Reviewer Karen Coiffi-Ventrice: Karen is a published author and freelance writer. She co-moderates a children’s writing critique group, and created and manages a Yahoo authors’ marketing group. Karen is also on the team of DKV Writing 4 U and a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illlustrators (SCBWI).
I found Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine for Women’s Health interesting and informative. I’m not sure if I would recommend it as a self-help book, but I would certainly recommend it as a useful tool to learn about acupuncture and TCM and its benefits to women’s health issues.
Author: Dr. Kathleen Albertson, L. Ac. PhD, Holistic
Nutrition
Printed and Distributed by: Vervante.com
ISBN: 978-1-61623-651-9
Acupuncture, as described by Albertson is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment. It “is the process of inserting tiny needles into one or more of the body’s 400 acupuncture points to release the blocked flow of natural energy.”
I am a strong proponent of TCM. I have been seeing an amazingly gifted licensed acupuncturist and herbalist for over three years now. I have seen through my own experience and that of others this acupuncturist has treated that TCM works.
Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine for Women’s Health, provides a great deal of information on TCM in general including its viewpoint and uses for a wide range of women’s health issues, including menstrual irregularities, endometriosis, female infertility, pregnancy, birth, perimenopause, and menopause. And, it is divided into six distinctive parts.
Part 1 of the book is a generalized section providing detailed explanations of acupuncture and TCM: patterns of disease; concept of vital substances, Qi, blood, essence, and body fluids; what to expect when visiting an acupuncturist; and the concept of food flavors and thermal qualities (temperature). In regard to Qi, Albertson explains, “Activating Qi or Blood by inserting an acupuncture needle is analogous to activating a light switch, permitting the flow of electricity through a circuit.” It also explains the Yin and Yang concept as well as the concept of each organ system and their function. Some sections in this part of the book are easily understood while others are somewhat complicated and might be a bit confusing for the average individual.
This section also delves briefly into Fibromyalgia to shed light on how certain disorders or illnesses have multiple symptoms and often are not properly diagnosed by Western medicine. Western medicine treats the symptoms and not the underlying cause. Their “treatment generally follows compartmentalized medical recipes for all patients with the same symptoms or diagnosis – ignoring an individual patient’s uniqueness and sensitivities.” According to the author, “TCM has been treating this constellation of fibromyalgia symptoms successfully for thousands of years, long before it had a name! It addresses the subtleties of the symptoms while focusing on the root.”
Parts 2-5 are broken into chapters that dissect each health issue focused on in the book with the Western viewpoint and treatment, along with the corresponding Eastern viewpoint and treatment. Each topic (health issue), offers detailed explanations of the causes, characteristics, sources and more. It also includes testimonials, self-help advice, research, studies and a summary. But, again, as I mentioned above some of the information is a bit technical.
In Part 6, Albertson provides the history of TCM and compares it to Western medicine’s early history. This section is only six pages, but offers a lot of information.
I found Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine for Women’s Health interesting and informative. I’m not sure if I would recommend it as a self-help book, but I would certainly recommend it as a useful tool to learn about acupuncture and TCM and its benefits to women’s health issues.