From: altheimm@nextnet.csus.edu (Murray Altheim)
Subject: Re: Ritual Help For a Sick Friend
Organization: California State University Sacramento
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 00:23:13 GMT

In article <1992Oct15.152553.7728@panix.com>
   jimoates@panix.com (Jim Oates) writes:

>I have a family friends who has been sick these past five
>years with both lung and liver cancer!  He's a real fighter
>who has never given up his fight, and is, in my humble
>opinion, almost a miracle!  His doctors cannot believe it,
>and many of his "cancer" friends have already died.
>
>Here is my request:  Is there a simple protection or ritual
>anyone can recommend concerning health and relief of pain?
>For the past several weeks, he has had excruciating back
>pain, and has been taking liquid morphine to dull it.  As
>he says, "On a scale of one to ten, the morphine makes the
>paing go from a 9.5 to a 4"
>
>I really would like to help him, in a "spiritual" way, which
>is the only way left to help.
>
>Any comments or suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Blessings to all,
>Jim


I had a TMJ problem in my jaw a few years back, and the only way it would
heal was if the pain level dropped to where I stopped clenching my teeth.

I simultaneously started with both the "Western Medical Approach" and an
acupuncturist my family doctor (who is a gem) recommended. The WMA people
tried a little of everything, from laser acupunture, physical therapy to
the long and expensive process of creating a plastic splint for my mouth.

The WM approach in the end was pretty fruitless, but I made regular progress
with the acupunturist and now we're married. :-) Just kidding. Actually,
I would stress that you find a GOOD acupuncturist. As you might imagine they
vary in quality even more than regular doctors. Mine was trained in a 
Tibetan-style tradition by a British practitioner/teacher who learned it from
a Tibetan lama, and eventually wrote it all down in a big book. I could find
the name of the "school" from my acupuncturist if anyone's interested. The
book is unfortunately not for sale as far as I know, but e-mail requests 
might elicit a phone number or address of my acupuncturist if she is willing
to release it. I respect her privacy, but she might be interested in 
connecting people up with others who have been similarly trained.

BTW, the difference between the Tibetan system and the Chinese, is that the
Tibetan system (the original) included not only physical and mental, but
also spiritual meridians. When the Chinese appropriated the technology,
they didn't follow the Tibetan spiritual precepts and ignored the parts of
the system they disagreed with, ie., the spiritual meridians.

And yes, the above paragraph is meant metaphorically. I don't think anybody
breaks the system up cleanly into those three realms. (Flame insurance from
last time I got burned on that issue) 

Also, acupuncture is not particularly good at "curing" disease in the 
Western sense, as Easterners don't generally take the same approach to
illness as we do in "Western Medicine." It does work quite well on pain, as
I can attest from personal experience. And one does never does get used to
those damned little needles, especially when feeling an electrical jolt
travelling between the center of one's foot to the side of the knee. But
it does work, if the practitioner is well-trained.

Blessings,

Murray the MultiPunctured

-- 
Murray M. Altheim      "Ils ont l'orteil de Bouc, & d'un Chevreil l'oreille,
Instructional Consultant    La corne d'un Chamois, & la face vermeille
CSU, Sacramento          Comme un rouge Croissant: & dancent toute nuict
altheimm@csus.edu       Dedans un carrefour, ou pres d'une eau qui bruict."