Marketing is the bane of our modern existence. Just as the Department of Defense of the United States of America tries to weaponize all new technologies, the crass commercialism of new concepts of medicine by proponents of "new" frontiers of healing create the buzzwords for their marketing campaigns. The buzzword of this decade is "informational" medicine. As always, it is the same thing just wrapped in a new package. This is part of their overall marketing strategy - "I am in tune with what is really going on and all the others are dinosaurs!" These people would have you believe that informational medicine is a result of so called "cutting-edge" scientific research in the field of quantum physics.

However, the concepts of informational medicine predate the scientific method by tens of centuries. All Shamanistic medicine is informational medicine by definition! Yes, our caveman fore-bearers practiced quantum physics. Their understanding and practice is what we now call Shamanism. In the west we called our Shamans with the label of Sorcerer. Why? It is because these people were concerned with the practical application of quantum physics to the well being of living human beings. These people were delving into the Source, the wellspring, of what gives rise to matter and energy in our existing environment and Earthly world.

Illness is as old as life itself. People have always tried to understand the causes of sickness, disease and debilitation. Modern science has helped us in the main with only 1 of the 4 major aspects of medicine. The major aspects of medicine are as follows:

1. conditions of the human body-field (HBF)
2. conditions of nutrition and toxins
3. conditions of direct physical trauma
4. conditions of parasitism

Modern medicine has helped us with gaining knowledge of and understanding of parasitism. This does not mean that it has not contributed to concepts of nutrition, toxins and wound healing. For the most part, parasites are very small and not seen by the naked eye - bacteria, fungi and protozoa. Larger parasites are visible if you know what to look for and are residents of tissues and the digestive tract - trematodes, nematodes. Still others are residents of the skin - arachnids and insects. All of these parasites are resident within or upon the human body. You can pick off a tick from the skin but can you do the same with smallpox?

In order to understand the how and why of acupuncture, one must first understand the what and how of the HBF. The following concepts are a start in gaining that understanding:

1. the origin of and potential for development of the human body-field is encoded within the ovum.
2. the development of the human body-field is mirrored in and followed by the development of the fetus and in generating the resultant adult organism.
3. the maintenance of health in the adult is by the same body-field elements responsible for the development of the fetus/adult.

From the above we see that the HBF regulates the flow of energy within the adult organism. Hence, a disruption of the normal flow of energy within the organism occurs before any symptoms are noted mentally, emotionally or result in disrupted physiological processes. The acupuncturist uses the signs and symptoms of the ill person to determine which meridians are blocked. All disease is ultimately the result of blocked energy flow. The acupuncturist inserts needles into certain acupuncture points or Ashi points in order to remove the blockage of energy flow. The Qi of the acupuncturist is injected into the point of needle insertion. Thus the quality and quantity of that Qi will determine the efficacy of the treatment. Acupressure and energy smoothing techniques assist in the creation of a smoother flow. Anchoring techniques are needed in order to allow the treatment to "hold". This is why the patient needs to return periodically for a treatment, as most treatments do not hold for long. What then is left to do is to assist the body to get rid of the waste and toxic substances that resulted from the disrupted metabolism.

Laser acupuncture relies upon similar dosage principles as needling, and knowledge of acupuncture theory and practice is required. Applied dosage is determined by manner of the intended effect, which is generally characterized as to stimulate or to sedate acupuncture points, Ashi Points, and Trigger Points. According to the Arndt-Schultz Rule, it can be seen that low dosages will stimulate and that higher dosages will sedate. Dosages of 0.5 to 2.5 J/cm sq are reported to be effective in the stimulation of superficial acupuncture points, with 2.5 to 5.0 J/cm sq being effective for deeper points and myofascial trigger points. Higher dosages (8 - 12 J/cm sq) are effective for the sedation of points.

LEDs and lasers both generate biomodulatory effects within living tissue, however, most published research relates to lasers. The therapeutic effects of lasers are both wavelength and dosage dependent. Low dosages stimulate, high dosages inhibit and both have therapeutic applications. The optimal therapeutic window for photobiostimulation is 0.5 to 5.0 Joules/cm sq. For optimal biostimulation, lower dosages per point with more treatment points and for optimal bioinhibition, higher dosages per point with less treatment points, as stated above. Visible red wavelengths (~620-690 nanometers) have shallow penetration and are used effectively for superficial treatment such as facial rejuvenation, acne and other skin blemishes. Infrared wavelengths (~760-1260 nanometers) penetrate deeper for subdermal tissue treatment in musculoskeletal injuries, sports therapy and wound healing. Laser therapy works on the principle of inducing a biological response through energy transfer, in that the photon energy delivered into the tissue by the laser modulates the biological processes within that tissue, and those within the biological system of which that tissue is a part. Laser energy at or near 800 nanometers is particularly effective as this is close to the biophotonic emissions of cells. The Arndt-Schultz Rule infers that low dosages of photonic energy will stimulate those biological processes while higher dosages will inhibit them.

It is obvious that anything that disrupts the human body field will cause disease. The healthy organism is in resonance with the electromagnetic and geomagnetic aspects of the greater environment. Components of the environment key the HBF to order events in time for the organism according to the seasons. This is the basis for the Chinese cultural expression of feng shui. References to the early use of the forces of magnetism in the healing arts are found in most civilizations of the world. The first usage is recorded by the Chinese in the book "Yellow Emperor's Book of Internal Medicine" (approx. 2000 B.C.). Reference is made to the use of magnetism in conjunction with the practice of acupuncture. Ancient Hindu scriptures, Egyptian and Persian history, and Tibetan monk practices indicate therapeutic lodestone usage.

Conclusion

Accordingly, the acupuncturist is dealing with informational medicine. Intent plays a major role in informational medicine as evidenced by the placebo effect. Thus, healing in the adult involves both the intent of treatment as well as the quality and quantity of energy used in the application of that treatment by the acupuncturist. In addition, the clinical setting is of paramount importance in creating the ideal energetic environment for the treatment. In this case, it is fung shui or dowsing that determines the area conducive for treatment. Also, the clinician provides the setting in the conducive area. Thus both the acupuncturist and the clinical setting must be in harmony before an optimally conducive treatment can be given!

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