Michael Buistcontact me
Bachelor of Acupuncture UK 1979
Born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1950, Michael’s interest in medicine and Chinese philosophy developed during his teenage years. Medical sciences at that time included only a mechanical approach to the subject of Physics. Hungry to find a rational system of medicine that embraced the “physics of life”, he eventually arrived at the International College of Oriental Medicine in Sussex, UK, in 1975, to learn acupuncture.
This school taught the traditional Chinese view of life and energy (“qi”) that is derived from the naturalism of ancient Taoism and, more recently, Buddhism. To Michael’s surprise and delight the school textbooks were his already favourite acupuncture books, and the first principles of Chinese medicine and Qi were almost identical to the first laws of thermodynamics and quite consistent with Western science.For him this was a happy merging of his long-term parallel interests in medicine, psychology and Chinese philosophy.
Graduating Bachelor of Acupuncture in 1979, Michael returned to Wellington and has been practicing acupuncture there ever since, a life he has found fulfils his deep desire to work with and in local community medicine. He believes that, with advice and assistance, people can be empowered to gain control of their own health, progress and development.
In 1981 he began using a post-graduate acupuncture technique called “yuen t’chien” or “blunt-tipped needle” (“round-headed needle”) developed in Vietnam 1,000 years ago. It is part of the acupuncture therapy known as “micromassage”. The instruments do not pierce the skin.
This has not been a well known or popular technique in our time as it is labour-intensive compared with needle and electronic acupuncture; also, no instruments have been available and it does require a certain amount of concentration (and insight). However, experience proved to Michael that the extra effort was well worth it.
Originally the traditional micromassage instruments were carved from ivory. This is obviously not a responsible option in our time. Consequently, Michael found Victorian ivory and whalebone draughting instruments, crochet hooks and knitting needles in local antique shops and transformed them into micromassage instruments. He also made his own from beef bone, sometimes decorating them with semi-precious stones, jewellery or trinkets. These were aesthetically very pleasing.
This effort was due solely to the love of a practical medical art and to the actual results obtained using micromassage. The results were startlingly greater and more profound than were indicated in the single little textbook on the subject, which referred only to its uses in rheumatology. It can be used for almost the same range of conditions as conventional acupuncture and can be superior to it in the treatment of, for instance, OOS, fatigue syndromes and the treatment of children.
Sometimes, the results of micromassage can be like a secret that has been shared between the practitioner and the recipient. This is rather special and has resulted in Michael’s belief that micromassage can be shared and beneficially experienced by many more people. Within certain limits and with some care and consideration and advice, micromassage can also be used by those who have not trained in acupuncture per se. This makes it a welcome middle ground between acupuncture and acupressure.
Acupuncture with needles can only disperse the “subtle energy” and acupressure cannot precisely direct this ch'i. Micromassage attracts the “subtle energy” as part of the body's own bio-electrical system and can direct it to the target areas of need.