December 2006
Be Well this Winter
With Acupuncture, Reflexology and Shiatsu
Though most of the holiday season is spent thinking of others, it only takes the onslaught of that first miserable cold to serve as a reminder that a bit of selfish pampering is a crucial indulgence during the cold winter months. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and an hour spent receiving any of these treatments will give you a head start for a healthy winter.
Though developed as early as 200 BC, acupuncture is familiar to many people as a means of treating the effects of modern stress. According to acupunctural theory, the body houses 12 channels, or “energy roads,” that can be blocked by outside factors, such as cold, wind or injury. In treatments, needles are applied to points along these channels and manipulated to free the flow of energy, immediately easing pain and beginning the body’s natural healing process. Those wary of becoming a human pincushion, however, need not worry; the number and location of insertion points has been standardized by the World Health Organization. Though a wide array of physical problems, including headaches, stomach problems, muscular pain and stress, can be treated through acupuncture alone, the most successful courses of treatment incorporate herbal remedies or massage as well.
Reflexology is one suitable supplement to acupuncture, and produces great results on its own as well. A more modern treatment, it became popular in the 1930s, and was developed in conjunction with the tenets of Dr. William Fitzgerald’s “Zone Therapy.” Fitzgerald’s theory divided the body into ten equivalent vertical zones. Pressure in one part of the zone, he claimed, could produce anesthetic effects in other areas within that zone. Modern reflexologists focus their efforts on the hands and feet because of the concentration of nerve endings in those areas. Pressure on a finger or toe can ease pain in the head or back, for example. Even though some critics dispute the claims of reflexology as “pseudo-science,” many who have experienced an hour-long session report increased relaxation and creative productivity, as well as a decrease in the intensity of symptoms related to sports injuries and illnesses.
Shiatsu massage is another means of achieving similar effects, and was developed by Tokujiro Namikoshi in early 20th-century Japan. Mixing elements of Chinese medicine and Western massage techniques, shiatsu harmonizes the body’s energy by focusing on acupuncture points. In shiatsu, however, the practitioner’s hands, palms and fingers are used instead of needles: the name means “finger pressure” in Japanese. Throughout a typical hour-long session, the therapist applies pressure to the focus areas, and stretches and holds different areas of the body to improve the flow of Qi (energy), circulation and flexibility. The patient lies on a futon or massage chair, and should experience little discomfort during the procedure. Some individuals experience a drop in body temperature as a result of the deep relaxation, but wearing warm clothes can help prevent that side effect.
A good naturopath will always know how to link these alternative treatments with modern traditional medicine. British Munich resident Martin Saunders is one such naturopath, operating a practice that offers a wide array of such treatments. For more information about your options, or to schedule an appointment, call him at Praxis Grünwald, Tel. 64 95 43 78, or visit
www.praxisgruenwald.de. <<<
