What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a therapy of traditional Chinese medicine that originated in China over 5,000 years ago. It is based on the belief that people have a vital energy, called “Qi,” that circulates through twelve invisible energy channels, known as “meridians,” on the body. These energy channels are like rivers flowing through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues. Each meridian is associated with a different organ system. An imbalance in the flow of Qi throughout a meridian is how disease begins. An obstruction in the movement of these energy rivers is like a dam that backs up, causing stages of excess and deficiency in the body.
What is a treatment like?
Acupuncturists insert needles into specified points along meridian lines to unblock the obstructions at the dams and reestablish the regular flow of Qi through the body. There are over 1,000 acupuncture points on the body. Along with the usual method of puncturing the skin with the fine needles, the practitioners of acupuncture also use heat, pressure, suction or impulses of electromagnetic energy to stimulate the points. Prior to starting a session, a patient’s health is assessed by taking their pulses and looking at their tongue, both providing information on the internal function of the body. A session usually lasts around 30 minutes.
What can it treat?
Acupuncture treatments can help the body’s internal organs correct imbalances in their digestion, absorption and energy production activities, and in the circulation of their energy through the meridians. Some of the conditions treated at the Center for Natural Healing
with acupuncture include migraines, tension headaches, sinusitis, common cold, arthritis, menstrual cramps, fibromyalgia, low back pain and infertility. Each protocol is individually designed based on
the patient’s needs. All ages and all conditions can benefit from acupuncture.
Suggested Reading: "Between Heaven and Earth, A Guide to Chinese Medicine" by Harriet Beinfield, L.Ac.