What is Acupuncture?
The intent of acupuncture therapy is to promote health, and alleviate pain and suffering. The method of acupuncture needling may seem strange and mysterious, but the health benefits have been time-tested over thousands of years and continue to be validated today through modern research. The perspective from which an acupuncturist views health hinges on the concept of energetic balance of vital energy or “qi”. Just as the Western medical doctor monitors the blood flowing through blood vessels and the messages traveling via the nervous system, the acupuncturist assesses the flow and distribution of this vital energy within its path-ways, known as meridians and channels.
The acupuncturist is able to influence the body’s ability to maintain a healthy balance by stimulating certain areas along these meridians. Traditionally these areas or "acupoints" are stimulated by fine, slender needles. Today, many additional forms of stimulation are incorporated, including herbs, electricity, magnets and lasers. Still, the goal remains the same - adjust the vital energy so the proper amount reaches the proper place at the proper time. This allows your body to heal itself.
Acupuncture is just one form of therapy used within the coherent system of healing known as Oriental Medicine. Oriental Medicine includes herbology, physical therapy, nutritional counseling, and special exercises (such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong), and is a complete medical system unto itself. It is not another branch of modern Western medicine. Acupuncture evolved from principles and philosophies unique to Oriental thinking and Oriental Medicine, and is most effectively applied when done in accordance with those principles.
The acupuncturist is able to influence the body’s ability to maintain a healthy balance by stimulating certain areas along these meridians. Traditionally these areas or "acupoints" are stimulated by fine, slender needles. Today, many additional forms of stimulation are incorporated, including herbs, electricity, magnets and lasers. Still, the goal remains the same - adjust the vital energy so the proper amount reaches the proper place at the proper time. This allows your body to heal itself.
Acupuncture is just one form of therapy used within the coherent system of healing known as Oriental Medicine. Oriental Medicine includes herbology, physical therapy, nutritional counseling, and special exercises (such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong), and is a complete medical system unto itself. It is not another branch of modern Western medicine. Acupuncture evolved from principles and philosophies unique to Oriental thinking and Oriental Medicine, and is most effectively applied when done in accordance with those principles.
How does Acupuncture work?
According to Chinese medicine theory, acupuncture works primarily by promoting the free movement of blood and energy in the body. Stagnation of blood and energy causes pain and/or illness. Western scientific research has shown that acupuncture causes the production of endorphins, which are the body's natural painkillers. However, acupuncture is used for many conditions in addition to pain. More recent research has shown that the stimulation of certain acupuncture points can activate specific regions of the brain, which then allows regulation of other systems in the body through modulation of molecules such as neurotransmitters and hormones. In general, scientific research has shown that acupuncture can modulate all the primary systems in the body, including the nervous, endocrine and immune systems.
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