ACUPUNCTURE
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is among the best known of complementary and alternative therapies. It is a method that originated up to 5,000 years ago in China and is practiced in most of the world.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of small needles into the skin at very specific points located on the paths of meridians, also known as channels or vessels. It is the primary therapeutic method used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for the treatment of meridians. The meridians are organized into a circuit through which blood and Qi (chi) flow in variable proportions. Qi is a multipurpose principle having no analogue in modern scientific and biomedical terminology. The term is translated to mean vital energy or vital force. The acupuncture meridians form a network that is distributed throughout the entire body.
Key principles in TCM are that both wellness and illness result from an imbalance in yin and yang within the meridians. Each of these have different characteristics or attributes within TCM. Yin refers to the feminine aspect of life: nourishing, lower, cool, deficient, inside, receptive, protective, soft, yielding. Yang is the male counterpart: hard, dominant, energetic, upper, hot, excessive, outside, creative. The movement between these opposite forces is Qi, being the essential element in the healing system of TCM. The network of meridians interconnect and channel Qi throughout the body.
How Does Acupuncture Work?
Imbalances in the flow of Qi among the meridians, organs, and five elements is the cause of disease, pain, and susceptibility to illness. Balancing such factors as heat, cold, dampness, dryness, in both exterior and interior domains is achieved by using needles inserted at key points along the meridians. The concept of Qi is central to the core of acupuncture.
What is the Difference Between Dry Needling and Acupuncture
While both methods use similar, solid needles, they are entirely different practices. In dry needling, the needles are called "dry" because they do not contain or inject any medication or fluid. Dry Needling is based on modern Western medicine and anatomical/neurophysiological principles. It focuses strictly on targeting dysfunctional muscles and trigger points to relieve physical pain.
Acupuncture is rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is designed to balance the body's energy flow (Qi) to treat a wide variety of systemic ailments.
What are the Side Effects of Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is generally very safe when performed correctly. Side-effects are rare and mild, but can include mild soreness, bruising, dizziness, and fatigue.
What Conditions Respond Well to Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is thought to restore the normal flow of energy (Qi) in the body. In the modern era, acupuncture has been shown to have multiple effects on the central and peripheral nervous systems. Functional MRI has made is possible to study brain responses to acupuncture, showing a release of endogenous opioids, serotonin, and norepinephrine. It has been shown to have downstream effects on pain receptors, inflammatory cytokines, and other physiological mechanisms. It has been shown to decrease pain, change recovery, stimulate the immune system, and effect inflammation driven disease.
In short, acupuncture can benefit all injuries, conditions, pathologies, and diseases encountered by humans. It can function as an adjunct or primary treatment depending on the condition and patient preference.
Some conditions often treated are listed below:
Musculoskeletal pain
Headache
Vertigo
Migraine
Chronic fatigue
Insomnia
Anxiety
Depression
Infertility
Allergies
