Acupuncture Books

Formulas mentioned include dosages - a rare find. Fu's approaches are very insightful. This is a great review and helpful text for Chinese Herbal practitioners on treatment principles and diagnosis.

You are lucky to have an oportunity to buy and read the books by Herbert M.Shelton. I am searching for a sponsor to get Mr.Shelton's books for a voluntary library with a free access which I like to establish. It will be a Library Of Active Health.

Gua Sha is a technique that uses a skin lubricant, such as massage oil and a simple chinese ceramic soup spoon (no sharp edges now!). It's a life saver for the tired figers of those who have to give massages to those with tight, fibrous, ropy or crunchy muscles. I first came across this book at an acupuncture conference in 1996. It was one of my best purchases of the year. The book covers in depth, a topic only glanced upon in most acupuncture schools. It's technique is not just for acupuncturists. I believe it's a must read for massage professionals, especially if your hands are starting to wear out from years of giving massage.

The beauty of the book is the pictures of the skin discoloration that may occur if you are very vigorous in your technique. They can be shown to clients as a form of informed consent. If you are more moderate in your technique, this extreme reaction will rarely occur past the first hour. However, a forewarned patient is one that will not sue you. Worth the price of the book right there!

Secondly, in most acupuncture schools, gua sha is largely taught as a technique for wind-cold invasion or stiff necks. My practice has included alot of chronic musculo-skeletal pain due to old sport injuries and the such. Before reading this book, I limited the technique to scapular and upper back pain, but after reading it, have confidentally expanded gua sha to every sort of muscular injury with great results. I have saved a number of people from exploratory surgery by removing pains of unknown etiology, thru the use of this technique and proper muscle knowledge. This is why I recommend it for massage therapists, physical therapists as well as Oriental and TCM practitioners.

This book includes a resource area that gives you ideas for what areas of the body to address for various ailments, if you are afraid to experiment on your own, or on yourself. I believe, if you add a recently published companion book by the same publishers concerning cupping (Cupping Therapy by Chirall), you will have a compementary set of low cost therapies for muscular aches (not to mention some other internal medicine applications), that are a very effective addition for any TCM or massage practice.

Do you believe textbooks can't show any personality? Are you convinced reference books can't be beautiful or poetic? WRONG!!! I studied with Kiiko for a little over three years, and this book has all her attributes. It is beautifully organized and arranged, elegantly researched and argued, wide-ranging in its interests and as beautiful as any Japanese Ikebana. Everything in this volume is carefully conceived and executed, from the layout and design (even the paper is special--handle it and you'll see what I mean) to the extraordinary, handsome illustrations, to the extensive and very helpful bibliographies. They all reflect Kiiko herself and her attitude that everything in life should be done with complete attention, total organization, creativity and a sense of whimsy. If you look carefully, with an open mind, you may also notice that, when carefully considered, some of the ancient theories--when graphed--actually yield an illustration that looks startlingly like certain Western scientfic representations! (I won't spoil your fun by naming them here.) And for those of you who'd like a general summary of the text, it covers the development of acupuncture theory in Japan, the Hara (stomach palpation) diagnosis of the title, general summaries of the work of Kiiko's major teachers (including the extraordinary Dr. Manaka), and even a section on So Tai Ho, the Japanese form closely akin to chiropractic that uses gentle movements coordinated with breathing exercise to achieve pain relief and sometimes a much deeper level of healing. To top it all off, the illustrations intended to help practitioners are clear, as are the instructions. All in all, a beautiful, instructive volume. I loved it, even when I had to use it as a text in acupuncture school--and that's saying something! Whoever heard of someone loving their textbook?!!

This is a very comprehensive book on acupressure. The diagrams and descriptions are easy to understand and follow, which makes it a very practical book for self-healing. This book is a life-saver for me as it has certainly helped me healed a lot of my chronic ailments over the years. It has also thought me a lot about the significance of acupressure points in the body, how it works, the healing benefits, etc. This book is easy to use as a reference on a daily basis any time you need it, and especially when you experience pain, you can treat yourself and relieve the pain on the spot. The Healing Benefits of Acupressure is definitely a worth while investment and a must have for those who use self-healing methods/alternative treatments like myself...it is like acupuncture without the needles and added cost. Too bad it is out of print and I sure hope more of such books will be available in the near future.

Dr brooksby has opened an avenue for people who have downplayed the role of osteopathic physicians to see that DO's are an essential member of the medical community. I couldn't put this book down. Not only is it an easy read but an interesting one. He surrounds technical terminology with so many stories from his personal experience, I almost forgot I was reading a doctors book. A defenite MUST READ.

This is the best illustrated and best step by step instructions for administering healing massage, in the brief time afforded by overworked nurses, that I have ever seen. I am professionally trained in Massage, but my sessions last from 45 minutes to two hours! I have always hoped that someone would finally be able to provide training for brief but highly effective techniges that could be applied right in hospitals, where it is most needed! These authors have done just that! I highly recommend this book!

This book has two sections. The first explains the different methods of touch therapy, from chiropractic to massage to energy healing. The second part lists common maladies and recommends different techniques to use for them. It's great reading for anyone who wants to "think outside the box"!

As always, John R.Cross has managed to provide a book bursting with wisdom, rich in information, clearly and simply presented with helpful illustrations and useful case studies, to empower and encourage the practitioner to expand and develop working with chakra energy and alternative healing methods. Highly recommended.

Robert Noah Calvert's History Of Massage is an informative and illustrated history covers massage techniques and rituals from around the world through the ages, from its ongoing medical use as a therapy and curative to the varying techniques for addressing different illnesses and needs. A fascinating coverage of the evolution of massage techniques.