Acupuncture: An Anatomical Approach [Hardcover]

Houchi Dung (Author), Curtis P. Clogston (Author), Joeming W. Dunn (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0849316510 | ISBN-13: 978-0849316517 | Publication Date: April 12, 2004 | Edition: 1

While ancient concepts of yin and yang and meridians have been effective for sustaining traditional knowledge of acupuncture, contemporary clinicians need a more scientific structure to apply these complex teachings. A book that examines this Eastern medicine through the systematic principles of anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry is long overdue.

Addressing acupuncture from a unique perspective, Acupuncture: An Anatomical Approach abandons the traditional Oriental medicine approach in favor of a more analytical scientific presentation. This innovative book describes the progression of chronic pain in the peripheral nervous system, demonstrating that points conducting pain impulses through the peripheral nerves become more tender to palpation throughout life in response to episodes of pain, and this happens in a predictable sequence. This sequence, expressed as a "pain quantification," has important prognostic significance to the person's response to acupuncture, as well as other treatments.

The author has diminished the metaphysical aura of classical acupuncture and reinvented it as a medical science. This original contribution adds new knowledge to the understanding of the progression of pain throughout a person's lifetime.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: CRC Press; 1 edition (April 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849316510
• ISBN-13: 978-0849316517
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #619,136 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Thumbs Up, January 13, 2006

By 

Craig J. Amnott (Philadelphia, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Acupuncture: An Anatomical Approach (Hardcover)

I am an actively practicing Osteopathic Family Physician. I incorporate a lot of manipulation and trigger point injections into my practice. I have been studying acupuncture (Traditional Chinese Medicine) now for about six months. TCM acupuncture is difficult for my western trained brain to grab a hold of and to be able to put into practical application. Anatomical Acupuncture is a breath of fresh air. This is a book that I, again as a western trained physician, can immediately grasp and immediately implement in my own clinical practice. I have already begun treating a few select patients based on what I learned in this book and am already seeing postive clinical outcomes. I highly recommend this book to you. You won't be disappointed. Well worth the investment.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Incomplete, Uninformed and Dangerous, July 30, 2011

By 

S. A. Ajmani - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Acupuncture: An Anatomical Approach (Kindle Edition)

I enjoyed this book's objective analysis of acupoint nerve innervation; however, the overall tone of the book suggests the author has deluded himself into believing he is superior to licensed acupuncturists who have had far more training in the field than he. He dismisses the potential risks for pneumothorax when needling chest points as "highly unlikely" and regards effects of acupuncture such as decreased blood pressure and improved fertility as mere "transient side effects", stating that acupuncture is only good for pain management and has no other therapeutic benefit. He completely fails to coach the reader on points that can cause spontaneous abortion during pregnancy, then states that acupuncturists have no real medical training, again demonstrating his lack in understanding the field as a whole.

Practitioners of Chinese medicine in the USA undergo rigorous standardized medical training including histology, anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, Western diagnostic methods and medical lab/imaging. Most states require acupuncture students to take a biomedical board exam before they are granted licensing. While I understand that the author needs to cater to the egos of his readers (mostly other MDs), his gross misrepresentation of acupuncture and blatant disregard to the scrupulous and detailed training it takes to become competent as a practitioner of Chinese Medicine boggles my mind and frightens me on behalf of his patients.

The author also decided to rename acupoints that were standardized by the Geneva Convention a few decades ago, which not only insults the field and its practitioners but also dismisses over 4000 years of rich Chinese medical history. All in all, this book provides some decent insight for acupuncturists who have completed a 4 year program in Chinese Medicine, but is IS NOT an adequate quick guide for medical doctors to use in place of an acupuncture license. There are no short cuts to becoming a quality practitioner of integrative medicine, so please honor the oath of doing no harm to your patients and seek training at an accredited university before incorporating acupuncture into your medical practice.

5.0 out of 5 stars Anatomic based acupuncture, January 15, 2009

By 

Ayman Abdel-halim - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Acupuncture: An Anatomical Approach (Hardcover)

I have been using this book by Dr Dung the last three years.It is a revolutionary book in Acupuncture.You can say this is the Western approach to this complex field.I salute Dr Dung for his enormous effort and research.I do recommend also the Biomedical approach to acupuncture as a companion book,it helps clarify Dr Dung's approach.