Acupuncture Books

I have been in the martial arts for almost six years. I have been studying Dim-Mak for about 3 years. When I read this book, I had a sudden understanding of how Dim-Mak really works. I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone who is studying Dim-Mak. Paired with Mark Tedeschi's "Essential Anatomy for Healing and Martial Arts", this ancient and complicated art will make some sense to you.

I realize there are already a lot of reviews, so I'll try to be brief.

First, about the osteopath controversy, in the US, osteopaths have the same privileges as MD physicians, and can take specialty training. I personally am acquainted with at least one osteopath who's an anesthesiologist and another who's a neurologist. I understand it may be different in other countries.

I'm a neuroscientist of sorts, a surgical neurophysiologist, and I approached this book with great skepticism, and only because one of my bagua brothers wanted my opinion on it. I am very surprised and favorably impressed. I also still have serious reservations.

I don't believe in the existence of acupuncture points and meridians, and as far as I know it hasn't been demonstrated that acupuncture, acupressure, moxibustion, or ear candling, foot reflexology, whatever like that, actually work (other than for anesthesia). Up to now I haven't seen why there would be any connection between dim mak points and healing points.

This book does a great job of explaining these things, in a very simple and logical way. The points and meridians are all on nerves, and attacking, or massaging, a spinal nerve (in the arm or leg) or a cranial nerve, can conceivably affect internal organs through convergence in the sympathetic nervous system, or directly in the case of the vagus nerve. The pressure point knockouts could be due to induced vasovagal syncope. The concepts of facilitation, aberrant referral, and convergence explain a great deal, including a few things I hadn't previously understood, though I'm sure they're common knowledge in neurology. It ties a lot of things together, and provides a simple, rational explanation for a lot of things that I didn't think could be so explained. So to me, this is very impressive, and extremely welcome. There's nothing New Age or pseudoscientific about it at all, no need to believe in anything ineffable.

All that said, it's true that there's a lot of speculation about things that would be hard to test, and haven't been tested. I personally still doubt if acupuncture and so on work reliably for healing, but this does provide a possible explanation for how they could work.

One of my bagua teachers once pointed out to me that the open secret about attacking dim mak points is, you can't really do it in a standup fight. Once you have your victim down, and maybe a little stunned and unable to defend himself, then you could actually attack dim mak points. I guess Earle Montague claims you can also do it in standup grappling. I don't know. I still think there's plenty of room for skepticism, but for the first time, it doesn't all seem totally mysterious and incredible to me.

I'd like to add that I don't see any constructive purpose for dim mak in modern times. If it works at all, it's dangerous as hell and certainly constitutes excessive force. This should only be an intellectually interesting issue, imho.
On the other hand, this offers some possible validation of acupressure etc. as healing techniques, so further research is definitely indicated.

I have a black belt,an earned doctorate, and over a decade experience with pressure points/kyusho jitsu/dim mak. Therefore, I am not unexperienced when it comes to the topic. I can say without reservation that this is the best Western medical explanation of the topic written to date.

In reading this book, it must be understood that many things about pressure points are not completely understood by Western science. This book provides an excellent theoretical framework for understanding some complex topics. I have also read some of Dr. Kelly's postings on Kyusho.com and found that he is a very knowledgeable person.

In reading the reviews, I found that one physician agrees with me and one doesn't. I respect both of their learned opinions. When you read the Endnotes at the conclusion of the book you will find that Dr. Kelly is a scholar who has done his homework.

One footnote, an osteopath is a physician, by law, in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. You may safely dismiss ignorant comments by uninformed sources to the contrary.

"Dr" Michael Kelly appears to have identified a profitable niche market in the overlapping space where bad science meets bad martial arts. Complaints about this book could reasonably be divided into these two categories.

On the science, the problem with the claims made is basically that, beyond fairly basic concepts like the fact that the nervous system is made of nerves, and that most nerves meet the spinal column at some point, they are not true. Most of the technical terms used to describe the interaction of one nerve with another nerve somewhere else in the body appear to me to be madeup words to describe madeup effects. I deeply doubt the credentials of the "professor of neuroscience" who appears to have reviewed this book, because Kelly's scribblings look much more like a rehash of speculative work on Chinese traditional medicine than any solid science.

And this is the issue. Western science simply does not recognise that there are "Dim Mak" points where trauma to the end of one nerve can cause organ damage elsewhere. Neural impulses are trasmitted as extremely subtle electrochemical changes; the pupported effect is out of all proportion to the cause. In traditional Chinese medicine, accupuncture and accupressure points make a lot of difference. I am personally agnostic about whether there is anything to TCM other than snake-oil, but it is clear to me that anyone who is serious about learning about accupressure points should do so from a qualified TCM practitioner and should learn the underlying chi-theory, rather than attempting self-education from a book which tries to translate TCM into a half-genuine, half-bogus framework of neurological buzzwords. (I would note that Western medicine has pretty little time for osteopathy as well, and this appears to be Dr Kelly's field of expertise. Perhaps the book's subtitle should read "The New Age Babble Behind The Legend of Dim Mak".)

If anyone is genuinely interested in "the science behind Dim-Mak", they should consult an anatomy textbook. Most of the key Dim-Mak points are things like the trachea, the liver, the eyes or the testicles. It is hardly rocket science to work out that a punch in the gonads is going to hurt. The rest of the Dim-Mak points simply don't work. The only "nerve point" I am aware of is the major nerve on the outside of the upper thigh which accounts for the effectiveness of Thai leg kicks or "dead legs". But leg kicks do not disrupt one's small intestine.

And now we reach the subject of the martial arts applications. The disclaimer that Dr Kelly aims to "educate" the martial arts community about the dangers of Dim Mak is of course as hypocritical as a Mafia hitman's paternosters. He wants to sell books, to kids who believe that by learning the Dim Mak points from a book they can take a short way round the difficult business of training in the martial arts and become superheroes, taking out the local bully by manipulating Triple Warmer Point 15. I would be more cross about this irresponsible practice if I thought that there was any danger to the public involved in teaching Dim Mak, but there isn't.

It has been known for years and years that acupressure points Simply Don't Work, apart from the ones which happen to be situated on the testicles, eyes, thigh muscles etc. Most of these points are really quite small, and thus very difficult to strike accurately on a resisting opponent. If you have the speed and muscular control to hit three acupressure points in succession on someone who is trying to hit you, then you are a champion boxer anyway, so why do you give a damn about Dim Mak? If this book encourages people to go into a fight looking for tiny points to press on their opponent, then it will result in a few more idiots getting a kicking, and to be honest, I find it hard to get to worked up about that.

I would also like to, by extension, express similar vitriol toward all the books in the "Amazon also recommends" section on this page. Without knowing the specific titles, I'm guessing that they are also part of the subgenre of books aimed at convincing people that it is possible to succeed in unarmed combat without prolonged and uncomfortable physical training. I personally don't have the stamina or interest to carry out such a program of training; that's why I do not pretend to be a badass, avoid confrontational situations in the street and endeavour to maintain a middle-class lifestyle in which the police and nightclub doormen will do my fighting for me. Perhaps I should write a book on this survival tactic of the mystic East (London), but I doubt that "How to Avoid Being Hurt Through Common Sense" will ever sell as well as "How To Disply Physical Prowess Without Effort Through Magic".

In all actuality Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine are Medical Doctors plus. The school is longer. They are required to take the same coarses as a M.D. then additional coarses that specialize in the muscular, skeletal, and nervous system. This is only in the U.S. Other countries have no such requirements, and are pretty much glorified chiropractors.
In my honest opinion concidering what all information is in the book I think he did a damn good job. There really isn't any good research out there explaining why dim mak works. Really the only things I didnt care for were the diagrams, a little hard to follow. Even so he recomends getting an anatomy book. Also you have to have alot of patients to handle the info. But still great info, and definatly worth it concidering it costs like a whopping 16 bucks. Well have fun kiddies.

Healing Foods? Isn't that ice cream, hot chocolate and apple pie? They always make me feel good....but alas, they are not good for me. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods is in a very easy to read format that allows instant information to be at my finger tips. This novel of wisdom also tells how to select, store and serve the different foods as well as the health benefits and history and that is not something you can get in most of the other healing food books.

Example:

Page 237 solanines in sweet potatoes - not true

Wait for the next version, hopefully they will clean it up.

If you use it check other sources to confirm.

I thought this book was going to be a lot bigger than it acutally is. I would recommend finding the larger size. This one is hard to read. But it arrived quicly and in new condition.

I've read many nutrition books on my quest to find a better way of eating. This book gives a history, nutritional breakdown and the benefits of each and every fruit and vegetable! Once you read about how good each of these foods are for you, there is just no doubt that you MUST incorporate them in to your diet! (My husband didn't want to eat cabbage. So, I made a cabbage salad and when he said he didn't want it, I just opened the book and read how GOOD cabbage is for you. After hearing that, he said "give me a fork!") This book doesn't give you a lot of recipes, get another book for that. But this book is a MUST if you are on the fence about what to eat for your long term health.

I first ran into this book at Jamba Juice. I immediately knew I wanted it for someone close to me who is battling cancer.

This is a great resource to look up a product and learn more about it. It has almost every fruit, vegetable, vitamins...etc. available in stores. In fact, I haven't found one that isn't in the book yet.

It provides a bunch of tips for healthy eating. The book covers a brief overview, history, nutritional highlights, health benefits, how to select and store, tips for preparing, quick serving ideas, and safety on every single produce, vitamin...etc.

It's a great addition to any household and its user friendly!

The 2006 revised edition is a good reference source. Organization is better than most, with complete meridian diagrams and point discussion. It is weak as regards Extra-meridians and their effective points, however the cranial and auricular areas are very well done.

All my classes refer to this book so there is no way I can't get by without it.

What can you say about a 2500 year-old tome' on a 5000 year-old procedure? There are 616 pages dedicated to engendering the Asian mind-set into Western language. Having read the translation to THE ART OF WAR, I know that much of eastern thought/language is difficult, at best, to ply into English. This translation of Huang Di's possibly mythical translation of the art and science of eastern medicine, specifically acupuncture and moxabustion, to Chi Poa is not a smooth read. Many of the ideas set-forth are, surprisingly enough, foreign and need to be re-read to absorb the meanings and understand the working of the eastern mind-set. It is, however, fascinating to think about the engineering of an entire system of health care based on ideas developed over centuries and all without the "benefit" of blinded, double-blinded and FDA "trials" or cadaveric study. I am greatly impressed and intrigued by the Qi (Chi) relation to Einstein's matter/energy conversion hypotheses as well as the inner-workings of the mind-body-spirit interactions. This is not a text to learn how to do acupuncture. It is a text for acupuncture students. It is a difficult read of Chinese translated to English by the Chinese... go figure.

I was given a copy of this book when I signed up for training courses in the Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It isn't all bad, and I learned a lot from it. The problem is that one can learn so much more from other texts such as Maciocia's Foundations of Chinese Medicine and Deadman, Mazin and Baker's A Manual of Acupuncture. This book tries to be comprehensive, but it is, at times, incomprehensible. For example, Maciocia's writings on TCM Syndrome Differentiation is much easier to comprehend than the equivalent chapters here. In fact, I found myself studying Foundations instead of this book for such topics as the 8 principles. This book also assumes too much. It does not recognize the fact that most westerners cannot readily grasp the marked differences in western and eastern philosophy. Again, this is a topic that Foundations (and Web that has no Weaver) covers much more excellently.

Ultimately, if you must purchase only ONE book on Chinese medicine, this is neither the best nor the worst you can find, but it will be adequate. Otherwise, I highly recommend that you check out various Listmanias (Jeffrey Chapman's is quite excellent) for alternatives.

I have been training in TCM most of my life now. The thing about a lot of these transations is that people often make assumptions based on grammer ECT ... about what these books are worth ... my Chinese is OK ... but I don't have perfect grammar and most Chinese respect that. There is a bit of Chinglish in this book, but it is definately read-able. The books from the mainland are usually the ones with the clinically tested, and/or properly translated point selections and combinations. Giovanni's and Deadman's Point Selections are INSANE, most of them make NO sense from the stand point of properly trained traditional Chinese medicine, get this book for the point cominations if anything.

Seriously, don't trust some of the giovanni books ... read Deadman for his commentary it explains the reasons behind why the mainland Chinese make there choices ... but Deadman's point selections lack rational as well.

Yours,
Hastings

I purchased this book after I graduated from a fabulous massage program, while awaiting my license. In the first 10 minutes of reading it, I realized I should have had this information BEFORE I started school! The information is concise, practical, and so very important for those of us who heal with our hands. Now that I'm practicing, I refer to it every couple of weeks, especially when I start feeling any pain in my hands or wrists. It gently reminds me to check my own body mechanics, and that there are other ways to help others ~ without hurting myself.

I bought this book as a gift to my daughter who is going to massage school. She said its a great book and very informative.

This is a great book for any massage therapist. It will tell you how to protect your best tool your hands.

As a Licensed massage therapist of 8 years, specializing in deep tissue work, I went through a period of injury early in my career, and turned to Ms. Greene's book to get help and hope. Unfortunately, I came away more nervous than hopeful of being able to continue with many years in a massage career that I enjoyed so much. I learned from a colleague that Ms. Greene does not practice massage anymore, and does indeed make her living off of her book, and lecturing, as another reviewer commented. In her book she takes prevention to some extremes that a massage practitioner of any experience would scoff at. I found that my period of injury was a good time to research as much as I could from various sources and figure out what would help me. (And subsequently my clients) This is not to say that there isn't some good information to be gleened from this book, but the author has given up the practice of massage, just consider the source.

My massage school offered very little information about injury prevention, so this book was an eye-opener for me. I think many students and even professionals don't take care of their own bodies and need the informaton that's in this book. Many of my fellow students became injured while they were in school and didn't know how to deal with it. I have many friends who are massage therapists, and when they have pain they don't know why or what to do about it. I have had pain in my arms several times, and this book helped me figure out why and get the right treatment to keep it from getting worse. I would recommend this book for any massage therapist.

Lack of an index makes this book difficult for the reader. Trying to find specific points is also challenging due to the graphics used. I l was surprised to find so many typos which should have been caught before print.

OUR LAB MIX DOG (MERLIN) SUFFERED A SPINAL EMBOLISM AND WAS PARALIZED IN THE REAR RIGHT LEG, GOT HIM TO THE VET IMMEDIATELY TO GET STEROIDS AND ANTI-INFLAMATORIES ON BOARD, DIDN'T HAVE THE BEST PROGNOSIS. ORDERED THIS BOOK AND BEGAN WITH THE ACCUPRESURE AND MASSAGE 3 X A DAY. HE HAS MADE A MIRACULOUS RECOVERY IN ONLY 8 WEEKS WITH ABOUT 85% USE OF THE LEG. I BELIEVE THAT THIS BOOK REALLY HELPED AND IT IS EASY TO READ AND UNDERSTAND. IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOUR DOG, DON'T GIVE UP, WE ALMOST DID AND ARE SO GLAD NOW THAT WE DIDN'T.

This book contains very good information and is useful. It could be improved by adding an index, giving page numbers for specific techniques mentioned in the table of contents, and giving written descriptions of how to find the points. It is not possible to precisely pinpoint the acupuncture/pressure spot with just the dot on a dog diagram. There are some typos that should have been caught by the publisher. Over-all a useful book. I hope they come out with an updated edition that particularly contains an index.

I love the way this book is layed out. There are other great ones that also include nutrition, but this is the easiest to follow for accupressure. My dog's accupuncture Vet was even impressed. I was disappointed that there wasn't a section on ears, but they were addressed as part of other topics.

My copy arrived earlier than expected, and in excellent condition. Kudos to [...].
I have found the book to be easy to read, and the diagrams are very clear, and easy to understand.
I have already tried some accupressure on my little schnanuzer, and noticed some improvementin her pain level.I hope to improve on this, as I get more proficient with practice.

This is a great book. For anyone going into the massage business, this is a wonderful tool. I rented this from our library first, loved it and bought it for my own library. Massage is a very tricky business. You become a therapist because of your love of people and your desire to help, but not people have good motives. This book teaches you how to protect yourself. It also helps with legal matters, opening a shop, decorating, schools, self care, and so much more. This is a great reference book to keep on hand for when things come up, and they will in the massage business.

I'm about ready to finish up my licensure, and this book has given me some great insight into what to expect and on how to avoid what would have been common mistakes. Only for the beginner though. I think more experienced practicioners would either already know most of what is in this book or could find what they don't know elsewhere. On the whole, a Great introduction to the massage profession.

The author really misses the real issues that a massage therapist are faced with on a daily basis because he is a lawyer trying to sell books on massage careers.

While most of what he does say is true, there is much more to starting and building a successful massage career and since he has never done it ( he did go to massage school but from what I know this guy is a lawyer and has never had a full time career), this book is really lacking in addressing the real issues such as the low pay rates, career struggles, high rates of burnout in the profession and other things.

i purchaced this book because it is required for my upcoming intro to massage class. it arrived yesterday and i decided to 'flip through it'. i finished it this afternoon. once i started reading it, i couldn't put it down. it answered most of my basic questions about the industry, aliviated some of my fears, and left me feeling confident that i have chosen the right career path for me.

it has a wealth of resources, from choosing a school, to massage supply companies, recomended readings, magazines, articles from other massage therapists, managing finances, building your clientel and so on.

i think it is a great book for anyone considering the field. it is honest, detailed, well written and easy to understand.

Much like a computer manual, this is a book that could be rewritten twice a year and still stay 3 months behind. As much as the Massage Therapy community and profession change on an almost daily basis, it would be almost impossible to mass produce any kind of book (short of a magazine) and keep it cutting edge.

The book DOES still have plenty of things to make it well worth the price, and it's all in one volume. There is only one mag that has proven itself to be worth reading and it (MASSAGE) will cover about 3/4 of the info contained herein in about a year.

The chapter on MONEY MANAGEMENT gives the same excellent advice that my Grandfather gave me 20 years ago when it comes to smart investments of time and money. It's certainly as useful today as it was then. If you're planning on going it alone in the business, I strongly suggest you at least borrow a friend's copy and read that chapter.

There is also a great chapter on marketing on a budget. There are those that say that a good Massage Therapist doesn't need to advertise, and in-as-much as many Therapists work alone, they are correct. I have 12 Therapists in 2 offices, 3 clinics and 3 hospitals. . . I do a small amount of marketing simply to educate the general public (and the medical community) on what's available; this book made that an easy thing. We also advertise our seminars (we do about a dozen free infant massage classes and roughly the same number of stress management courses a year) and this chapter helped me save some money there.

There is also some plain, common sense kinda' stuff that you just need to hear from more than one person before you believe it. I won't ruin the book by spilling it here, but there really is a lot of good material in this tome! If you don't know someone with this book, buy it or wait for the next edition to come out- It's really due!

There's a reason that this book (slightly outdated as it may be) is regularly used in Massage schools across the country.

This book is great for those who have tried every topical treatment for hyperpigmentation. After varying the levels of my birth control pills, I got the worst hyper pigmentation on my upper lip literally overnight. I have since been on a very expensive 2-year trek to fix this embarrassing situation. I've used the retin-A/hydroquinone combination, the pulse laser treatments, gone to the top "Hollywood facialist to the stars" as well as every product out there containing hydroquinone, kojic acid, vitamin C and everything that is touted to remove hyperpigmentation. Some of these actually caused it to get darker because I have Asian skin that turns traumatized areas darker. I must've spent close to $5,000 with minimal, if any, results.

I've been since using various concealers to cover up the problem. I used to be proud of my skin and the fact that I had to wear make up to cover something up made me very self-conscious.

Since finding the website and book, I've been taking MSM with wonderful results. It's been a little over a month. Right now, I have a cold and any concealer put on that area gets rubbed off whenever I blow my nose (which right now is every 5-10 minutes), and visited a friend that I haven't seen for a couple years. She commented on how great I looked and I felt great even without the concealer. The dark areas are broken up and much lighter. I'm comfortable being seen without any concealer. I still see dark areas but my fiancé says he doesn't see it anymore .... and he used to joke about my mustache (at one point he called me Mr. Kotter). I was so traumatized by the melasma that I think I'll always be looking for it.

The book is very short and to the point, which is perfect for those of us desperate for a solution. When I go to the health food store to buy my MSM, I've found that most of the salespeople there have never heard of using it as a way to treat melasma. Hopefully they'll be able to pass it along to others whose self-esteem has suffered from melasma "mustaches"!

I don't take anything a medical doctor says at face value. After researching melasma extensively I came across this book and its the best hope out there for us with the disease. My dermatologist offered me no hope and and a very expensive prescription. I know however that there is always an alternative to chemicals and this is the solution for this particular problem. My melasma has been such an embarassment to me. It's not life threatening, but when I can't look people in the eye any more it's humiliating. This book is worth keeping and reading over and over so you don't get discouraged while you are on the MSM. The MSM does not work over night and in my opinion works better if you change your diet and try and balance your hormones while taking it. This book gives such great advice as each of us is different. Many women write about their experience while on the MSM. If you are like me you would do just about anything to get rid of this horrible problem, so nothing is lost by buying this book.

I have had melasma for years and everything I have tried has been useless! It just comes right back afterwards. Then desperately searching the net for help one day I found the site www.melasma.co.uk, I read the info, studied the before and after photos then still feeling a bit uncertain I contacted Miss Wild herself. She was very helpful and explained that even with MSM there were no guarantees that my melasma would go, but that if I followed all the steps in the book carefully it would increase my chances of seeing results. She also said that she has plans to update her book one day and that even more natural alternative solutions will be included, all tried and tested of course by true melasma sufferers, just in case MSM doesn't work for the reader. So you have a choice now all you lot out there - take it! You don't have to put up with being fobbed off by derms with harmful bleaching creams that cost $$$$$$!!! Anyway feeling encouraged to give this a real shot I went ahead and ordered the book. I am happy to say that I haven't looked back since! The book outlines exactly what you need to do so read it over and over again before you start, it isn't just about taking MSM sulfur, there's a lot more to it than that. There are numerous encouraging testimonials included from fellow sufferers from all corners of the globe lending weight to the realization that this really could be the only natural alternative solution to conventional treatments for melasma. Mine hasn't totally gone yet but what I have left no longer darkens in the sun which is great news for me! Keep spreading the word Vanessa and thank you again and again!

The author's "studies" were done via chatroom/internet emails of other women that tried her 'cure'. No proof, no pictures, nothing to back up her claims. A lot of: "It SEEMS like it's getting better" "I THINK it might be getting better..." " I can't tell if it's working..." blah-blah-blah. Her "studies" were done for such a short time, she didn't even know the outcome of most of the women as they were still trying it.

The author claims that MSM-a supplement one can buy at the healthfood store, 'cured' her melasma. However there are no doctor/medical backed studies about her claims, and only ONE before/after photos which wasn't very impressive. She says to take as little or as much as needed-this is quite vague.

As the book says nothing on the proper dosage (anything from 1000mg up to 10,000mg)you don't even have to buy the book to try the 'cure'. Just buy some MSM and see what happens. I tried taking the MSM orally and topically and it did NOTHING. I got more results with Retin A & Hydroquinone.

I want my money back!

If you are a true Melasma sufferer like myself, you will really appreciate the information found in this book. This is the only book that I found out there that actually discussed using MSM to help get rid of this particular problem and in my case it worked wonderfully. Hearing the experiences of others was what I needed to give me the reason to try it. I am very glad that I spent the very small amount of money necessary to find out what I needed to do.

I don't want to insult Mark Seem, as I might want to study with him in the future. The book's title may be the publisher's choice, and not Seem's, I don't know; if you are expecting a grand union of osteopathy, acupuncture, and myofascial tensegrity, this isn't it. But if you can recognize and value a few real jewels of useful acupuncture therapy, it's a very good book. Perhaps Dr. Seem suffers a little bit from the common disease of many who have years of experience; I'm refering to his statement that his mentor, Dr. Nguyen Van Nghi, was "wrong" about the yin and yang of principal channels and tendinomuscular channels. I suggest that Dr. Seem put on his "beginner's mind" again and look deeper. He tries to show that he has invented something new, when all he is doing is applying Dr. Van Nghi's "tendinomuscular protocol" to the six great channels (taiyang, shaoyang, yangming, etc). He acts as though he was the first person to ever have this idea, which just isn't true. Dr. Seem may be a great acupuncturist, a great teacher, and get great results with neuro-musculo-skeletal issues, yet there comes a point when innovation loses its root, and just puts on a show. The book is worth a read, and will give many TCM practitioners a real "aha!" experience. But for students of Nguyen Van Nghi, Seem's book will probably be ho-hum.

I have every one of Dr. Seem's books. As a registered nurse with 30 years of experience and a Zen Shiatsu therapist to boot, I can recommend his books without hesitation. Every though Dr. Seem is an acupuncturist, he (whether he knows it or not) is also a master bodyworker. All his work has been proven to be beneficial not only by Dr. Seem but by others in the field.

Mark Seem's book is a comprehensive guide to using acupuncture in the treatment of myofascial pain. Being an acupuncturist and TCM practitioner (having done part of my training in China) I agree with Dr Seem's views on the herbalisation of acupuncture completely. Jane Austin's review I find frankly silly, and would not be surprised if it was simply a plant from a rival author intent on bringing down this books averages. This is a definite 5 star book and a must read for any acupuncturist who wants to help their patients get out of pain as quickly and efficiently as possible.

In response to the previous critique of Mark Seem by "Jane Austen," I would like to mention that Dr. Seem is an outstanding practitioner with well over 20 years of clinical experience in treating patients with acupuncture. I have used a similar approach of combining modern trigger point techniques with classical acupuncture and have had tremendous success. I am a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and have received additional training in China. I find Dr. Seem's critique of the TCM acupuncture is highly accurate. For those who are used to only the TCM methods of acupuncture, I recommend any of Mark Seems books. If you want something that is immediately useful in the clinic, start with this book. "Jane Austen's" critique of Mark Seem betrays her own clinical ignorance. His protocols are safe and effective. I highly recommend this book.

I trained in acupuncture some 25 years ago: at a time when contemporary chinese rigidity was just beginning to creep in and edge traditional practices on to the sidelines. Unfortunately, it has since come to dominate, negating the art and skill of the practitioner to the point where he or she is effectively redundant and software can diagnose and prescribe. Some people may enjoy being treated by a computer. I'm not one of them.

Any book that pushes both experienced and would-be therapists into thinking differently has to be good! You don't have to believe every theory or strategy, but it is healthy to contemplate alternative possibilities and even try them.

By the way, is it my imagination or do the negative reviews appear to be written by the same none too literate reviewer?

I am currently enrolled in massage school, and because I love books so much I am thrilled when a new required book is added to the list. As we are learning accupressure in our school, this book is a major reference point, as it is for most schools, I believe. Yet the instructions and explanations are precise enough that anyone could use this book if they are interested in this work. With a back ground in energy work or cranialsacral this will expand your knowledge immensely.

My one and only hang up; I don't really care for the pictures. While they are fine pictures of procedure, they seem to be taken from an original idea that happened in the 70's or something, and I feel it detracts from the modern, educational feel of the book, but in no way does it compromise the information- which is vast!

Also included are great protocol tips, an extensive bibliography and suggested reading list and good anatomy diagrams. Information is presented in a nice sized text, in easy column format with room for highlighting and notes, if needed. As far as information and diagrams go, this book has everything you need for accupressure!

I just spent my last 2 weekends taking Level I and II of the Touch for Health series of classes. We spent a lot of our time correcting things in the book that have changed since it was last revised. If you do not have the opportunity to take the class and find out about all the changes, I would recommend Eden's book Energy Medecine as an alternative. In fact, I would recommend it as a complement even if you do the TFH class.

I want to buy the Used Tough For Health and have found no way to do that. I could have gone to the store and bought a new one for the amount of time I have spent trying to buy this used edition. Lists and lists of things to buy....no button that says BUY...I WANT TO BUY....GET SIMPLE PLEASE. Saw the new one and notice a used book....just let me buy it if you have it.

Can not review what I can not buy.....

I came across TFH in my quest to be more relaxed on stage (I am a violinist) and help back problems. I was intrigued by this because a) it is a combination of Eastern and Western medical knowlege and b) a friend had done some on me and I felt great. I took the classes and it was so easy that I immediately used what I'd learned on fellow musicians, actors, dancers, and helped my friends when they got sick. Needless to say, people soon started lining up backstage in hopes of a treatment! I recommend the classes but the book is so thorough that you don't even need them. The book is mostly very clear diagrams of the muscles, acupressure points and energy meridians, and explains what to do with them very succinctly in the beginning of the book. And I definitely get over colds and flu faster since I use TFH right away when I feel under the weather.

We learnt the Touch For Health system several years ago and have been impressed with its effectiveness. We also teach Reiki, chi kung and other forms of energy work. Understanding the way energy flows through the body and where the blockages are is key to Touch for Health. We have yet to find anyone it did not help. As for the placebo effect, well, ask my dog....

I brought this booklet to acupuncture school and compared it with the other Atlas of acupuncture, the other students had. We all wanted all the information that all the atlas have, on a single booklet. All the acu. pts. plus TTP, ear pts., pulses, etc. Even if the booklet becomes a book.

Very good and compact reference. Outstandingly clear depiction of the points.
The only missing thing I'd like to be included is the meridian activity time-table.

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It is a good combination of western and eastern viewpoints. The ear points are well illustrated, and overall, the points are described clearly and concisely. An easy to consult index allows one to look up specific issues quickly. I am a licensed massage therapist who works with Traditional Chinese Medicine, and this book is a great addition to my reference library.

IF YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR ACUPUNCTURE POCKET BOOK YOU WILL FIND A VERY NICE ONE. WITH PRECISE ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTOS.
ITS POCKET SIZE IS SUPERB. IT CAN BE USED AS A QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE.
I GAVE IT FOUR STARS BECAUSE THE TITLE SAYS ACUPUNCTURE ATLAS LEADING ME TO THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE A COMPLETE ATLAS WITH ALL POINTS, BUT IT ONLY COVERS SOME POINTS,MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES.
OVERALL IT'S A NICE POCKET BOOK BUT NOT FOR BEGGINERS WHO MUST LOOK FOR A COMPLETE TEXTBOOK BEFORE BUYING THIS,

I have found this book very useful for certain points. Unfortunately the Body Acupuncture Points section only covers about 117 points and does not cover all the points I need. For example, for the Lung Channel it only includes Lu-1, Lu-5, Lu-7, Lu-9, and Lu-11. The Pericardium Channel only includes Pc-3, Pc-6, and Pc-7. The Kidney Channel covers Ki-3, Ki-6, Ki-7, and Ki-27. The drawings and pictures, as well as the information provided on these points, are very good. I like the fact that not only do they have drawings but actual human body pictures locating the points, and it does show most of the points on these pictures, even though it does not name or describe them.

Some additional points are shown in Section 3, Trigger Points, but that section is basically by muscle or section and the points come incidental to treatment and are not listed in the index so it is not easy to find them. Also the information on these points is limited to a diagram and a brief description of location so it is useful only for treating the particular trigger point. This section is the largest section in the book and covers 35 muscles or muscle groups. The information provided in this section appears to be very good.

Part 2 of the book, Ear Acupuncture, is very good and probably would rate five stars.

I would probably buy this book again because it is very good for the covered areas with useful concise information, but it is limited. If it covered more points, it would definitely be a five star book.