Curious About Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine?
Paul Gourguechon, Licensed Acupuncturist at Blue Mountain Clinic, will be presenting information on a variety of topics each month. The talks will be held at 7:00 pm in the small meeting room downstairs
at the Missoula Public Library.
Tuesday July 29:
Pain: Low back pain, neck pain, sciatica, injuries, arthritis, fibromyalgia, headaches, migraines, numbness and tingling.
Tuesday Aug. 19:
Digestive and respiratory problems: nausea, diarrhea, constipation, IBS, acid reflux, allergies, asthma, smoking cessation, and bronchitis.
Tuesday Sept. 16:
Women's health: PMS, irregular and painful menstruation, menopause, infertility, pregnancy, delivery, and post-natal care.
Paul Gourguechon is a nationally certified acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist. He has been in practice professionally for seven years, the last three of which have been at Blue Mountain Clinic. His interest in Chinese culture began at the University of Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of General Studies degree focused on Asian Studies. He became interested in Chinese medicine while teaching English and studying Chinese in Taiwan. Paul was subsequently trained at the International Institute of Chinese Medicine in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he earned a Master of Oriental Medicine degree. Paul continued his studies at the Chengdu University Hospital in Sichuan, China, specializing in pain management and internal medicine. While practicing in Denver Paul also served as instructor and student clinic supervisor at the International Institute of Chinese Medicine and the Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He returned to Missoula in 2004 to continue practicing acupuncture and enjoy Montana's natural beauty.
Call the clinic today to schedule an appointment with Paul. He is also available for free consultations regarding specific health problems and is glad to answer any general questions about Chinese medicine. Thanks for your interest.
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Chinese medicine is slowly but surely becoming a valuable part of the modern health care landscape. How is it that an ancient method of health care is being practiced side by side with state of the art modern medicine? Simply put, it is because of its effectiveness. Chinese medicine is not miraculous. In fact, it generally acts more slowly than modern medicine. But Chinese medicine is a powerful science in its own right. It is a complete health care system used to treat disease, prevent illness, and promote well-being. While modern medicine excels at treating acute illness and emergencies, Chinese medicine excels at treating chronic illness and at optimizing health and vitality. It does so by analyzing each individual's unique constitution and by resolving specific disharmonies.
What is Chinese medicine?
Chinese medicine uses many therapeutic tools including acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, heat therapy, and diet and lifestyle counseling. Chinese medicine has been refined by 3,000 years of critical thinking and clinical experience. Holism, the idea that the body is best understood as an integrated functional system, is its core principle. Each symptom is considered in relation to the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. A person's condition is diagnosed according to external causes, mental-emotional factors, and constitutional imbalances. Treatment addresses both specific symptoms and underlying causes.
What is acupuncture?
Energy flows through the body along specific pathways and gathers in precise locations called acupuncture points. Illness occurs when this energy, called qi (chee), becomes blocked or depleted. Acupuncture is the insertion of fine needles into appropriate acupuncture points to restore the smooth flow of qi, our vital energy.
What does acupuncture feel like?
Acupuncture is performed with stainless steel, disposable needles that are slightly thicker than a strand of hair. They are inserted quickly under the skin, and generally cause little or no discomfort. The sensation is often described as warmth, pressure, or tingling. Most people find acupuncture relaxing and experience a feeling of well-being during and after treatment.
How many treatments are necessary?
The number of treatments necessary to provide positive results varies with the duration and nature of a problem. Acute problems are often resolved in one to three treatments. Four to twelve treatments are generally adequate to resolve most chronic conditions. Some degenerative or severe conditions will benefit from ongoing treatment.
What is herbal medicine?
Herbal medicine is the use of plants, minerals, and some animal products for medicinal purposes. There are many forms of herbal medicine. Prepared medicines (those in pill form) are less effective because they cannot be modified for each unique condition. Raw herbs have the greatest potency, but are time consuming and inconvenient to prepare. Paul provides custom herbal formulas consisting of 10 to 15 single herbs in extract powder form to be mixed with hot water and taken three times a day. This method of administering herbs is a good compromise that allows flexibility, potency, and convenience. Paul dispenses herbs from a complete pharmacy of single Chinese herbs. Patient progress is closely monitored and formulas are adjusted or changed as a patient's condition changes. One to two months of consistent herbal therapy is generally required to provide sustained benefits.
Chinese medical philosophy in practice
There is a saying in Chinese medicine: "Same disease, different treatment." This means that generally a certain disease is treated differently in different people. For example, Jane and John both have asthma. Jane presents with shortness of breath that is worse with exertion and difficult inhalation. Her tongue is red and her pulse is thin and rapid. John, on the other hand, presents with rapid rough breathing, a stuffy sensation in the chest, and a cough with copious yellow phlegm. His tongue has a thick yellow coat and his pulse is rolling. Jane's asthma is due to Kidney deficiency, while John's is due to phlegm heat. Consequently these cases are treated differently. In Jane's case, one would use acupoints and herbs to supplement the kidney. John's case would focus on resolving phlegm and clearing heat. Chinese Medicine simultaneously treats the root and the branch, or symptoms as well as underlying disharmonies. In this way, treatment is tailored to the individual.
Acupuncture and herbal medicine are the two primary therapies used in Chinese medicine. They have a synergistic effect because they employ the same treatment strategy in different ways. For example, in Jane's case the primary treatment principle is to supplement the kidney. Acupuncture points such as kidney 3, urinary bladder 23, and ren 4 have the function to supplement the kidney. Herbs such as wuweizi, shudihuang, and shanzhuyu also have this function. Acupuncture influences the body from the surface via acupuncture points, while herbs are internal medicine, influencing the body through the bloodstream. Combining acupuncture and herbs allows the synergistic application of a focused treatment principle.
Can Chinese medicine prevent illness?
Imbalances in the body develop long before illness appears. Practitioners of Chinese medicine can recognize and resolve these imbalances to prevent disease. In fact, trained practitioners can help to enhance the health and vitality of anyone, regardless of health status. An analysis of a person's constitutional weak links allows us to strengthen it, sometimes through treatment, but more importantly through education about proper diet and lifestyle.