If you've not heard of Korean hand acupuncture, don't feel bad. Given the 3000-year history of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Korean hand acupuncture seems very new.
It was developed by Dr. Tae-Woo Yoo as a way to heal the whole body just by treating the fingers and palm of a patient. Following years of research in China, Dr. Yoo brought Korean hand acupuncture to the USA in 1987, since when it has experienced an explosion in popularity.
It is designed to offer all the health benefits of the traditional Chinese method, in a much shorter period of time. Another system that follows a similar theory is that which focuses on the ear.
The idea is that the human body is made up of fractions that represent the whole - thus entire human body is represented by a patient's hand. For example:
- The liver is represented by the thumb
- The heart is represented by the index finger
- The spleen is represented by the middle finger
- The lungs are represented by the ring fingers
- The kidneys are represented by the little fingers
Once the practitioner has completed his assessment, he will treat the affected area (palm or fingers) by means of heat, cold, metal, fire or water.
The needles used are tiny, and the penetration is minimal - it is very unusual to feel any pain at all. The therapists thus insert the needles only as far as is needed to unblock the flow of Qi and allow the body to begin the process of self-healing.
A typical visit takes only twenty minutes, making this an easy and popular form of therapy.
