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Acupuncture Master Shares His Secrets By Kim Chang-young - Contributing Writer Mon, Nov. 15, 2004 Acupuncture is one mystery in oriental medicine still rarely understood by laymen. Its far-reaching effects have not been fully acknowledged by Western medical standards but have long been appreciated by both oriental medical practitioners and patients, who have been cured through acupuncture itself. Slim and short needles made of simple alloyed metal have remedied a variety of symptoms and diseases over thousands of years in China, Korea and Japan, in particular. Historical records show that acupuncture had been applied since the Neolithic Age as small stone sharply ground to be like needles have been found together with ancient relics. Acupuncture master Kim Kwang-ho, 45, director of Hohoho Ilchim Oriental Medical Clinic, says acupuncture comes first, moxa cautery comes second and medicine comes last as far as its effects for treating diseases is concerned. His words are not his own theory, however. He adopted his assertion from a renowned doctor of China's Ming Dynasty, quoted by ``Tongui Pogam,’’ the treasury book of oriental medicine, written by Choson medical guru Ho Jun and his 30-odd associates. The 25-volume book was the precious outcome of their tremendous research and compilation of 83 books and about 70 books of Han, Tang and Ming Dynasties that required 15 years of work at the direction of King Sonjo from 1596 to 1611. Kim's technique, based on the book’s teachings, enables him to use just one or less than four needles to cure even Parkinson's disease, which was described as ``weak heart and tremor of the hand’’ in Pogam. He sometimes complements acupuncture with injections of medicine. Kim, a graduate of prestigious Kyunghee University's Oriental Medical College, is a loyal protege of Ho Jun. He has read through the entire book over 10 times. It usually requires almost three years for an oriental medical student to read through the book, so there are few that have done so in recent years. Oriental medical colleges teach no more than the general ideas or significant parts of the book. Kim is harshly critical of the modern fashion prevailing in many large oriental medical clinics in which doctors examine patients by means of ``scientific devices’’ and apply traditional herbal practices. He maintains that the time-honored way of diagnosis is sufficient to detect all modern illnesses, given its sincere mastery. Yet he is not opposed to cooperative treatment among oriental and Western medical doctors. ``Western skills are practically effective for surgical operation, while the oriental technique is superior for other treatments,’’ he said. In a special program commemorating the 40th anniversary of the founding of MBC TV and Radio in August 2001, he surprised spectators by helping a woman in her 50s, who could not move well because of joint problems, walk on her feet by acupuncturing one needle in the toe. A similar situation was also aired by Taegu's TBC TV last summer, which recorded his activities for Japanese patients in Hiroshima, one of the two cities where atomic bombs were dropped to end World War II. He treats Japanese war victims every summer. The mystery of his ``Ilchim’’ method lies in the fact that acupuncture is applied to the opposite side of the areas with pain. A patient who feels pains on the left side is given acupuncture on the right side where the doctor believes that the pain has originated. Ilchim has a double meaning in that acupuncture comes first and that one needle is ample for a complete remedy. ``Acupuncture applied directly on a painful part is something like stopping up a hole with palms to prevent water from leaking, while acupuncture on the opposite side is the remedy for the cause of the pain,’’ he explained at his clinic in the bustling district of Socho- dong, southern Seoul. ``To find the bull's eye like the best player of the World Archery Championship is the secret of my Ilchim acupuncture.’’ [log in to unmask] 11-15-2004 16:35 SOURCE: Korea Times, South Korea http://tinyurl.com/68um4 * * * Murray Charters <[log in to unmask]> Please place this address in your address book Please purge all others Web site: Parkinsons Resources on the WWWeb http://www.geocities.com/murraycharters ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn