Invented in the Far East and developed over millennia, acupuncture heals by inserting needles - without causing pain - into the body. Whether magic, trick, or science, many say it works. We talked about the latest developments in the field with Chinese doctor Liang Liu Wei Jun.
I was born in Beijing, China, on August 6, 1941. I learned acupuncture from my father, who began teaching me when I was 11 years old. I studied medicine in China and specialized in acupuncture. I worked in Beijing until 1987, when the President of Bolivia invited me to his country. I came to Peru in 2003, invited by César Acuña. I came with my wife, who is also a doctor. I have a daughter who was born in Beijing. I use needles on myself, using a mirror to help.
"When I turned 11, my father started teaching me acupuncture. He worked in the field, and I worked by watching him. I also helped him. He learned from his father. After that, I studied Medicine at university in China. I liked it very much because I saw my father treating patients who suffered greatly. But he would needle them and calm them; then the patients became happy. That made my father happy, and I watched happily too," recalls Dr. Liang Liu. We are in his office at Figueredo 127, Miraflores.
At university, I studied the system, history, and modern techniques. My father practiced traditional methods.
Yes, very much. Acupuncture has been around for about three thousand years. Now, modern acupuncture is applied to other parts of the body, such as the ear or the eye. Just by applying it to the eye, you can heal everything.
Yes, but tiny ones. You can also heal everything by needling just the tongue, the foot, only the nose, or the abdomen. The entire body is represented there.
Centuries ago, the needles were made from fish bones. Later, needles were made of iron. The ancient ones were thin. The ones we use now, for acupuncturology, are made of steel and are larger and thicker, about one millimeter thick. These are the most modern. I have them, but they are not available in South America.
In the past, people used fish bones to needle the sick. In doing so, they would test where the prick hurt until they found a point. Blood might be lost, but afterward, the person would heal. Then they began connecting points. For example, one finds points that relieve the stomach; elsewhere, another point helps with headaches. The body has 400 points.
Until December 1987. The President of Bolivia, Paz Estenssoro, invited me to his country. In Bolivia, many women and mute children needed healing. So, they gave me an invitation, tickets, and everything else. I went in 1987 and stayed there until June 2003.
That year. I came invited by César Acuña (current mayor of Trujillo). I preferred to come because La Paz was at a very high altitude. At 4000 meters above sea level, and being older, I started to feel unwell. Here I feel better. There are also many Chinese people here. And many chifas. And I had many patients too. While in Trujillo, in one day, I could have a hundred patients. Then I went to Arequipa, and later I came to Lima because there were many papers to put in order.
Yes. I came with my wife, who is also a doctor. She practices acupuncture but primarily treats women and children.
Theory: In people, there are channels and points. For example, if someone has a headache, anxiety, or stress, they can be cured with a point called geokú, located in the hand. One does acupuncture there and improves microcirculation. When that improves, the brain receives more blood and, therefore, more oxygen. The artery that you needle is contracted and then expands. Many Peruvians suffer from stress, anxiety, and worry...
Others are hungrier, eat a lot, suffer from impotence, premature ejaculation, or memory loss. It's all stress. The arteries in the brain are constricted. But when they open, the brain is better nourished. Memory improves, and physical condition improves.
To cure asthma, other points related to the lungs are touched. On the back, there are points called feishú. When you needle there, you cure asthma and bronchitis. They are also related to the micro-arteries being contracted. Again, they need to be expanded.
About five sessions, during which one spends about 30 minutes with the needles inserted. It depends on the patient's age: a young person or a child heals faster than an older person. It also depends on how long they have had the illness. For example, a person who has had lower back pain due to a herniated disc for a couple of days can be needled, and within minutes, they are fine. But if they have had the pain for years, it takes longer.
Yes. I needle myself using a mirror. That way, I can needle my eye. Excellent! That is the newest.
Sometimes, the patient needs rest. If you heal the back, it stops hurting, but rest is needed.