With its origins rooted in China, acupuncture is a safe, natural, and effective therapy that treats not only the symptoms you experience, but also the underlying cause for those symptoms. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is based on the theory that the body consists of many “roadways” of energy; the energy is known as Qi (pronounced “chee”). These roadways form a network in the body that connects to specific glands and organs, allowing the the body’s Qi and blood to circulate throughout the body.
When Qi is blocked, an unbalance occurs where one area may have an overabundance of Qi while another area may lack it dramatically. This disharmony of Qi causes the body to suffer from a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. Qi has the task to animate and protect the body from disease-causing factors, and a person’s health is heavily influenced by the quality, quantity, and balance of Qi.
Your complexion, tongue, and pulse among other things will be taken into consideration when determining your diagnosis. Three patients may be seen with migraines as the chief complaint, but three different diagnoses and treatments may be determined.
With his/her findings, the acupuncturist will then insert fine, sterile needles into certain points along the roadways of the body to correct the imbalance and encourage your body to heal quicker naturally. Often times, the acupuncturist may use other modalities during your treatment, such as tuina (Asian body work), cupping or moxibustion in addition to acupuncture. Even if your symptoms have been resolved, regular acupuncture treatments may help maintain your body’s balance to prevent future disease.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), acupuncture & TCM has proven effective in the treatment of:
