Acupuncture

Acupuncture: The practice of inserting needles into the body to reduce pain or induce anesthesia. More broadly, acupuncture is a family of procedures involving the stimulation of anatomical locations on or in the skin by a variety of techniques. The most common mechanism for acupuncture employs penetration of the skin by thin, metallic needles, which are manipulated manually or by electricalstimulation.

Electro-acupuncture: A system whereby a minimal electric current is sent to certain meridian points. This can be done with or without needles.

Elements: The Chinese belief that everything around us comes in five elements. These elements are fire, water, metal, earth, and wood. The body’s meridians are organized in such a way to reflect this. These meridians are said to be part ofthe system of subtle energy that the acupuncturist must tap to treat their patient.
Qi (“Chee”): The belief in Qi deals with the flow of energy that, when balanced properly, keeps the body healthy.

Meridians: There are pathways in the body through which energy flows and Qi passes through. It is in these places that acupuncture points are found. The meridian has several systems and each is namedbased on the organ of the body with which they attach. While one system may be called the heart meridian, another may be called the liver meridian. Each meridian has a number of acupuncture points that are recognized by acupuncturists and commonly used for treatment.

Yin & Yang
: Yin and Yang are conflicting powers within the body. Yang stands for dryness, the male essence and water. Yinis the female side, it represents water and darkness. A person is only well when these forces are balanced inside the body. A lack of balance between these two forces can result in illness. The only way to balance the body’s Qi is through acupuncture.

What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is one of the oldest and most commonly used medical procedures in the world. Acupuncture has been used in Chinafor thousands of years, but it was not until 1971 that its practice found its way into the United States. The term acupuncture describes a family of procedures that stimulate specific anatomical points on the body using multiple techniques. The most frequently used method of acupuncture involves penetrating the skin with thin, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electricalstimulation.
Acupuncture History
Traditional Chinese medicine has a long and rich history and acupuncture has been used for more than 5,000,000 years to treat patients for a variety of ailments. Though many experts may argue about the exact origins of acupuncture, one story recounts it like this: a Chinese soldier who was wounded in battle suffered from a stiff, “frozen” shoulder. For years thesoldier sought medical treatment for the pain and stiffness in his shoulder, but could never find relief. Later on he was in another battle during which an arrow pierced his lower leg. Amazingly the stiffness in his shoulder was relieved by the injury. Upon learning of the soldier’s relief the doctor tried the same technique on another patient who had long been dealing with a stiff shoulder and itworked. Modern acupuncture techniques have evolved. Instead of arrows, practitioners now use fine, metal needles and rely on years of training when treating their patients.
How Acupuncture Works
Acupuncture is based on the idea that there are 12 main channels of energy, each pertaining to a different organ system, running through the body in order to keep it functioning. This can best be explainedin Western terms by Einstein’s theory E=MC2, which states that everything that has mass has energy. When there are blockages in these channels, pain, sickness and organ pathology are the results. By inserting a thin, sterile metal needle, the best conductor of energy on the planet, acupuncture is able to redirect this energy allowing it to flow freely through the channels. This creates a...