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Introduction
930 Logan Street #101 & 102 Denver, Co 80203 720.284.1374
Licensed Acupuncturist and Practitioner of Chinese Medicine
John S. Aguilar Jr., L.Ac.
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Chinese medicine (aka 'Oriental medicine') is a vast system of medical and healing wisdom and practices. It is unique, as systems of medicine go, as it represents the accumulated experiences of over a hundred generations of practitioners and billions of patient interactions. Theories of physiology, illness, therapeutics, etc. have been created and refined through clinical use over thousands of years. The specific medical techniques have been in constant evolution, adapting to varying diseases and individual disease presentations in a diverse population. The result is a deep and comprehensive understanding of the human being in health and in illness. Chinese medicine has an approach to understanding health and illness that is different from that of its Western counterpart and, therefore, its clinical theories and terminology seem unorthodox. In its classical context, Chinese medical theories and therapeutics were fully integrated and all inclusive. There was no concrete division between physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual; there were merely different aspects of the whole patient. For example, illness may manifest primarily in the physical realm, but the patient was never approached solely as a mechanical entity. An emotional disease may dominate in a patient's overall presentation, but it was understood within the larger context of their life's overall meaning. In treatment, physical technique, say with acupuncture, was given alongside clinical counseling in healthy lifestyle and diet (both of which having as much, if not more, end therapeutic effect than physical treatment). Fully manifested, organic disease was treated, but only as a last resort; emphasis was placed on healthy living, where therapeutic exercises and diet 'therapy' could be employed to address minor imbalances as they arose. It was a system of health and healing, beyond mere medical treatment of illness. The medicine could be practiced professionally and effectively address major illnesses. It also lent itself very well to 'folk medicine', where individuals could help each other with less severe ailments. It is in this latter tradition that I make this website available. To treat 'disease' a Chinese medical practitioner needs to collect extensive information about the patient. This need is greater in this tradition compared to other medical systems, as Chinese medicine places unusual importance on the specific and unique experience of the individual patient. This information is usually gathered over several sessions with the practitioner. However, Chinese medicine is not dependent upon such detailed understanding in order to be of assistance to people. From its rich understanding of human beings one can draw many general 'rules' of healthy living. Common to all people, these are certain requirements for diet, sleep, exercise, and so on. It is these 'basics' of being healthy that I plan to share here. In addition, I believe it's important to educate the American public as to what Chinese medicine is and what it can treat. These topics, as well, are addressed in this website. Lastly, Chinese medicine has been the driving passion in my life for over a decade. I believe that, through my private practice, I have a lot to offer in both medical treatment, as well as health maintenance. Therefore, I would also like to share information on my practice. Please take some time to peruse my website and get a feel for all it has to offer. I hope every time you do, you take something away that enriches your life. Top of Page
All contents Copyright John Aguilar, Jr. 2008