BODY PIERCING: SELF MUTILATION OR PHYSICAL ADORNMENT?

Posted: July 12, 2012 in Long Reads

One wonders when it all started – I mean, sticking a needle through a part of your anatomy where
God saw fit NOT to put a hole seems somewhat ____ bizarre, when you really think about it. I mean,
what’s the point?! Thousands of years ago we certainly didn’t have the tools for a painless insertion
of anything, and making even a rudimentary orifice must have taken nerves of steel – or plenty of
mampoer. My toes curl just thinking about it. Either way, body piercing has been around since the
year ‘dot’ and is pretty much entrenched in popular culture today, the more extreme displays being
considered in the main, a mark of extremist non-conformity. Amongst the youth you would be
thought of as being quite trendy to sport a belly or even a nipple ring (ouch – an even more painful
thought). And dare we mention in a family magazine such as this, those folk who are into the body
piercings ‘down under’….
Available evidence suggests that man has been practicing body piercing since time immemorial.
The oldest mummy discovered to date was that of Otzi the Iceman, who was found in an Austrian
Glacier – he had an ear piercing of between 7 and 11 mm in diameter. Otzi lived around 5000 years
ago. Perhaps he was searching for some ice at the time of his death?!
Piercings are also mentioned in biblical history – Genesis 24:22 records Abraham’s servant giving a
nose ring and bracelets to his daughter in law, Rebekah. Ear piercing was seen during biblical times
to be a mark of slavery (Deuteronomy 15:12-17) – I’ll remind my cousin about that fact the next
time she winces about doing her chores. During the 1980’s it was an ‘in-thing’ for men to have one
earring only – I remember my friend’s boyfriend had an earring which at the time, she was tremendously
impressed with. Not so her parents!
One that seems to be the rite of passage for any ‘modern primitive’ today seeking ‘body
modification’ is to have a tongue piercing. This practice dates back to the Aztec and Mayan cultures
who carried out ritual tongue piercings for spiritual purposes. Navel piercings are increasingly
popular with women today but again, this isn’t anything new under the sun. Ancient Egyptians
pierced their navels to signify royalty. As for nose rings, well they seem to have originated in India
around the 16th century. In the main it appears that some people pierce for cultural or religious
reasons, others do so for ornamental or even sexual reasons (those ‘down under’ folk again).
However, has anyone looked at this from a ‘health’ perspective? Some people seem to cope with
metal in their bodies without any problems, but for the rest of us there is a different story to be
told. Here’s why:
A simple electric current is very easily generated when there are two dissimilar metals in an
electrolyte. The mouth is an example of where this can happen – the electrolyte would be the
saliva as it is a very good conductor of electricity. Dental amalgams, for one example, are
invariably composed of several metals. Studies have shown that people with at least 2 or 3
amalgam fillings are generating measurable, albeit very small, electric currents in their mouths –
only the electrical output involved is a thousand times greater than that generally used by the body
in nerve conduction.1 Eek – doesn’t that scare you? Small electric currents they may be, but it does
appear that with some people it is enough to interfere with their neural activity, contributing to
headaches, behavioural problems, an inability to focus or concentrate, or an inability to think or
remember clearly. One wonders then about dental braces – they are often made with different
metals – how might they be negatively affecting the wearer in ways that we’ve never even
considered.
Anecdotal evidence appears to indicate that body piercing can have serious side effects for some
people, particularly when there are bodily fluids involved as in the case of a tongue or genital
piercing (both of which lie directly on two major body meridians). A navel piercing could be a
problem in that I have known them to interfere with the workings of the central meridian, an energy
circuit that runs from the pubic bone to the bottom lip. Eyebrow and nose piercings seem to be less
likely to cause a problem but this very much depends on the positioning of the stud, and the
professionalism of the studio offering the piercing. The eyebrow can be a risky area because it
harbors skin and hair bacteria, and it has a rich blood supply that connects to the eye. A bad
infection can develop very quickly and spread into the eye area, and could
worsen to cause blindness or deeper infection into the brain.
Ear piercings have been known to be problematical in some people – there are a great many
acupuncture points on the ear and if you were unfortunate enough to have a hole made directly onto
one, you will discover that you have endless problems with that particular piercing in that the
wound will often take months to heal, will be constantly sensitive to particular types of metal, and
will often get inflamed for no apparent reason. This case in point happened to my daughter – we
finally managed to sort it out with copious doses of tissue salts and she now takes her earrings out
at night. In instances where the wound does not heal, the best course of action would be to allow
the hole to close naturally and perhaps consider a slightly different position for the piercing. Aside
from that, the traditional ear-piercing, if accurate, happens to be right on the eye points!.
Sandra* (not her real name), was referred to a doctor by her mother as they had been unable to get to
the root of her extreme lethargy and lack of motivation. On the recommendation of her mother,
Sandra had been taking copies quantities of Kali Phos (a tissue salt) to try to raise her energy
levels, but to no avail. She had gone from being an exercise fiend to a couch potato in the space of
a few months. During the kinesiology session, we quickly pinpointed the possible cause – her belly
ring was interfering with the functioning of the central meridian. Upon taking it out, a subsequent
kinesiological test revealed that the meridian had immediately returned to its’ normal flow. I
suggested she remove the ring for a week and see what happened. Two days later, the mother called to say the transformation was incredible – she had her old daughter back(Copied this story from MEDIMAG. Issue #247, pg 16). Sandra has chosen not to wear the belly ring as in her case, it definitely affected her quality of life. My advice to women who enjoy their belly rings is to remove them at night to allow the meridian to flow correctly whether or not they perceive there to be a problem. This could be one explanation as to why some navel piercings can take as long as nine to twelve months to heal.
How can this be you might ask? It was Dr George Goodheart, the respected father of Applied
Kinesiology, who discovered one possible explanation and he wrote about this in an article entitled
“Chinese lessons for modern chiropractors”. He called this phenomenon the Antenna Effect. He found that
by just taping a small metal ball onto an acupuncture point, this point was continually stimulated.
This important discovery led him to believe that any metal that was constantly on a given point on
the human body could eventually cause problems for that person. What happens when anything is
continually stimulated? Eventually it wears out, not so?! This is when exhaustion and fatigue sets in.
As we have previously noted, it is really critical to know where these points are located on the
body, and how to avoid them but your local piercing parlour practitioner is unlikely to possess this
knowledge.
Dental Associations are no doubt concerned about the increase of tooth fractures as a direct result
of trauma incurred from barbells inserted during tongue piercing, and the incidence of more and
more chipped molars and worn teeth. Associated risks with intra-oral piercings include nerve
damage, damage to dentition, infection and obviously speech impediments.
Women who have had a nipple pierced may consider removing the nipple jewelry if when
considering breast-feeding. During sucking, the jewelry could become loose and lodge in the baby’s
throat. Baby’s gums and tongue as well as the soft and hard palate could be injured by the jewelry.
Breastfeeding problems can and do occur with women who refuse or who cannot remove their
nipple jewelry – poor latching, milk leaking and gagging being the common issues which stop the
minute the nipple jewelry is removed. So this goes without saying – don’t have a nipple pierced if
you are also thinking of becoming pregnant and want to breast feed. Nipple piercings can also take
months to heal.
So all this metal fatigue got me to thinking about underwired bras! It is a very real fact that the
under-wires in your favourite bra could also be affecting your health as they fall directly onto two
very important Neuro-Lymphatic Reflexes. These reflexes, like all AcuPoints, follow the Law of Stimulation. In the beginning of stimulating a point, it is stimulated – often causing an increase in associated function. Later on, this continued stimulation causes sedation of that point and a subsequent decrease in its associated function. It’s a mechanical thing. If a woman keeps the metal underwires on top of those reflex points, over time that will mess up the functioning of the associated circuits.
Whether we like it or not, piercing is probably here to stay. For anyone considering piercing their
body (or having a tattoo for that matter) they would do well to consider both the energetic and even
spiritual ramifications they are setting into motion that might one day affect their health. Dr Masaru
Emoto has become quite a worldwide celebrity due to his groundbreaking discovery on how water
molecules are affected by intention. Using high-speed photography, Dr Emoto captures images of
the crystals formed from frozen water after specific thoughts, words or feelings have been directed
at it. Loving words create the most beautiful images. Negative feelings or thoughts do not create
crystals at all. Our bodies are composed of around 65% water. One might wonder how a tattoo with
a negative thought form might impact on our body’s water content and thus our general health over
time. This is just on a small scale; what then if we consider the impact of the collective thoughts of
humanity upon the earth’s oceans? You can answer that question yourself – that is the scope of
another article altogether!
Whilst many piercings proceed uneventfully, complications can and do set in and this cannot be
ignored. Body piercers are unlicensed and are not necessarily members of the medical profession.
If the practitioner is not scrupulous about hygiene and maintaining a sterile environment, many
potentially life-threatening diseases can be spread e.g. Hepatitis B or C, tetanus, TB, syphilis, HIV
or blood infections, blood poisoning, skin cysts, scars and other disfigurements. I asked a few
people I knew with piercings and in all instances, no health histories were taken at the time of the
piercing, they were not informed of what emergency procedures were in place in the event of
something going wrong, no antibiotics were obviously prescribed post-piercing, and no detailed
post-operative advice was offered, other than being advised to keep the area clean.
My advice to any considering a body piercing is to learn as much as they can about the process and
potential side effects before taking the plunge. If one is aware of all the pitfalls, one can make an
informed decision whether to have the procedure done or not.
Some people have chronic medical problems that just make piercing a bad idea. If you’ve got
diabetes, any bleeding disorders or even heart problems, you should always consult your doctor
first. If a bacterial infection sets in, Bazinger! – you have a problem. Just ask the right questions at the
beginning and research all the pro’s and con’s BEFORE you make that final decision!”
Read the following proven facts (below) and decide for yourself… Perhaps you’ll arrive at the same
conclusion I did. Health Canada can no longer be trusted. Perhaps your dentist can no longer be
trusted? Perhaps, certain people want to harm you friend?
Scientifically Proven Facts
About Mercury & Dental Amalgam
________________________________________
1. Dental Amalgam contains about 50% Mercury.
2. Mercury has been scientifically demonstrated to be more toxic than Lead, Cadmium, or even
Arsenic.
3. Mercury leaves dental amalgam continuously throughout the lifetime of the filing.
4. Mercury vapor is the main way that mercury comes out of amalgam.
5. Mercury vapor is absorbed at a rate of 80% through the lungs into the arterial blood.
6. Mercury is cytotoxic. It kills cells
7. There is NO harmless level of Mercury Vapour Exposure.
8.. Mercury from amalgam has the potential of disturbing all metabolic
processes.
9. Mercury from amalgam is transported freely via the blood.
10. Mercury vapor is absorbed directly into the brain.
11. Mercury from amalgam will result in a slow build up of mercury in body tissues.
12. Mercury crosses the blood brain barrier.
13. Mercury is implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease.
14. Mercury from amalgam is stored in the foetus and infant before the mother.
15. Mercury from amalgam is stored in the breast milk and the foetus up to 8 times more than the
mother’s tissues.
16. Mercury (Mercury Vapor) crosses the placenta.
17. Mercury Crosses into breast milk.
18. Mercury will severely reduce reproductive function.
19. Mercury rapidly depletes the immune system.
20. Mercury will induce a number of Auto Immune Diseases.
21. Mercury will cause an increase in number and severity of allergies.
22. Mercury from amalgam is stored principally in the kidneys, liver and brain.
23. Mercury from amalgam (shown in animal experiments) causes kidney damage.
24. Mercury from will cause a 50% reduction in Kidney filtration as shown in a study of sheep after
amalgam placement.
25. Methyl Mercury is more toxic than elemental Mercury.
26. Mercury from amalgam is methylated in the mouth.
27. After chewing, Mercury Vapor levels will remain raised for at least another 90 minutes.
28. Mercury from amalgam will migrate through the tooth.
29. This rate of migration is increased if a gold crown is placed over a tooth filled with amalgam.
30. Teeth are living tissue and are a part of our bodies.
31. Teeth have a massive communication via blood, lymph and nerves with the rest of the body.
32. Mercury from amalgam is absorbed into the body at a rate of 3 to 17 mcg / day.
33. Mercury release is increased by; increases in temperature, friction & increase in electrical
currents.
34. Mercury from amalgam will enter the body as;
Elemental Mercury, Inorganic Mercury, Vapor, charged Mercury ions.
35. In the Brain, Mercury from amalgam is stored preferentially in the Pituitary Gland and
Hypothalamus.
36. Micro-Mercurialism is principally characterized by Neurological symptoms.
37. Mercury is transported along the axons of nerve fibers.
38. Mercury from amalgam may be stored in every other cell in the body. Each area affected will
produce its own set of symptoms.
39. Mercury binds to haemoglobin in the red blood cell thus reducing oxygen carrying
capacity.
40. Mercury damages blood vessel reducing blood supply to the tissues (micro-angiopathies).
41. Amalgam fillings produce electrical currents which might be injurious to health. These currents
are measurable in Micro Amps. The Central Nervous System (Brain) operates in the range of Nano-
Amps this is One Thousand times less than a Micro Amp.
41A. Dissimilar metals in the mouth [e.g Gold & Amalgam] will produce higher electrical
currents.
42. Mercury from amalgam (shown in animal experiments) will induce Antibiotic Resistance and
Mercury resistance in bacteria in the mouth and Gastrointestinal tract.
43. Brain levels of mercury are in a direct linear proportion to the number of Surfaces of amalgam
fillings in the mouth.
43A? The level of Mercury, in brain tissue of foetus’s, new born, and young children, is proportional
to the number of amalgams in the mother’s mouth.
44. Mercury will cause single strand breaks in DNA.
45. Mercury levels in the body can not be assessed by either blood or urine levels.
46. Mercury from amalgam fillings is the single
greatest source of dietary mercury for the general population.
47. Dental personnel are severely effected by exposure to mercury.
________________________________________

Mercury is Poisonous.
There is NO safe form of Mercury in living tissue.

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