Historical references to a universal energy field date back as far as 5000 B.C. to India where prana was considered to be the basic source of life. In China it was called chi and was believed to be in all matter. Two polar forces were recognized, yin and yang. When these two forces were in balance, one was considered to be healthy. More recently Western medicine has begun to recognize energy within the body with the advent of devices capable of detecting its effects in the body. Energy fields associated with the human body have been detected by electroencephalograms (EEG), electrocardiograms (ECG), and very highly sensitive devices such as superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID). Even biomagnetism has been recognized, as more sensitive devices have been developed to measure very weak magnetic fields.

Practitioners of alternative forms of health care often believe much of the illness we see in the human body is the result of either a blockage of the flow of energy of the body, or an imbalance in the energy from one side of the body to the other. When the energy balance is restored, the body begins the healing process. Often, symptoms seem to almost miraculously lessen or even disappear. Conditions such as migraine headaches, the cause of which is poorly understood anyway, respond remarkably well to a restoration of the energy in the body.

Energy imbalance is the result of too much nerve energy being sent to a part of the body in response to pain or dysfunction. Nerve energy, as I have called it here, is an electrical signal that is sent along the path of the nerve. All electrical signals also have a magnetic field. The magnetic field is so weak around this nerve impulse that it would seem to be undetectable. When measures are taken to restore proper balance to the energy of the body, a clinical result can be measured. A definite beneficial change takes place. If balance is not restored, the body gets caught in an endless loop of trying to make corrections. The result is an imbalance in which the deficient side develops painful trigger points. These trigger points are formed in the areas where acupuncture meridians are located. Therapies have been developed using these points to release blockages of energy and allow the proper amount of energy to flow. One does not need to use needles. These are the same acupressure points used by massage therapists, and other touch type therapies, to release tension, increase blood flow, and strengthen the bodys natural life force to assist in healing.

When energy is flowing to one side of the body more than to the other, it can be easily felt in the form of muscle tension. Nerve impulses are sent along the nerves to muscles and other locations in the body. In the muscles, this naturally causes them to be more contracted. A muscle that is contracted is shorter than a muscle that is relaxed. Remember as children how we showed off our muscles by forcefully contracting them ourselves? As a result of the increased muscle contraction, one entire side of the body will often feel tighter and tenser than the other. How can we balance this energy and cause both sides of the body to be equally relaxed? The method is simple.

Trigger points are located by their tenderness, and once located, gentle pressure is applied. The initial stimulation of the trigger point sends a signal to the central nervous system to send more energy to the deficient side. It is like saying, Hey, look! There is a problem over here too. The side that was getting the excessive energy suddenly has energy diverted from it, and the deficient side begins to receive an increase in energy. After a short time, a balance is achieved. The body is then able to use its resources for healing instead of continually attempting to bring the flow of its energy back into balance.