New Zealanders, like many others, are finding relief from a variety of ailments in Chinese herbs and acupuncture:
“An increasing number of Kiwis are turning to the ancient disciplines of acupuncture, herbalism, moxibustion (acupuncture combined with the burning of herbs) tuina (medical massage) and qi gong (breathing exercises) as treatment for virtually any ailment.
For Wellington man Rob McDonald, 57, acupuncture has become a semi-regular part of his life.
“I’ve never liked the intervention of taking pills that much . . . Some people probably think that sticking in needles is more invasive. It seems to me that it’s using the resources of your body a little bit more than throwing drugs at it.”
Rob, a manager, first had acupuncture about 10 years ago for a knee injury. Since then, he has also turned to it for hip pain, allergies and back pain. He says it was particularly effective for occupational overuse syndrome.
He’s not squeamish about needles and doesn’t wince as acupuncturist Karuna Olatunji inserts their fine points in his forehead. He describes it as a relatively effortless treatment. “You turn up. They stick a few needles in. You lie about for a while. Twenty minutes later, you shove off and you tend to get an improvement.”
Besides acupuncture, he has used other branches of traditional Chinese medicine. He practises tai chi (or taiji) – a gentle exercise that helps reduce stress and maintain mobility and flexibility. ACC promotes tai chi as part of its “preventing falls” programme for older adults.
He has taken herbals in the form of “little black pills” that include a range of ingredients to meet his body’s needs. “I’ve used some of the herbal remedies a bit, but generally in conjunction with acupuncture.” “
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