Acupuncture is the process by which thin sterile needles are placed on specific points of the body to stimulate the body's ability to heal itself.
It is said to have originated around 100 BC in China, although some sources say it might be older than that.
Acupuncture is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a holistic and complete system of medicine that incorporates the mental, emotional, spiritual & physical health of a person, as well as how they relate to their environment. A basic principle of this medicine is that everything is related to everything else.
The oldest written documentation of TCM is called the Huang Di Nei Jing or the Yellow Emperor’s Classic, which dates back 2000 years. This is the first text to describe the natural effects of diet, lifestyle, emotions, environment and age on a person’s health and as causes of disease.
TCM places a lot of emphasis on the prevention of disease and maintenance of health, from which the 8 limbs of Chinese Medicine were created. Health is regarded as a dynamic state of balance, which your body can return to if given the right tools.
How does it work?
Acupuncture points are located on the meridians of the body. Each meridian has a defined pathway and is associated with specific organs and mechanisms.Stimulating these points stimulate their associated healing functions to promote health. Stimulating these points remind your body how to heal.
The mechanisms behind how acupuncture works through a Western Medical lens have been researched for over 60 years. Acupuncture points stimulate sensory nerve pathways, and involve numerous biochemicals including opioid & non-opioids, and neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and many more. It achieves its vast array of clinical effects through a biochemical neurotransmitting system which is involved in the regulation of all tissues and organ systems.
In addition to these actions, acupuncture affects the central nervous system by stimulating muscle relaxation, decreasing limbic activity associated with stress and illness, regulating hormones and modulating the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for rest, relaxation, digestion & tissue healing.
You can read more about the mechanisms by which acupuncture works at evidencebasedacupuncture.org
What does it Treat?
The short answer: everything.
- Mental-emotional
- Respiratory
- Disorders of the eye & mouth
- Gastrointestinal
- Neurological
- Musculoskeletal
- Gynecological
