Chinese medicine is a comprehensive healthcare system more than 3,000 years old. This natural, energy-based medicine encompasses acupuncture, herbs, dietary therapy, exercise, therapeutic massage and other healing therapies.
This system focuses primarily on finding and treating the root cause of illness rather than just treating the symptoms. It also serves as excellent preventative medicine by enhancing health, improving state of mind and promoting longevity.
Chinese medicine can effectively treat most health conditions, especially those in which Western medicine has had little success. As more people turn to this ancient healing system, Chinese medicine is emerging as a leader in integrative and complementary medicine.
Acupuncture can restore and achieve physiological balance in the body by working with the body’s life force, or Qi (pronounced “chee”). Qi is a dynamic, vital energy which permeates the human body as well as every other living thing. It flows in the body through 14 energy pathways –also known as “meridians”– which run beneath the skin to communicate with the body’s major organs.
Good health is dependent on the abundance, balance, and smooth flow of Qi within in the body. When Qi becomes disrupted or blocked, an imbalance of Qi in the meridians and their associated organ systems results in illness. Qi flow can change due to trauma, poor diet, medications, stress, excessive emotions or other conditions.
Acupuncture directly affects the body’s Qi, unblocking obstructions and balancing the flow of energy to facilitate the bodies’ own healing process. Acupuncture focuses on re-balancing the flow of energy by the gentle insertion of ultra-thin needles at specific points on the body where Qi can be accessed.
From a Western biomedical model, it is clear that acupuncture has a measurable effect on the autonomic nervous system, on vascular and endocrine physiology, brain chemistry and specifically on the production of endorphins.
Sterile, disposable acupuncture needles are extremely thin and flexible. While most feel no discomfort during the process, one may feel a slight sensation of heaviness or tingling when Qi is activated. Depending on the diagnosis, needles are left in place for 15 to 45 minutes while the patient relaxes to soft music. Most people find treatments very relaxing and report a deep sense of emotional grounding after acupuncture.
There are approximately 365 acupoints on the body, most of which have specific energetic functions. The choice of acupoints varies depending on the acupuncturist and the patient’s diagnosis. These points have been empirically proven to be effective in the treatment of specific ailments. The locations of these points have been known to Oriental medicine for thousands of years and have now been confirmed by electromagnetic research.
Acupuncture causes the body to release chemicals into the body called endorphins. Endorphins are natural opiates which relieve pain and increase a person’s sense of relaxation and well-being. This may be why it is so frequently used in the treatment of all types of pain, musculoskeletal problems and other disorders such as depression, stress disorders, fibromyalgia and soft tissue injuries.
