Acupuncture is about balancing the body. You may have heard of yin and yang and Qi (pronounced: chee).
In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), yin and yang are recognized as the balance of how our bodies remain in harmony by keeping our Qi, our life force (some might refer to this as nerve flow) healthy and strong. Western medicine might refer to this as homeostasis. When yin and yang are in balance and our Qi is strong, we are in a state of health, however when they are not, pain and disease can occur. This imbalance can occur as a result of several things such as poor diet and lack of exercise, genetics, stress, injuries and lifestyle.
With TCM, our bodies are mapped out with what are known as meridians and acupuncture points. These meridians and points are all connected to organ systems and each one serves a particular purpose with regards to our health and how our issues are to be treated by acupuncture. When we have disorders, pain etc our Qi can become blocked and our bodies are unable to function in a healthy manner. Using what we call ‘prescriptions’, acupuncturists use points in the body that correspond to our particular conditions and by inserting needles into those points, restoring our Qi’s flow to normal, releasing the blockage. Acupuncture needles act as a gate with our Qi, opening it up and allowing our energy to circulate properly. Our body responds to this by healing itself.
For those of you who are skeptical, this explanation may sound strange and unnatural, but TCM/acupuncture is time tested medicine. It is over 3000 years old and has stood the test of time because it works! There is only a small portion of the population who do not respond to acupuncture. This may include those who are severely injured or who’s conditions are far too deteriorated, those who’s bodies do not possess endorphin receptors.