by Aiden
(Phoenix, AZ )
Question: My name is Aiden, I’m a body modification enthusiast. I haven’t gotten very far in my piercings just some labret piercings and some lobe ones. But I have big plans ahead, the only problem is I’m also attempting to be health conscious,(I’m going into the Holistic field) So I’ve been changing my lifestyle slowly, but what I really need information on is acupuncture charts. I see them every once in a while, but im not sure which ones to trust. And I’ve looked up articles on piercing vs acupuncture and found a couple on the subject some very pro, some very against. I’m wondering if you could direct me to any charts you feel are the strongest, as well as how you feel about piercings in a acupuncturist’s view. I’d really appreciate your opinions and advice to a novice health seeker.
Answer: Thanks for writing in. I seem to get an awful lot of questions about piercings! My general opinion is that piercings ***may*** be detrimental to your health.
We know that that scar tissue conducts electricity differently than normal tissue. Sometimes a scar can act as a “foci” for creating different kinds of symptoms and illnesses. We can actually help improve the electrical conductivity of scar tissue with acupuncture treatments and through other modalities. The piercings and other scars can block the flow of ions or Qi along the acupuncture meridians and tissue.
When you look online, you will find acupuncture charts for the 12 main meridians and the 8 Extraordinary Meridians. You will also find a focus on acupuncture points, which might lead you to think it’s the points that are more important than the acupuncture channels. But in studying classical acupuncture we find there are actually 68 main and divergent channels. I doubt you will find charts for these online. We find as we go back and look at the ancient texts that the channels are primary and the points secondary.
It should become apparent in thinking more deeply about it, that these charts would be of little use to you. The body is permeated with Qi. We are only beginning to understand the electromagnetic nature of the body. The combination of the scar tissue and the metals on the body (the metal acting as a conductor of electromagnetism) could very well have a negative health impact. It is difficult to predict. Also, I have found that many of my patients have autoimmune reactions to different metals, so that is another factor for you to consider.
I hope this has been helpful!