Acupuncture Books

Very well written and excellent explanation even for outsiders of the matter. Interesting specially for those looking for sports therapy.

This book is very straight forward and easy to use if you have a decent understanding of TCM and point locations. It's a great resource for anyone who wants to add cupping to their practice.

I'm self taught when it comes to "cupping". This book (the only one available!) has filled in the blanks with valuable information. Not only do I have a better understanding of the meridians, but the history of cupping and how it has evolved and become more availabe is fascinating.
A "must get" if you are interesting in incorporating this technique into your existing bodywork profession or even for personal use.

This book gives very good guidelines and clear, precise instructions that will broaden the scope of treatment of any inquisitive TCM practitioner and/or student. Ilkay Chirali does an excellent job in presenting interesting applications of the cups, many of which will be totally new for a lot of people.

The book contains many clear pictures of cups, their different forms of application (ten methods of cupping, wow!), and also pictures that can help the practitioner explain to the patient the effects of the treatment. The section on treatment of specific conditions is very illustrative, and will be welcome by practitioners who are not afraid to try new things.

There are, however, a couple of weak spots. I acknowledge the effort of Mr. Chirali in researching and providing information on the background of cupping, but I would have liked to see more of that from the Chinese side. Most of the information in the first chapter dwells on cupping in the west. This material, although interesting, may not entirely be within the scope of the book (not at such length, anyway, in my opinion), and there are no quotes from Chinese books and only very little historical information on the development of cupping in the East. I would also have liked the author to discuss at length the Chinese theories on the workings of the cups, as well as to tie it in with the theories of chinese physiology TCM students are more familiar with.

There is a section on integrating cupping with other therapies, such as reflexology, aromatherapy, chiropractic, and so on. Although I agree that the benefits of cupping can very easily be extended to these other modalities of treatment, it also falls outside of the scope of a book entitled "Traditional Chinese Medicine Cupping Therapy". This information might well broaden the potential readership of the book in general, but to the acupuncture student (such as myself) these pages are not exactly useful.

It shines through the text that the author knows and loves his subject, with which he has had contact since he was very young. It is, all in all, a great, practical book, and I hope many practitioners will read it and add its contents to their treatment repertoires.

Cupping Therapy-Traditional Chinese Medicine Unique Reference for practitioners and students of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Welcome second print! 'First print' sold-out under 11 months of the first publication! I like to thank everyone, my Publisher (Churchill Livingstone-Harcourt Brace co Ltd), marketing staff, Agents, distributors and especially to those practitioners and students who purchased the book and found it be helpful in their practice. Editorial Roca is preparing Portuguese language edition, and the expected publication date is November 2001.

Dear reader, Chinese Medicine like any other medicine is an accumulation of tried and tested theories, experiments, remedies and treatment methods put together to help the unwell. Cupping Therapy is only one of the techniques amongst hundreds if not thousands offered today by the complementary/alternative practitioner. This book reflects my own research, experience and knowledge that I have gained over the past 15 years both as a practitioner and as a teacher of cupping therapy. `Cupping Therapy -Traditional Chinese Medicine' title, is designed to assist both the students and the practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine and various other tactile therapists such as Massage, Aromatherapy, Chiropractic, Osteopathy, Kinesiology, Alexander Technique, Shiatsu, Reflexology, Polarity and Physiotherapy. I am privileged to be the first TCM practitioner/teacher to put together this unique and comprehensive Cupping Therapy manual. My ultimate aim is to help colleges and schools to include cupping therapy as part of their treatment programme or educational syllabus. While encouraging and promoting the practical use in clinics by way of structured seminars and workshops around the world. I would also like to hear your experiences and comments regarding cupping therapy, particularly on the section 1/7 Ten methods of Cupping. Your comments and criticism will only serve to enlighten me further on this ancient healing technique. Please feel free to get in touch with your enquiries using the cupping help line. Cupping Therapy Helpline E-mail: cuppinghelp@ilkaychirali.co.uk

With my best wishes Ilkay Zihni Chirali (Author) 7/July/2000 Cuppinghelp@ilkaychirali.co.uk

While the Trigger Point Self Care Manual has a lot of good information for the lay person, with good reference charts on pain patterns. It doesnt, for some reason, cover TrP's of the hands and feet. This to me seems very strange as there are some major TrP's missed. The book is also a little hard to follow as the referal pattern pics for each TrP can only be found at the start of each chapter. It would of been much more user friendly to place the pain referral pics along side the TrP pics.
For my money I would buy the Trigger Point Therapy WorkBook by Clair Davies.

My son is a musician and has lots of stress and aches from practicing long hours and this book helped him find some of the worst trigger points and allow him to practice longer and more comfortably.

I highly recommend this book. The diagrams are clear and well organized, the accompanying directions easy to follow. A word of warning, however: pressure on trigger points can be *very* painful, particularly if the pain being treated is severe. Be prepared. (It's worth it.)

I bought this book to help my husband with his whiplash problem, and it has been a wonderful cure-all book! I really recommend it! I was able to help him getr rid off his never-ending headache, that was coming from his supraespinatus muscle trigger points. I also recommend this book because is easy to understand and the drawings can help to understand the location of muscles even to a person with no previous knowledge.

The TRIGGER POINT SELF-CARE MANUAL FOR PAIN-FREE MOVEMENT discusses methods of healing and preventing injury to muscles through identification of areas of tightness and restriction and self-care massage and stretching techniques. Any who suffer from muscle pain will find her methods specific and useful, based on her acupuncture and massage background and studies with Janet Travell, MD, a pioneer in pain management.

Interesting book which accounts for this ancient discipline applied to animals. It is reassuring to know that animals can be healed this way as well!

It is a simple and easy book of understanding, of the way that the students, in the course beginning, need to understand the Chinese medicine, mainly the acupuncture. But for an acupunturista he is also very useful, because it serves as much as a study book and of headboard as of fast consultation, in spite of his size to turn it a little difficult to transport. But I always drop it off at my clinic and I read it whenever it remains a time. Each reading that I do learns a little more. I already possess there is him two years and I still didn't get to read it entirely. It is the book that more has been contributing to my learning as acupunturist. I recommend and a lot to all that are interested in the subject: Chinese medicine and veterinary acupuncture.

Have been taking an extensive course in TCVM and was realy struggling with a few concepts, using this book as a back up to integrate with some Western medicine really helped me "get it"

This is a wonderful text on complementary medical therapies for pets. I highly recommend it and as a fellow holistic veterinarian and author (8 Weeks to a Healthy Dog, The Allergy Solution for Dogs, and the award-winning The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats,) I found the information quite useful.

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Very thorough book on veterinary acupuncture. It seems intended for veterinarians which may make it hard to digest for the lay person. The theory is very well explained, the chapters on history and studies are informative and the illustrations of points charts are excellent. It lacks on the practical side though. It gives you general knowledge but does not go deep into how to do point selection in relation to your clinical findings.
Overall, an excellent theorical book.

I like the book BUT! I don't feel right about bringing it to school, or recomending it, because of the sex chapters. It would be better with out them. What a waste.

Anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the origins of TCM should read this book. For me, it created a lot of connections and filled in many holes in my learning. As a student of TCM, general statements are often made about how a particular theory is related to an aspect of religion or culture, but you really don't fully grasp what is meant by those statements. This book goes a lot more in depth into the various cultural and linguistic origins of the medicine, while at the same time inviting the reader to go further in depth in his/her own study. This should be required reading for every student of TCM.

The book is extremely courteous in guiding the reader through the basic structure of that enormously complicated thing called Chinese culture. The first part will be particularly helpful to those who do not know the Chinese language in the way it shapes and articulate thought for those who think in Chinese. The entire cosmology upon which medical theories and perceptions have been formulated is laid out as a reflection of the mirror (language) that bears the warpature to best suit the Chinese language. The first part ably shows how the fact that Chinese does not have temporal tenses in its grammar affects the shaping of premises with regard to the body and medicine in Chinese worldview. Food and Chinese cooking are also introduced as important vehicles that have carried Chinese medicine through its path of evolution. The latter part of the book deals with more theoretical concepts, including philosophy, and how they gave rise to and founded certain clinical practices. The book is an organic introduction to a science that is founded and corrected on the lived experience of thousands of cases observed over two thousand years.

This wonderful book helps to unravel the mystery of Chinese medicine and thought. I recommend it to all my students and patients, and find it invaluable for practitioners as well. It clarifies the historical Chinese medical world view and offers a succinct and highly enjoyable journey into a different paradigm.

It's a great book for all chinese culture lovers It gives us a comprehensive idea of Traditional Chinese Medicine origins and basis . Provides a good biblography too A must for everyone who wants to understand more and more about traditional chinese culture and art of healing

it is that kind of book that go around the same point over and over again but "from" different points of view.
It is good, it teaches you, but it could be written shorter.
The pressure points are almost the same through the book; what change is that the author gives you like a manual of how to do it for every stage.
I think should be more!!..

Very well done. With sensitive material that could easily be presented either too pornographically or too clinically, Michael Reed Gach, a Californian acupressure practitioner and teacher, strikes the perfect balance. Contents include: acupressure guidelines, stimulating sexual energy, building intimacy, preparing for love, arousing a woman or a man, and acupressure techniques for mutual stimulation, oral sex, and intercourse. Also includes chapters on Thai Massage, "Acupressure for the Afterglow" and acupressure for sexual problems and healing. The author is generous with information and presents it with clarity. The book includes diagrams and photos, also presented sensitively and clearly. The subject is treated with the tenderness it deserves and yet is very specific in its suggested applications of this age-old technique. Highly recommended.

I am amazed at the effectiveness of the techniques described in this book... I am enjoying every minute! Have had a hard time putting it dowm. Highly recommend!

This book taught me a few things I didn't already know, and I was surprised by some of the reactions I got after applying its principles and techniques.

Sometimes, finding the right location of points can be tricky. This book has enough pictures and illustrations that make it easy to follow. Effective!

This book brings together the basic principles of ayurvedic pressure point healing using the Marma points. It is a very useful tool for those who use acupressure or foot reflexology.

This book has a very good way of describing marma therapy!
It`s very easy to understand and it is very inspiring.
A great book if you are allready working with ayurvedic massage !

I think that the majority of people have some understanding of the concepts behind acupuncture and acupressure. Tiny needles or pressure is put into or onto certain points of the body. These points lay along meridian lines along which chi or life energy flows. By doing so, blockages or stagnation is eliminated and the natural flow is resumed. In turn, the body regains its health.

In some ways, Marma Therapy is similar to these methods. Marma Therapy also looks to correct the natural energy flow in the body to correct health issues. Specific points on the body are used to do so. Some forms of Marma Therapy even use acupressure techniques.

However, with Marma Therapy, these points are generally massaged in a particular way. The direction of the massage, the oils employed, the accompanying meditations, and the actual points worked upon are tailored to the individual based upon his or her Ayurvedic type and the particular excesses or deficiencies that need to be balanced. Overall, it is a far more complex process but one that is perfectly suited to the individual's needs.

I liked this book very much and will keep it as part of my Ayuervedic library. It has very detailed and useful medical information. I was a little disappointed with the lack of spiritual information and spiritual tie-in to our physical parts. But over all a very good reference book.

This has great information on what to focus on during your asana practice. Will improve your knowledge of anatomy and provide an energetic jumpstart to your practice if you use it right.

This has just about everything you need about Ayurveda and Vedic Science! Everything from yoga postures for different purposes, almost all food products and their properties, and a huge index of disorders, topics and remedies to look up! Great for all levels.

This book on Ayuveda is exhaustive on the subject and is especially useful if you are studying this particular modality of healing. It is, however, not really for beginners. I love my copy and have just about worn it out!

Yes, it's a 'monumental' work, but only from the perspective of someone that values the meaning of an Ayurvedic Science in terms of the accumulated information...
Unfortunately, it can not be helpful to people, who are not too familiar with Vedic philosophy and practice, in the contemporary Western world.
I've also asked many Ayurvedic practitioners, about their intelectual experience of this book. Similarly, many of us were disapointed, regardless of the country, ie. USA, Europe or even India.

There are many great books on this timless subject,just to mention few authors like: David Frawley, Vasant Lad, Robert Svoboda, Maya Tiwari and Atreya.

I found this book extremely helpful in both discovering my doshas, and using the information to improve my health. This book describes the traditional indian healing for harmony and health.

As a recent discoverer of Ayurveda, I have purchased and read a number of books on Ayurveda from many of the well known teachers and scholars of the topic. These have all been fine but generally very narrow in their focus. There are other publicatons I have chosen to leave on the shelf that appear to be folks just "jumping on the bandwagon".

Happily I have just purchased the "AYURVEDA ENCYCLOPEDIA" and could not be more pleased. I hesitate to say I am reading it although that is exactly what I am doing with it. Most will find it a marvelous reference tool. Others will find specific portions that address their needs.

It is difficult to explain the "flavor" of the book however it is clearly not a book that has been put together by a Madison Avenue driven mega-publisher. It felt far more like a labor of love than a commercial effort.

Anyone seeking a great reference tool, a teaching text, or overview of Eastern medicine would be well served by Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha's "Ayurveda Encyclopedia".

The topics covered include the history or Ayurveda, Sanskrit, Yoga, specific medical conditions, herbology and much more. It is sprinkled with Eastern Philosophy as well as art work.

As I begin my Ayurvedic education I am confident I will be pulling it from the bookshelf frequently.

This book is an excellent technical tool and "must have" for those working with horses. It clearly presents various concepts and specific techniques for Myofacial Release and Structual Integration in horses. I refer to this book quite regularly for my own practice.

I like the book. Pictures are very helpful. I do not regret the purchase. My only neg. would be it is a little to technical.

Both my horse and I love this book. I have been able to integrate many of the techniques into bodywork sessions with my horse. The book is in-depth and well written. The chapter on Myofascial Stretching has completely changed the way I think about stretch exercises for horses.

I was very impressed with this book. It is clearly written and with humour. Although I don't have my own horse, I feel that I have a much greater understanding of them, their physiology and how we can affect it from this book. I have recommended Equine Structural Integration: Myofascial Release Manual to all my horse-owning friends.

Rachael Gosling, Bermuda

My horse and I love this book. The author has a gift for presenting theory and practical techniques in a clear, concise, well-organized manner. Anyone, with the intention of wanting to help horses, is able to follow the excellent photos and instructions to achieve this end. Since first reading this book I have studied human massage and bodywork and can attest that there are few instruction manuals of this sort available. The next item on my "desire to learn list" is equine/canine bodywork. After having read and reviewed many related books and DVD's, this book convinced me as to with whom I need to study.

This is a great book for current practitioners and students of Chinese Medicine, regardless if your dicipline is herbal, acupuncture, or both. It's main approach is 8 principle, but those of the 5 element philosphy can gain from it also. The lay person may have a difficult time understanding without being familiar with the general philosphy of Chinese Medicine.

This is one of the better introductory texts to the study of Chinese medical theory. What it has and others lack are helpful footnotes along the way to solidify the many, often confusing and sometime non-discernable, concepts in Chinese medicine. In addition, readers are eased into the basics of Chinese materia medica by having such information intertwined within the theoretical discourse. A real gem.

I like the book, but the translation seems confusing at times. For example, on p. 29: "The channels and network vessels include the channel vessels and the network vessels." What does this mean, exactly? Grammatically, the sentence says only that "channels" include "channel vessels" (since network vessels obviously include network vessels -- the sentence is redundant.) Also, grammatically, "channel vessels" should be a kind of vessel, related to channels (as opposed to networks). To make things more confusing, a few lines later, we get: "There are two types of channel vessels: the twelve channels and the eight extraordinary vessels." This sentence says that a "channel" is a type of "channel vessel", which seems to contradict the earlier sentence (which said that a "channel vessel" was a type of channel), as well as the notion that a "channel vessel" is a type of vessel. As a software engineer experienced in object-oriented analysis, I'm frustrated that I'm completely unable to determine the relationship between "channels", "channel vessels", "network vessels", "extraordinary vessels", and "vessels".

I've always thought this is a great textbook on basic Chinese medicine. I wish more schools used it as their basic introductory text. The material is authoritative and the terminology is accurate. I think you get a lot of value for your money with this book. I far prefer it to Giovanni Maciocia's Foundations book. This book could solve a lot of the problems in the TCM schools in North America.

This book is like a complete textbook on Chinese Medicine. It goes over all the fundamental theories in great depth and detail. Beginning with the Yin-Yang theories and going through the Five Phases, 8 principles, and everything else, this book provides all the necessary information. It does read like a textbook, but only because it IS a textbook! I am not enrolled in a school of Oriental medicine, but I bought this book and I LOVE it. It was inexpensive for its size and the amount of information it provides. I am able to read it even though I have not had any formal training in TCM, yet I think experienced students and even practitioners will find this book useful and complete.
An essential must for any TCM library!

This book helped to fill the gap of this specialty. Andy gave descriptions of terms I have never heard of before that allowed me to appreciate it even more instead of hearing all the same 'ole boring descriptions/definitions that many others use or copy from other books.

The chapters were well organized and well suited for the beginner who wants to understand the organ functions pertaining to Chinese medicine and how a practitioner will treat eye disorders.

I now know what "snail-shell moxa" is by the pictures in the book.

Relating the western diagnosis to Chinese medical terms make this book useful and important to the practitioner as well as the authors own clinical experience he shares in this book.

I think anyone interested in vision health whether you are a practitioner or layperson will greatly benefit from this book.

This book is written in a way that both patients and practitioners alike will be able to get a lot out of it. The layout is clear, and it is very readable.

I was drawn into the book from the beginning. Even though I am very well acquainted with the basics of Chinese medicine and the organ functions, they are presented an a different context in this book. Everything is given within the context of the eyes and eye diseases. This allowed me to take the knowledge that I had on treatment principles in general, and apply it to eye patterns.

Perhaps the most outstanding aspect of the book is the holistic approach presented to working on eye diseases. There is information on lifestyle, eye exercises, qigong, herbs, acupressure, acupuncture, essential oils, magnets, and moxibustion. All of this information can be used by practitioners to improve their ability to treat eye problems. More importantly, it is written in a way that the patient can go home and do eye exercises, qigong, acupressure, or any of the other home treatment modalities presented in this book to further their eye health.

Overall an excellent book.

Another reviewer wrote that this book is not geared towards practitioners, I disagree as I was able to immediately use much of the information in my clinic.

I graduated from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in 2002 and have been fortunate to operate an extremely busy Chinese Medicine practice since early 2003. I also participate in NIH funded research on Chinese Medicine through UMDNJ (University of Medicine and Dentistry, NJ). Over 90% of my patients are "medical throw-aways" who come to Chinese Medicine as a last resort after conventional medicine has failed. A significant percentage of these patients have been those with degenerative eye disorders.

After reading Andy's book on eye and vision disorders, I feel that this book should be a required text in modern acupuncture schools. When I was in school there were no books devoted to the exclusive practice of Chinese opthamology within a modern clinical setting. What little material I read on Chinese opthamology was isolated to theory and pattern discrimination...and of limited help in real world practice. If I had read this book four years ago when I started my practice, I would have had a greater success rate with my opthamology patients.

The information in this book reveals why Andy is considered by other acupuncturists to be a leading authority on traditional Chinese opthamology. This book is clearly a labor of love as he gives away many of the "secrets" that he has learned from specializing in eye disorders for the past 10 years. Any acupuncturist looking to specialize in eye disorders needs to read this book. There is a detailed explanation of Chinese meridian theory and how each elemental pair relates to treating certain eye disorders, and even after years of working as a professional acupuncturist I was able to find new information in this section. Yet what makes this book different from conventional text books is the conversational style of teaching that the author has, and the large amount of "real world" information presented that is only available from someone who has experienced plenty of success (as well as early failures) in his field.

For example, the book integrates Western and Eastern medical theories by breaking down the different part of the eye into their five element classifications (ie: sclera=metal, macula=water) and how specific western diagnoses of eye disorders such as age-related macular degeneration can be treated using traditional zhang-fu and meridian theory. His categorization of various opthamological diseases into five-element theory is then used to explain how the most common Chinese herbal formulas can be used to treat different disorders such as diabetic retinopathy and myopia. Additionally, there is information on the use of self-care exercises for the eyes, a unique explanation of essential oil therapy using Chinese theories, micro-current stimulation, and an explanation of how modern visual acuity tests can be integrated into a Chinese Medicine practice. Most of the above information I have not found in other texts.

As an acupuncturist I found this book to be a goldmine of clinical information for my practice. But if you are suffering from degenerative vision loss and are looking for alternative treatments, I feel that this book would be an excellent start to learn more about natural methods for healing the eyes. I have treated many patients with degenerative eye disorders and I know how terrifying the experience can be...but there is hope if you remain persistent in your search and keep an open mind. Knowledge and understanding will always overcome fear, and this book will give you a new level of understanding if you suffer from vision loss. Admittedly, there may be some parts of the book that might be difficult for the lay person to understand. The information has not been watered down and the author assumes that you have an intense interest in the subject. You will have to read the theory section in the first few chapters several times to be able to understand the more detailed information in the second half of the book, but this is to be expected as Chinese Medicine is a vast subject that takes many years to grasp.

Bottom line: Highly recommended for both clinicians and patients. Five Stars!!!

It's great what Andy is doing with TCM in the treatment of eye disorders, but the book is another story. It is not really geared to practitioners so he doesn't go into any detail regarding his system of "micro-acupuncture". On the other hand he gives formula names, herbs, and dosages which are great for a student of acupuncture. He also gives unique info on the use of essential oils.

I've got an old friend Andy who taught me to play poker years ago. He recently was stricken with age-related macular degeneration. Right when he reached his retirement years and can play a lot of poker - he can't anymore.

My "new" friend Andy - the guy who wrote this book - gave me a lot of hope for my old friend. As he said to me in an email:

"FYI, no one is too far gone in my experience. I've had some crazy success cases of people whom I thought would not get any results. As long as there is still a pulse, there is still hope..."

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can often help when nothing else will. The reason is that drugs rarely cure anything. Most drugs do one of two things. They kill something (in the case of antibiotics or chemotherapy drugs). Or, they react with receptors on cells (by blocking, interfering or activating the receptor). Cell receptors react to biomolecules such as hormones, neurotransmitters, etc.

The problem is this doesn't cause healing - it merely blocks symptoms. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine works by helping the body's natural healing mechanisms take over. Only your body can heal itself - nothing else. Even the greatest surgeon can't heal the smallest cut.

Andy just had an article printed about macular degeneration in Acupuncture Today. You can search for it at their site. According to the article, he's had an 80% success rate. If you're interested in treatment for age related macular degeneration, it's an excellent article. It will tell you if this book is for you.

If you're interested in treatment for other eye conditions and want to know if this book addresses it, you can search inside this book - click on the book cover, above.