“My back still hurts and I’ve done everything.” “I’m stressed and anxious and can’t sleep.” “My meds give me side effects and are so expensive.” Do these claims sound familiar? With so much technological advancement in medicine and a cornucopia of prescription drugs, it is not surprising that we have forgotten how much power is within each of us to impact our own health. Perhaps we have given up control and on listening to what our bodies are telling us, or become so increasingly complacent and dependent on medications, that we have lost track of how our ancestors healed and cured disease.

Ancient healing techniques, including meridian therapy (based on EFT), acupuncture, and meditation can add immeasurably to your traditional medical care experience. More and more integrative physicians are realizing the value of these proven techniques and supplementing western medical care with eastern therapies for comprehensive individualized treatment plans.

In my practice, I use meridian therapy which is based on Chinese acupuncture but without needles.

Meridian is easy to learn and because it is a highly effective adjunctive tool to present day conventional medical treatment prescribed, many patients have been able to minimize or resolve acute and chronic illnesses while creating relaxation of mind and body. A majority of patients have also reported that they have been able to taper down, or even discontinue their medications, while experiencing a dramatic increase in overall well-being and fewer sick days. Of significant importance is that meridian therapy is also easy to perform.

Meridian involves light repetitive finger tip pressure on specific areas called meridian endpoints. Targeted words are spoken while accessing these points; nine of the most effective points are located on the face, head, body and hands. It can be performed as a stand-alone technique or as an induction method prior to meditation, in an individual or group setting. Its versatility extends to performing it on oneself or as a surrogate, which can be appropriate, for example, with small children and the elderly. Furthermore, the scientific evidence behind this technique continues to overwhelm.

Studies using meridian therapy include brain scans that show calming changes in the midbrain (limbic system) and evidence of sharp serum cortisol (stress hormone) decline after practicing the therapy. In fact, a study conducted comparing effectiveness between talk and meridian therapy for one hour indicated an improvement in anxiety/depression that was twice as high with meridian combined with a cortisol decrease by 24 percent. Another study even showed a 49 percent cortisol level drop. The fact that lowering cortisol levels can add ten years to your life was described in other studies.

Today, we all expect to live longer and more productively, but traditional Western medicine alone continues to prove inadequate. Frustration is reported in patients who have shown little to no improvement in quality of life, despite medications or surgeries. Perhaps as a growing number of health care practitioners merge the ancient East with the modern West, we will see a skyrocketing of optimal living in mind, body and spirit.

Dr. Amaya is an integrative primary care physician board certified in internal medicine and can be reached at (760) 346.7791. For more information visit amayamedical.com

Sources: 1) www.innersource.net/ep/articlespublished/neurgological-foundations.html; 2) Creativeeft.com/science-of-eft; 3) www.eft-articles.com; 4) www.eftuniverse.com