifying our way of life if acupuncture is to be effective. Dr. Peck also says that where harmony exists, the energy can flow freely. When one is quiet and relaxed, the body is strong, the organs and all the energy will be powerful and one will have both physical and emotional health.

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Conclusion

Mother Nature has kept us in her arms from the beginnings of time. As a result, it is enough to take a look around us and see that all we need for our bodies and minds to be healthy and to function correctly is in front of us. It does not matter what disorder one suffers from, the treatment for it can easily be found and tried without fear of side effects or inefficiency.

Lots of people have nowadays come back to alternative therapies, in order to achieve this complete healing – of mind, body and spirit. Many of these methods come from the oldest of times, and manage to apply ancient techniques in a modern context. These alternative techniques try to stimulate the natural healing capacity of our organism. They try to decipher the way our body works and get to the underlying cause of a certain disorder, treating not just symptoms, but the disease as a whole. The Placebo Effect is the one that stands behind many of these alternative practices. By hiding from the patient the true nature of the treatment he is taking, doctors can “train” his immune system and the organism’s own healing ability. One can take it as a private coaching session of our inner defensive functions.

Homeopathy works in a similar way as the Placebo Effect. As the law of similars says, a substance that causes the symptoms of a certain disease to a healthy person can cure that disorder in an ill patient. Despite the fact that there have been certain controversies concerning the nature of the treatment in this method, there have been shown great results.

Coming as a legacy from the ancient Chinese people, acupuncture has proved efficient from its beginnings to the modern times. It is the most convincing proof that state-of-the-art medicine can be outrun by an ancestral practice. Despite the pain one must bear during acupuncture sessions, the effects are proved to be immediate and durable. However, in order to keep the balance obtained by this method, one must keep a close look on the lifestyle one is leading.

Conventional medicine has become an industry that, besides helping people fight disease, sometimes takes advantage of this constant need in order to make profit. Behind the whole medical system lies a group of powerful corporations that take advantage of people’s disease and gather fortunes. The scientists working here synthesize substances that, instead of dealing with the disease as a whole, target its symptoms.

Healing is not something that just happens to people. It is something that occurs inside of each and every one of us. The process starts once we understand the impact our emotional and spiritual health has upon physical vitality, and the other way around.

In the end, why not turn our faces towards the more non-invasive methods of treatment and, if not fully abort conventional medicine, at least combine it with a natural treatment or an acupuncture session?

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Appendix (Ax)Figure 1

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Figure 2

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Bibliography/Webliography

1. Evans, D., (2003), The Belief Effect, Oxford University Press, London

2. Lichtenberg P., (2004), The ethics of the placebo in clinical practice, in

J. Med Ethics

3. Meeus, Cathy , (2004),Sanatate cu tratamente naturiste, Reader’s

Digest, Bucharest

4. Prophet, Elizabeth Clare, (2008), Cei sapte centri energetici: O

abordare holistica a vitalitatii fizice, emotionale si spirituale, Meteor

Press, Bucharest

5. www.rainmakerteam.co/video/Foodmatters_ro/foodmatters_ro.html

6. www.wikipedia.org

7. www.google.ro

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