Health is the condition of being sound in body, mind or spirit; freedom from disease, pain or abnormality; the condition of flourishing in one’s health. Vitality takes health to the next level. It is a state of exuberant physical strength or mental vigor.
Back in the day…the acupuncturist to the Emperor in China was paid only if the Emperor remained in good health. Every treatment was designed to promote and support health and the avoidance of disease. In this the job of the physician was to create vitality in the Emperor so that in the event that he did fall ill, he would recover quickly and effectively from illness; he would age gradually and gracefully. This would be accomplished by an understanding of the Emperor’s constitutional health so that his Chinese medicine physician would be not only treating him for subjective complaints but also in order to follow his health daily regarding diet, exercise, herbal therapies and his vices. The physician could tell through this close contact and the taking of Chinese tongue and pulse diagnoses, not only where the Emperor’s health was in the moment, but where it had been and where it was likely to go in the future. Although most of us cannot afford our own Chinese medicine physician on call day or night, it is important to note that the concept of prevention and awareness of even minor shifts in health in order to circumvent illness has been around for centuries.
Today, most individuals find their way into the office due the experience of pain, whether it be from an acute illness, accident, or an exercise induced injury. The condition has usually been an issue for them for much longer than originally imagined and therefore, usually takes longer to straighten out than they hoped or expected. Once they arrive, they are often surprised to find that they have a number of other issues that can be effectively addressed with acupuncture and herbal therapies and that once all of these issues are addressed that they can enjoy living in their bodies more comfortably and recover from illness more quickly. Generally, I like to see a patient twice a week for two or three weeks and then decide a second level frequency of treatment. Although very old or complicated issues can take much longer than that to see significant results, I have found that most patients will not continue treatment if they do not see a verifiable result within the first 4-6 treatments.
Anita Alexandra, L.Ac., CH is an acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist with 17+ years of experience. She practices at Chiropractic Health and Acupuncture, 619 Main Street, Frisco. (970)668-3299.