If the general public (and perhaps even the allopathic medicine community) had more of an idea of what kind of training an acupuncturist has, I believe our profession would be more widely and quickly assimilated into our culture. I have prepared a chart showing the basic differences in the education and training between acupuncturists and allopathic doctors.

     As you can see, the differences in schooling are not drastic. We spend more time in the classroom, mainly because we are required to learn both Oriental and Western medicine. Western docs have more clinical experience, mainly because their residency requires them to specialize in a discipline where it is necessary.. The entrance exam for medical school is the MCAT, which is quite difficult, requiring a great deal of study. Sadly, there is no test  for entrance into Chinese medicine school. This is one are in which Chinese medicine school need to step up. Up until this point in time, they have mainly been accepting all comers, due to financial reasons. With the dramatic increase in the availablilty of Chinese medicine students over the last 20 years, this is no longer necessary.

     Another thing I would love to see in my profession is more opportunities for obtaining clinical experience after school is over. There is no infrastructure to support any form of residency in a hospital within the context of Chinese medicine, at least in this country. At least not yet. I support the movement!

“Acupuncture is commonly used in treating insomnia in China, and clinical studies have shown that acupuncture may have a beneficial effect on insomnia compared with Western medication.”

-From The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine: Acupuncture for Treatment of Insomnia: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials Published in Volume: 15 Issue 11: November 18, 2009.

In the East, doctors  have long been aware that insomnia is treatable with acupuncture and Chinese herbs. Now that sleep disorders have become nearly epidemic in our modern, fast paced, caffeine- driven world, many people are looking for alternatives to the solution Western medicine offers, that is sleeping pills. From mild tranquilizers like Ambien to heavy duty anti- psychotics, Western sleep medications tend to have many side effects.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs offer a natural solution, free from side effects, and cost-effective when you consider that we are looking to change the internal energetic causes for the sleep problem, as opposed to temporarily masking it. Insomnia is seen as an imbalance of energy within the internal organs and meridian system. The symptom of insomnia manifests from a few different underlying conditions.

These conditions are seen to arise mostly from lifestyle choices, such  as overwork or irregular food intake. Other factors can be involved, such as a constitutional weakness in the Kidneys or emotional depression. A good practitioner will take all these factors into account in making a diagnosis and treatment plan.

We speak of the shen in Chinese medicine as a “spirit” that resides in the heart. The shen is responsible for things we often associate with “mind” in the West, such as memory, clear cognition, and the ability to mitigate stress. We say the shen gets “disturbed” and becomes restless, at which point it becomes unavailable to us to some degree. In order to calm the restless shen, we must restore balance in the heart organ/meridian system. We do this directly, and also by restoring balance to the other internal organs. For example, when the Kidneys are deficient (from prolonged illness or too much work and/or fun), there is not enough of the water element to cool the heart fire, and the shen becomes restless, producing insomnia.

As you can see, this is somewhat of a complicated situation. Treatment may take some time, and the results may not be immediate. As per the study I cited above, when acupuncture is combined with Chinese herbs, the efficacy of the treatment is increased. Depending on the specific pattern presentation, herbs from different categories are combined to treat the root (cause) and the branch (symptoms).  Some popular formulas to treat insomnia in Chinese medicine are Tian Wan Bu Xin Dan or Heavenly Emperor’s Celestial Support and Suan Zao Ren Tang or Zizyphus Decoction. Consult a qulaified practitioner to get a diagnosis, after which the proper medicine can be prescribed.

We all need to sleep, most of us for 8 hours straight. The body, mind and spirit need to rest and rejuvenate if we are to achieve all we want in life while awake, and mitigate the effects of modern stresses. Due to positive research and clinical evidence, as well as lack of side effects, acupuncture and Chinese medicine offer the best choice in the world of alternative medicine for the treatment of insomnia. Happy sleeping!

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