Acupuncture and urinary tract infections

Oriental medicine is about “activating the natural healing power of the body.

by Dr. Y. Frank Aoi — 

Someone asked me recently how well acupuncture works to treat urinary tract infections (UTI). This is an excellent question, since an acupuncture needle cannot kill bacteria directly. So does acupuncture really work for certain diseases?

Before learning the answer to this question, you must not think in terms of Western science. If you do, you will not be able to understand the concepts of Oriental medicine. No, a needle cannot kill bacteria directly, but when you shift your thinking to the Oriental way, you understand that it does — indirectly. The answer to the question has to do with our “wisdom within.”

Oriental medicine is about “activating the natural healing power of the body.” After millions of years of evolution, it is natural to have a defense mechanism built into our bodies. This system keeps us in homeostatic balance. An acupuncturist taps into this wisdom within the body and activates the defense system, which gives us the power to kill bacteria.

This is why acupuncture does not require drugs or surgeries. Yes, acupuncture works to combat UTI, and has been working for more than 2,000 years.

If you would like to see the body’s wisdom in action, look at a dying man. Man’s wisdom prepares him for the unavoidable death. Everything he has done in his life is brought into balance. He accepts death and feels comfortable. He has no more pain. His face becomes almost angelic a few days before he dies. Our healing power within is always wise and spiritual.

Dr. Y. Frank Aoi, DOM (NM State), L. Acu, Dipl. OM, MSOM, BA, practices Japanese acupuncture in Scottsdale, Ariz. 480-246-0624 or japanacupuncture@yahoo.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 26, Number 6, December 2007/January 2008.