The Spark in the Machine: How the Science of Acupuncture Explains the Mysteries of Western Medicine

In this book we learn about the Chinese medicine, body biology, and get the explanation to why acupuncture exists, and that it now has been used during at least 5,000 years; while still many doctors, locked up by Western educations, won’t accept its existence. It’s especially the Yin and Yang channels, connections, which is used by the Chinese Medicine and among other explaining how acupuncture works, but which not yet is “known”, or accepted, by the Western Medicine, as we have not yet for acupuncture found messenger canals parallel to for example blood vessels, or the nerve system, such which we can hold in the hand. Since I was child I have read much World history, and here in the book it was very interesting, in the chapter 16, “What are Acupuncture Points”, to read about how it was discovered that the Ice Mummy, Otzi, who had died 5,200 ago, and then after he in 1991 was discovered in the snow in the Otzal Alps, in Austria, it turned out that actually he had acupuncturist marks on his body. And by this it then was realized that acupuncture actually had be known in Europa for thousands of years, until it then probably was destroyed by the Spanish inquisition. Besides we also read that acupuncture also was known by the ancient Mayans in South America, even though they had no connection China. In the end of some of the chapters, under the headline “Emergency case report”, we read about how Daniel, when working in hospital emergency department, in some cases then used acupuncture or massage with great success. How problems then immediately were solved, as for example in one case with pane in the body, and solved by acupuncture, and in another case asthma solved by mild massage. But even though never any failures or problems by using acupuncture, later he no longer was allowed in using acupuncture, and then instead turned over in using acupressure. I would have liked in the book reading about more cases solved by the use of Chinese Medicine. On me acupuncture one time has been used, and also here with great success. It was way back 20 years ago, then living in Denmark, when then one morning I woke up and nearly could not stand on my left foot because of pain in the left knee. This problem without doubt caused by an ice skating accident, 33 years earlier, (1963), on the left knee, and then had resulted in weeks in a hospital, but since then only seldom, in cold weather, a bit of discomfort in the knee. But now with this awful fain in the knee I succeeded in getting to my doctor, one of the few persons in Denmark, who had been educated in acupuncture (in Paris), and half an hour later nearly all of the pains had gone, but I visited her 1 time more, and since then not yet any pain again. Starting on the side 274 we get the Appendix 3, ‘Referred’ or ‘Radiating’ Pain, covering 4 sides. To me very interesting writings about how the brains registrations the pains, and the different pains in different persons, and the many different types of pains. Interesting to me as I have been searching and reading much about pain because now during 9 years my brain constantly is telling me about a not existing pain in my right hand. Where actually the right hand is without failure, except totally without sensing, because the brain never has reregistered that the nerve is all right all the way down to the hand since the nerve was reconnected on the top of the shoulder. It is funny in the book to see the Fibonacci number, the golden ration, and the Mandelbrot’s fractal equation being used in connection to the buildings in the body, the cells, the DNA, and so on, and it fits good together, and as a mathematically fanatic I like it. Besides, in the book we are getting many helpful drawings. I owe a couple of books about Chinese Medicine treatments as acupuncture, acupressure, massages (they talk about 6 kinds), and so on, but this is my first book detailed in the explanation of the Chinese Medicine. A brilliant book.

Many ooh's and ahh's emanating from me as I went through this book as the associations and explanations were clearly explained by Dr Keown. I fantasized for years about a book that would connect western medicine and acupuncture in a sensible, comprehensive way and this is it. He explains complex topics in a wonderfully logical and understandable way, specifically embryological unfolding and its intimate association with our fascia and how acupuncture meridians and points are connected to these systems and work in the mesmerizing miracle that is the human body, mind and spirit. I am a western medical provider as well as an acupuncturist and this has been such an eye opener for helping me tie together both disciplines. I can now very easily explain connections to western providers and patients in ways they understand, and am delighted to see how open they are to complementary treatments for themselves. I am sure to find many more pearls as I re read this. A staple for my library. Thank you Dr. K.

I am a licensed acupuncturist and this is, without question, the BEST acupuncture book I've ever read. When we look at acupuncture from the perspective of fascia and embryology we can connect acupuncture to allopathic (Western) medicine with compelling logic and scientific elegance. This book is simply brilliant. Moreover, the writing is accessible to anyone with a genuine interest in the material. The more you know about anatomy and physiology, the more you'll get out of it, but anyone can get the general drift of the basic ideas. I suspect the second half of the book may be more for the acupuncturists because you need some familiarity with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to fully appreciate all the various mysteries that are being addressed here. For example, TCM claims that the spleen is a crucial organ when people manage pretty well after a splenectomy. Similarly TCM says the stomach is "the origin of fluids" when it just isn't. If you have studied TCM and felt perplexed by all of its seemingly quaint ideas, this book is a must-read. You will come away with new-found respect for the wisdom of TCM and you will approach your patients with greater confidence. The biggest mystery remaining now is how TCM managed to get so much so right at the level of cellular communication pathways and the homeostatic regulation of hormones and neurotransmitters. The language of TCM may be shrouded in a simplistic vocabulary ("the body abhors wind"), but the sophistication of the underlying ideas becomes more and more apparent as medical science discovers more about stem cells and the importance of fascia and all the remarkable ways the body manages to maintain its balance. Kudos to Daniel Keown. I am giving copies of this book to every health care practitioner I know.

Very good book. I am surprised an M.D. hadn't done this earlier. Insightful correlations between Western medicine and Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It includes a wonderful explanation of embyological development and how it relates to TCM and its concepts. I easily recommend this to any acupuncturist or herbalist no matter how long they have been in practice. I know of no other book that has covered the concordance of modern medicine and TCM with such clarity. The only thing I could say that could have been better were the illustrations which were hand drawn quickly.

Was cheaper than Barnes & Noble (and if you're studying for Acupuncture you know you need to save anything you can!) But this book got me into perusing acupuncture and opened my mind up so much! The author makes the entire study easier to understand.

Quick background- I spent five years training in a PhD program in Complex Systems and Brain Sciences before leaving to pursue my career in oriental medicine. I've been a practicing acupuncturist for five years now. I thus have a pretty solid background in both western science and Chinese medicine and would be in an arguably reasonable position to evaluate the merits or lack thereof of this work. With that said, this is the best proposal I've come across for explaining not just how but why acupuncture works in the context of western anatomy and physiology. While I wouldn't consider this work as proof of anything per se, I would consider it as an excellent framework from which further research could be implemented. A good amount of the work explores the relationship with a variety of theoretical foundations of oriental medicine with embryological development. In some cases some of the relationships are so clear and furthermore so functionally related that random coincidence of overlap between these two systems of medicine is exceedingly unlikely. If I ran an acupuncture school, I would make this required reading. If I ran a [western] medical school, I would still make this required reading.

This book is the perfect bridge between TCM theory and western medical evidence based practices and knowledge. Explaining yin and yang to some requires explanation of sperm and egg and this book does both. Well written, easy to follow, and logical in chapter layout it presents very relevant things for those in an integrated healthcare setting whether they are patients or healthcare providers. The use of metaphors, examples, and bioscience terms helps with understanding and can bridge the gap between east and west. In my opinion this book should be part of any medical curriculum, east or west, if only to aid in the understanding of the changing thought processes in medicine and be a fascinating exploration into how our bodies work.

This book is the most scientific writing about acupuncture. The book explains acupuncture in medical terms and it uses human embriology information which confirm and explain the ancient acupuncture principles. Dr Daniel Keown has the best understanding of acupuncture from point of view of modern medicine. The book has a very important bibliography and proofs a very good medical and acupuncture knowledge for author. In my opinion , this book isn't finished because many others acupuncture principles have remained without a modern medical explanation by Dr Keown .I saw dr Keown in April 2016 in Anaheim at American Academy of Medical Acupuncture Symposium, where he has sustained a wonderful paper in acupuncture and embriology. Congratulations and I am waiting next book !

Ótimo livro

An excellent text that is a must read for all Acupuncturists, traditional and modern alike. Certainly opens up a he,thy discussion to be had by our profession.

Che la agopuntura sia una tecnica medica efficace non esistono dubbi. Più difficile è darne una spiegazione di tipo occidentale che prescinda da un atto di fede nei postulati primi della medicina cinese, Questo libro, il cui contenuto può anche non essere totalmente condiviso, tenta di trovare un filo comune tra oriente ed occidente nella comprensione dei meccanismi di azione della agopuntura, ricorrendo all'embriologia, alla neurofisiologia, alla endocrinologia ecc. A parere del sottoscritto per molti versi riesce in questo scopo, dando importanti spunti per la comprensione reciproca tra medici di mentalità occidentale e quelli con formazione tradizionale cinese. Mi auguro che studi come questo possano avere grandi sviluppi futuri. Secondo me, per gli addetti al settore, un acquisto assolutamente necessario.

ideal para comprender la relación entre dos tipos de medicinas muy distintas. dos mundos que se acercan a una mejor comprensión gracias a obras como esta.

あくまでも個人的見解です。 まだこちらの原書は読めていません。 現在、日本語版を読んでいます。 私は経穴の国際標準化された時に非常に違和感を感じ 経穴経絡について不信になりました。 その後、マルマや発生学の書物をかなり読みました。 チベット医学も調べました。 気に対する考え方、発生学との関係は同感です。 10年ほど前から 現在オリジナルでこれらを組み合わせて治療に生かしてます。 今後、医学技術的な発展により 益々西洋医学、東洋医学が相互的に発展出来ればいいと思います。 続編も刊行予定だそう。 期待しております。 最後まで読んで頂き有難うございました。