Detailed Information

What is Acupuncture and how does it work? (brief explanation)

The ancient Chinese believed that a universal energy called Qi (pronounced “Chee”) animated all things as evidenced by the motions of the sun and stars, the flow of rivers and the activity of animals and plants. Motion meant energy and life. Blockage of motion, like the damming of rivers, meant stasis, stagnation and illness. Acupuncture therapy purports to restore the natural flow of Qi and thereby effect wellness.

Ancient Doctors and Chinese Scientists believed that this energy or Qi circulated through the body along specific pathways called Meridians or “channels”. It was also discovered that by manipulating specific points along those channels,  individuals who were ill benefited.  Over four thousand years of trial and observation has developed into Traditional Chinese Medicine and what we know of as Acupuncture (performed “with needles“). Countless millions of individuals worldwide have been helped with this form of therapy.

What is Acupuncture and how does it work? (detailed explanation)

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture have evolved over thousands of years, being first recorded by the Shang Dynasty around 1000 B.C. and augmented continually by investigation and research ongoing to the present time. It is a complete healthcare delivery system with pharmacological, diagnostic and therapeutic regimes which have given relief and cure to tens of millions of patients. That it is an effective therapeutic method is not disputed, however as knowledge increases, some traditionally held beliefs have given way to modern scientific knowledge and new, more effective procedures, such as Low Level Laser Therapy, electro-acupuncture and others.

Traditional Chinese Medicine approaches healthcare in what is considered to be a Holistic methodology. Holistic in that it considers a patient as a “whole” being whose health is based on more complicated and exotic factors such as genetics, environment, diet, activity, culture, mood and spirit, time of day or season of first occurrence, in addition to a more traditional physical examination. Practitioners of TCM hold that a patient seeking treatment presents himself or herself at a specific point in time and experience along with specific signs or emblems of disease processes, such as those commonly experienced during a cold or other ailment. Appropriate treatment would therefore, seek to encompass all that is known or understood about that person, both temporally and physically. Western Medicine is based on a “majority of cases” scenario, wherein a cold is a collection of known, common symptoms producing a similar treatment plan for the majority of patients. TCM on the other hand, looks at colds from a unique and individual basis, varying treatment from person to person for what might seem to be similar signs and symptoms.

Central to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine is the concept of a life force called Qi (pronounced “Chee“) animating all matter. To the Chinese, Qi was evident in the simple observation of the motion of things - the rotation of the heavens, the flow of a stream, the erosion of mountains or the beating of one’s own heart. It is not difficult to understand therefore that disruption or absence of Qi might mean illness or death. The overall therapeutic aim and goal of Chinese Medical therapy is aimed at the restoration and balance of normal energy, spirit and/or Qi. This has traditionally been accomplished by a variety of methods, including diet, exercise, herbs and modalities such as needle acupuncture, acupressure, suction (cupping) and heat and cold applications.

The Chinese conceived that as blood flows through the veins, energy or Qi would likewise flow through the body. Over the millennia a system of relationships between specific locations on and beneath the surface of the body and internal organic processes was observed and cataloged. A theory of Meridians or “channels“ was formulated to describe regions or lines of similarity between these channels, the internal organs and the disease processes they arrest. Treatment utilizing this system is called Meridian Therapy and forms an essential part of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Acupuncture, as is commonly understood, involves the insertion of fine needles at specific sites, sometimes called Acupoints. These are specific loci having predictable therapeutic effectiveness located along or adjacent to traditional Meridians or “channels”. Most laser therapies utilize these time honored relationships along with currently evolving scientific investigation to effect treatment.

Acupuncture could be thought of as a subset of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the manner of Physical Therapy, Podiatry or Dentistry, however, it has the ability, in and of itself, to provide effective treatment and cure for a host of ailments. With a basic understanding of needling techniques, electrical stimulation and the effects of common Acupuncture points, the beginning practitioner may be able to alleviate back pain, promote post-surgical wound healing, soften scar tissue, control asthmatic attacks, and treat a number of seemingly unrelated conditions. The World Health Organization lists some 60 common ailments effectively treated by Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. The panoply of conditions commonly treated by Traditional Chinese Medicine await further research and study.

 

Best Proven Uses

• Anti-aging
  
  
• Acne
  
  
• Eczema
  
  
• Skin Ulceration
  
  
• Dermatitis
  
  
• Cuts
  
  
• Bruises
  
  
• Soft-tissue Damage
  
  
• Sport Injuries
  
  
• Arthritis
  
  
• Musculoskeletal Disorders
  
  
• Scars and Stretch Marks