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Jakarta Post

The long history of acupuncture

Sandra Bullock is still pretty at 45 and has no obvious signs of aging

Ely Alvaro Gibran (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, April 13, 2010 Published on Apr. 13, 2010 Published on 2010-04-13T11:59:51+07:00

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S

andra Bullock is still pretty at 45 and has no obvious signs of aging. The actress, who won an Oscar for her role in Blind Side, diligently takes care of her face with acupuncture rather than plastic surgery.
One source was quoted by Showbizspy as saying, “Sandra gets the treatment three times a week whether she’s at home on or on set.”

She does not have to pay for the acupuncture when on set as, “It’s in her contract that studios have to pay for it,” the source explained

One, of course, cannot ascertain whether the information is accurate or not, but at least acupuncture is believed to not only cure a number of diseases, but also to make one’s face soft and smooth.

Acupuncture, which originates from China, promises a tight, smooth skin without wrinkles or bags under the eyes.

Lilis Christine of Vikrist Clinic also has a similar comment about acupuncture. During and after an acupuncture session, Christine usually recommends to her patients to lead a healthy life, namely by getting sufficient rest and sleep, not smoking, not drinking alcohol and choosing cosmetics that are suitable for their skin.

So, in today’s modern era the ancient alternative treatment from China, acupuncture, still exists.

According to the book Huang Ti Nei Cing (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine), this medical science dates back to the Stone Age, about 4,000 years ago, when stone needles were used to treat disease. One case of abscess was said to be cured and mentioned in the book.

Although in the beginning acupuncture was used to cure disease, it gradually developed into a science that includes the techniques and the basic theory.

Acupuncture has a long history. In one ancient book, frequent mention was made of the primitive stone needle that was used 4,000 years ago or even before that. An archeological discovery in China included a stone needle. Then when iron was found and could be melted down, metal needles were used.

Acupuncture progressed rapidly when the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949. Today, there are more than 2,000 acupuncture clinics in hospitals in China. Scientific research and studies have covered various body parts and clinical methods in relation to acupuncture. A number of scientific experiments have been conducted on how acupuncture kills pain and increases immunity as well as meridian symptoms and the relation between acupuncture points and body organs.

In the US, acupuncture first started in the Chinatowns of San Francisco and New York. However, for the past decade it has grabbed the attention of Western doctors there, who have started to study, research and even practice it.

At Elstein Hospital and Massachusetts Hospital, for instance, a study has been conducted on anesthesia using acupuncture. Dr. Allen Russek from the Institute of Rehabilitation and Medicine New York has succeeded in killing pain for patients with chronic diseases. Doctors at Michigan’s Northville State Hospital have also anesthetized their patients with acupuncture during several surgeries, such as removing tumors, hernias, tooth extraction and so forth. The results have been reported as satisfactory.

How about acupuncture in Indonesia? Here it is as old as the arrival of the first Chinese in Indonesia. However, it seems to be practiced mainly among the ethnic Chinese community.

In 1963, based on an instruction from then health minister Satrio, the ministry researched and developed a medical system from the East that included acupuncture. At that time, acupuncture was officially introduced at the Jakarta General Hospital and later became a sub-division in the internal diseases division. Eventually it became the acupuncture unit at the hospital, which is now called Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital.  

Next to providing policlinic services to patients, the unit also educates and trains doctors to become experts in acupuncture. So, who says that acupuncture cannot exist side by side with modern Western medicine?

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