How does acupuncture work?
When you’re healthy, everything is flowing properly, your mind has clear thoughts, you wake up refreshed from a good night’s sleep and your body doesn’t stop you from doing any activity that you wish. When balance is lost, problems begin to appear. Symptoms can be as simple as pain from a sport injury or more complex, such as PMS, skin troubles, digestive issues, depression or feeling chronically tired all the time.
Traditional Chinese Medicine sees all these problems as the body’s way of manifesting disharmony. Acupuncture works with balancing the body’s abundant supply of energy or Qi (pronounced Chee) that flows through the body's meridians (a network of 14 invisible channels throughout the body) that connect the external body to the internal organs. All of these form a closed loop or circuit similar to but distinct from the Western circulatory system. If the flow of energy in the meridians becomes blocked or there is an inadequate supply of energy and blood, then the body fails to maintain harmony, balance and order, and disease and/or illness follows. This can result from stress, overwork, poor diet, external disease, weather and environmental conditions, and other lifestyle factors.
Acupuncture is the gentle insertion of very fine sterile needles at specific points on the body (over 400 points). This process stimulates movement of energy within the body and allows natural healing to take place. Modern research has shown that when a needle is inserted at specific acupuncture points on the body, there are corresponding changes that occur in the brain.
Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt at all and you may even feel the needle work it’s magic.
Acupuncture has the ability to:
- Relieve pain
- Boost immunity
- Reinforce the activity of the internal organs
- Relax and strengthen the muscular and skeletal systems
- Calm the mind, relieve anxiety and nervousness
- Harmonize energy
- Side effect: You might be more relaxed after an acupuncture treatment than you have felt in years!
Musculoskeletal: muscle/joint pain and weakness, sprains, injuries, sciatica pain, arthritis, rheumatism
Gastrointestinal: constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, ulcers, nausea, vomiting, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Neurological: headaches, migraines, facial paralysis, post operative rehabilitation, multiple sclerosis
Emotional: insomnia, depression, nervousness, anxiety
Dermatological: eczema, psoriasis, acne, herpes zoster, skin rashes
Gynecological: menopausal symptoms, PMS, infertility, menstrual irregularities
Respiratory: rhinitis, sinusitis, cold, bronchitis, asthma
Other conditions: blood pressure, addictions, stress management, weight loss, fatigue
You don’t need to be sick or injured to get an acupuncture treatment. Think of it as regular maintenance since prevention is the best form of medicine.
