Acupuncture
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is one of the oldest types of medicinal treatment known to mankind. The Chinese began using acupuncture over 4,000 years ago, and it has been the subject of continuous study and clinical experience since that time. It's finally gaining widespread acceptance in the U.S. as a method and system of health care. Each year new scientific studies are published validating the effectiveness of acupuncture. Informed by modern research but also founded in the wisdom of traditional Oriental medicine, acupuncture provides a safe, effective, comprehensive and personalized treatment for many common ailments.
Acupuncture is a comprehensive system of examination, diagnosis, and treatment. It seeks to alleviate symptoms and pain by assisting individuals to find balance in their lives. Preventative maintenance is central to the philosophy of Chinese Medicine, and this extends to what we generally consider our mental health, as well.
Acupuncture is a method of encouraging the body to promote natural healing and improve function. This is done by inserting sterilized, stainless-steel needles (that are as fine as a human hair) into specific points located near or on the surface of the skin which have the ability to alter various biochemical and physiological conditions in order to treat a wide variety of illnesses.
Qi (pronounced chee) can be defined as the "force" or "vital substance" that animates and controls the observable functions of living beings. The basic foundation for Asian medicine is that this vital substance flows through the body on channels known as meridians that connect all of our major organs. According to Chinese medical theory, illness arises when the cyclical flow of Qi in the meridians becomes unbalanced or is blocked.
The basis of acupuncture is expressed in this famous Chinese saying: "Bu tong ze tong, tong ze bu tong" which means "free flow: no pain, no free flow: pain."
In other words, any kind of pain or illness represents an obstruction in the normal flow of Qi or life force. Simply put, acupuncture moves Qi, restoring free flow.
