Yonemoto Physical Therapy

Everyone, these days, seems to lack enough energy.  Some people get increased energy from certain foods or movements or when listening to music or doing deep breathing.

Asian cultures call energy "chi" which describes the life force.  What characterizes "life"?  Answer: Movement.

Many sources of energy exist all around us and we need many forms of it to live.  For example:
• Air brings energy.   
• Food can be ingested and converted to usable fuel or energy. 
• Sunlight has certain energy qualities necessary for life.
• Magnetic energy is also essential for life. 
• People and other living things give off energy that is absorbed by other living things.

Both biochemical and electromagnetic processes occur in the body. For example, electrical impulses travel down the entire length of a nerve, but when they get to the end, the continued transmission is done with chemical transmitters. 

Typically, Western medicine uses biochemical agents to fix problems in the body, i.e. movement is created by chemical reactions.

With Chinese or Eastern medicine, homeopathy, and some forms of osteopathy, the approach is more electromagnetic.  With these electromagnetic approaches, movement is created by electrical or magnetic flows.  The nerves in your body transmit messages through electrical impulses.  When electrical impulses move along a nerve, a magnetic field is produced in the body, similar to an electrical current passing through a wire, producing a magnetic field from the flow or movement of electrical particles in that wire.

Acupuncture is based on the belief that hidden pathways within our bodies flow with natural energy.  It is assumed the energy flows are blocked, slowed, unbalanced or too strong, thus causing problems such as pain, stiffness, weakness or disease.  Tiny sterile needles are inserted gently into specific points on the body corresponding to these pathways, changing the internal energy flow.  The acupuncture treatment stimulates or unblocks the energy flow to allow natural healing to begin.

The nervous system is the first system to develop in an embryo.  It is thought that electrical impulses direct the cells in an embryo to develop into specialized body parts such as internal organs, skin or muscle.  As such, it stands to reason that perhaps electrical impulses can also affect changes in body parts in a fully developed body.

Many people, including some doctors, think this is how positive thinking can change disease processes in the body.  In fact, evidence presented by a former CIA polygraph expert shows life forms in general are affected by positive or negative thoughts.  Thought patterns may be very important in physiological conditions.

For more information on this topic, many books are available including Spontaneous Healing, by Andrew Weil, MD and Vibrational Medicine; The Secret Life of Your Cells, by Richard Stone.

If you have any questions, please submit them to:
Sheila Yonemoto, P.T.
Yonemoto Physical Therapy
55 S. Raymond Ave., Suite 100
Alhambra, CA 91801
PHONE:  626 576 0591
FAX: 626 576 5890

Links:
http://www.yonemoto.com/ - Yonemoto Physical Therapy home page
http://www.yonemoto.com/programs/IMT.htm - Integrative Manual Therapy, a Hands-On Approach
http://www.yonemoto.com/programs/qigong.htm - Qigong to boost the immune system
http://www.yonemoto.com/wellness/ - Wellness programs

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