According to my Chinese herb teacher, Ted Kaptchuk, author of The Web That Has No Weaver, originally the most potent herbs were considered the most psychoactive. In fact, the use of herbs for physical problems only comes

Chinese acupuncture and herbs are extremely effective as adjunctive therapy for type 2 diabetes, but have not shown to be effective in treating type 1 diabetes. But whether diabetes type 1 or diabetes type 2, patients should not rely on Chinese medicine for their primary care. Primary care should be in the able hands of a physician that you trust.

Whether I can help them or not — and for the most part I do — almost everyone pretty much asks the same questions, first among them, “Acupuncture - how does it work?” Actually, I really do not know – but I know it does - and I do have my hypothesis and usual suspects.

Just saying you do not understand how something works in medicine is not a good answer especially when you are about to or already have inserted needles into somebody’s body and on some level promised them or just suggested to them that this might be good for them. How many doctors, even if they did not know the exact biochemical reason a particular drug works, would say sheepishly but without hesitation “I just don’t really know, but it might have a ton of side effects, but it will be OK and help you anyway.” They might say “you would not understand” — we all believe that a scientific doctor is very smart and dealing with issues and tissues and organic chemistry and all that that is more than likely above our heads even if we have a PhD in sociology or an MBA in finance — or give a made up but very scientifically complex sounding reason hoping we do not call the bluff or know the bluff to call it.

Acupuncture is the world’s oldest, continuously performed, and safest medical procedure. It is prehistoric and historic. Acupuncture origins precede written texts. Archeological digs in China have found acupuncture needles that date 5000 years back; and an intact corpse found in the Italian Alps several years ago showed tattoo markings denoting acupuncture points - again, 5000 years old.