Acupuncture as Dengue Protection
The Council for Health and Development (CHD) has been
promoting acupuncture treatment based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Celestino Dizon, acupuncturist of CHD, said that by undergoing
acupuncture sessions, one’s immune system could be strengthened to lessen
the danger the dengue virus brings to the body.
BY AUBREY MAKILAN
Bulatlat
Fear of
dengue now hounds many homes all over the country, and even some other
countries.
In the Philippines, there have been
reports of 13,468 dengue cases with 167 dead from January to August this
year alone. The Department of Health (DoH) named some barangays (villages)
in Metro Manila where the cases of dengue are high: Caloocan, Malabon,
Manila, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Parañaque, Pasig, Quezon City, Valenzuela and
Taguig.
In fact,
dengue patients from these areas have filled even the hallways of
hospitals.
The best
protection against dengue, which is a clean environment, has yet to be
realized. Meanwhile, some wear long-sleeved shirts to protect themselves.
Others
apply insect-repellant lotion on the skin. It wears off quickly, however,
and it would not take long for insects to feast again on the skin.
|
Celestino Dizon,
CHD acupuncturist, performing acupuncture on a patient
PHOTO
BY AUBREY MAKILAN |
Dengue
If one
could not maintain the surroundings free of mosquitoes, if the
insect-repellant lotion could not ensure that no mosquito could transfer
its virus to one’s body – what, then, should be done?
The Council
for Health and Development (CHD) has been promoting acupuncture treatment
based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Celestino Dizon, acupuncturist of CHD, said that by undergoing acupuncture
sessions, one’s immune system could be strengthened to lessen the danger
the dengue virus brings to the body.
Dizon
identified the points of the stomach and spleen that need treatment. In
TCM, the stomach and
spleen together are regarded as the “root of post-haven Qi.” Qi,
sometimes spelled "Chi," is the energy that fuels the body, mind and
spirit, that is essential to good health. Generally speaking, the Qi
serves several vital functions within the body. When imbalances arise,
they are seen as disruptions in the functions of Qi.
Dizon added
that the liver should also be empowered for good Qi circulation in the
body.
People who
do not undergo acupuncture treatment are more at risk for the development
of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) than those who complete six to 10
sessions of acupuncture, of 30 minutes per treatment a week, Dizon said.
Dizon added
that acupuncture is also effective in bringing down the temperature of a
body with dengue fever.
But even in
the later stages of DHF, Dizon said, acupuncture can still help stop the
bleeding of the patient. He said the bleeding could be stopped by
inserting needles at the back, specifically to the acupoint bladder 17.
Also
through acupuncture, Dizon said, they have proven that the white blood
cell (WBC) count increases after a treatment. This means acupuncture can
help strengthen the body’s immune system by increasing the WBC which
comprises the major infection-fighting cells in the body.
After the
required sessions, the patient should repeat the whole treatment if his or
her resistance weakens.
TCM and
acupuncture
Aside from
dengue, Dizon said that acupuncture can treat different illnesses from
ordinary headaches to severe coughs.
Acupuncture
can also help patients with tuberculosis (TB) and some types of cancer,
like breast cancer, he said.
In the case
of breast cancer, a patient should undergo two to three times a week of
acupuncture treatment. This will lessen the pain and prevent the
aggravation of his or her condition. While for patients with TB, Dizon
said there have been cases where the period of medicine intake was
shortened from six months to only three months.
While
undergoing treatment, the acupuncturist said the patient should have
sufficient food and water intake and sleep. He added that they should
avoid drinking alcohol and smoking which are regarded as “poison” in TCM.
Western
vs oriental medicine
Dizon
believes that acupuncture is one effective way of treating patients.
“Nakaka-frustrate
kasi ang Western medicine kasi kahit mahusay kang doktor,
mahusay ang diagnosis mo, kung walang pambili ng gamot ang
pasyente, di magwo-work ‘yon, di gagaling y‘ong pasyente kasi nga wala
siyang pambili ng gamot” (Western medicine is frustrating because however
good a doctor you are, however accurate your diagnosis is, the patient
won't get well if he doesn’t have the money to buy the medicine), he said.
Although he
admitted that there are some practitioners who charge from P300-P800 for
treatment, he said that ordinary people, and not only doctors, could do
acupuncture.
Aside from
their acupuncture services, the CHD also gives training to their member
programs in the communities.
For mothers
and other trainees in the community, they first give basic anatomy
lectures before training them in acupuncture procedures. The training runs
for two days.
In TCM,
which involves acupuncture, one can already help others if he or she has
the knowledge, the skills, needles, alcohol and cotton, said Dizon. The
doctor has been practicing acupuncture since the late 1980s.
Bulatlat
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