Acupuncture. 11 form

Task for 11 form

The theme: Health and sport. Alternative medicine.

Before reading

Do the preparation ask first. Then read the article and do the exercise.

Preparation task

Match the definitions (a–g) with the vocabulary (1–7).

Vocabulary Definition

1.……pulse

2.……insomnia

3.……an organ

4.……a side effect

5.……worn-out

6.……asthma

7.……allergy

a. extremely tired

b. a medical condition in which you get sick if you have contact with something

c. a part of the body which has a special purpose

d. a (usually unpleasant) effect of a drug in addition to the main effect

e. a medical condition that makes breathing difficult

f. the regular beating of the heart

g. in ability to sleep

Acupuncture

The person who takes medicine must recover twice, once from the disease and once from the medicine. William Osler, MD

If all the medicine in the world were thrown into the sea, it would be bad for the fish and good for humanity. OW Holmes, Professor of Medicine, Harvard University

Alternative medicine has become much more popular in the West in recent years. It seems that people are becoming increasingly worried about the side effects of drugs, and are turning to treatments such as homeopathy, osteopathy, yoga, reflexology and acupuncture to complement, or sometimes even replace,Western medicine.

An event in my life three or four years ago made me examine my own attitudes towards alternative medicine. After suffering from insomnia for a few months, I was feeling mentally and physically exhausted. A trip to my GP and attempts at self-medication with nightly doses of Guinness and whisky failed to bring any relief from my condition. My friend Tony, who was studying acupuncture at a college near London at the time, suggested that I visit an acupuncturist. Since I have a healthy fear of needles from waiting in line for vaccinations in gloomy school corridors, I was reluctant to take his advice, but by this time I was so tired that I was prepared to try almost anything.

I made an appointment with the only acupuncturist in my area, and after another nearly sleepless night turned up at his room in the local alternative health centre the following morning. After taking my pulse, looking at my tongue and asking a few questions about my diet and lifestyle, the acupuncturist correctly deduced that I was worn out. (I found this extremely impressive since he hadn’t asked me why I had come to see him.) He then inserted a needle in my right foot between my first and second toe and, despite my anxiety, I fell asleep immediately. At the time I considered the whole experience to be close to a miracle.