Acupuncture In Nutshell

Acupuncture has helped millions of people over the past 5,000 years. Acupuncture care helps to relieve symptoms and signs of many health problems. It can also uncover the underlying root cause(s) of those symptoms.
This dynamic and integrated health care system aims to activate the natural, self-healing abilities of the body. It can also strengthen and support the body to prevent future illness and disease.
Acupuncture is quick, natural, drug-free and effective, and the way to get well and stay healthy.
Here’s how it works.

Because inside of you is an intelligent, energetic system that maintains health and balance.

Einstein showed us that everything is made of and radiates energy. This subtle form of energy supports, shapes and enlivens our physical body and activates our lives.
For the past 5,000 years, practitioners of acupuncture have called this intellectual energy Qi (pronounced “chee”).
Numerous cultures have described this energy and called it by many names: prana, baraka, pneuma, spirit, wakan, material force, vital force, orgone, ether and ruach.
– Ted Kaptchuck, The Web That Has No Weaver

Qi is the vital energy in all living things, from the tallest tree to the smallest cell.
Qi provides the power to accomplish everyday activities. It is necessary for growth, development, movement, body temperature maintenance, protection against illness and disease, and overall body regulation. Our health influenced by the quality, quantity and balance of Qi.
Ancient practitioners said, “When Qi gathers, the physical body formed; when Qi disperses, the body passes on.”
– Giovanni Maciocia, The Foundations of Chinese Medicine

Meridians are like rivers inside the body.
Wherever a river flows, it carries water that provides nourishment and sustenance for life on our planet.
Similarly, meridians are the rivers where Qi flows inside of us.
Qi flows through meridians as an invisible current, energising, nourishing and supporting every cell, tissue, muscle, organ and gland.

Health is wholeness and balance.
Health is an inner resiliency that allows you to meet the demands of life. When in a state of health, it helps you thrive in the face of environmental, physical, emotional and mental stress.
When Qi is balanced and flowing freely, the body’s natural self-healing abilities are activated, enabling internal stability and harmony to occur. The body will flourish, and stable health and well-being are achievable.
– A classic text, Nan-Ching, 5th century B.C.
-Daniel Reid, Guarding the Three Treasures

The stresses of daily life affect the quality and flow of Qi.
Different stresses affect meridians and organs in different ways, disrupting or blocking Qi flow.
If a garden hose is blocked, it can not provide an adequate water supply to a plant. Eventually, the plant will be unable to thrive, grow and blossom.
Likewise, a blockage in the meridians will restrict Qi’s supply to nourish and support the cells, tissues, muscles, organs and glands.
This blockage can manifest into various signs and symptoms and, over time, the body as a whole becomes weakened. Because of this, its self-healing abilities compromised. Eventually, it becomes susceptible to pain, disease and ill-health.
An acupuncturist views each as a dynamic, integrated whole, observing how signs and symptoms weave together to understand a person’s health’s underlying, energetic profile.

An acupuncturist develops keen diagnostic skills to adequately evaluate the quality, quantity and balance of Qi flowing within the body.
Diagnosis may involve four main techniques:
Pulse diagnosis – Over 26 subtle variations in the pulse’s quality tat six different positions on each wrist.
Looking – A person’s appearance, demeanour and tone of voice, as well as the colour, shape and size of the tongue, provide an acupuncturist with vital clues about internal health.
Asking – By asking questions, information gathered about past medical history, current health, lifestyle and emotional state aids in further insight into the condition.
Physical examination – Palpation to specific areas and acupuncture points can reveal imbalances.
Once the problem affecting Qi’s flow has been detected and corrected, the creative, energetic, self-healing powers within the body begin restoring health and balance to our lives.

Acupuncturists use various treatment methods to restore and maintain health.
Acupuncture is a therapy that inserts tiny, disposable, sterile needles gently into specific acupuncture points to stimulate the Qi circulation.
Herbs – Chinese herbal medicine draws from a pharmacopoeia of thousands of herbs for particular conditions.
Moxibustion – The dried leaf of mugwort is rolled into a stick or placed on the end of needles, then burned as a warming therapy during treatment.
Oriental nutrition – Specific foods which to strengthen, rebuild and balance the body.
Qi Gong – Specific movements and breathing exercises used to improve health and vitality.
Electro-acupuncture – Using a quick, gentle, electrical current to stimulate meridian points.
Acupressure/Tuina – Is a Chinese-style therapeutic massage technique that stimulates the meridians, facilitating Qi’s flow.
Gua Sha – A gentle scraping of the skin surface using a Gua Sha tool to increase Qi and blood circulation.
Cupping – Using glass or bamboo cups to create a vacuum to increase warmth and circulation.
Tai Chi – Movement exercises that help develop harmony and balance and promote maximum health.

Acupuncturists have experienced clinical success with a variety of health concerns.
Today, acupuncture is receiving full acceptance as a respected, valid and useful form of health care.
When most people think about acupuncture, they are familiar with its use for pain control. But it has a proven track record of treating and addressing a variety of endocrine, circulatory and systemic conditions.
Acupuncture and modern medicine, when used together, have the potential to support, strengthen and nurture the body towards health and well-being.
For the western mind, we seek explanations for how and why things work. Over the last few decades, researchers have been trying to explain how acupuncture works.

Acupuncture is quick, natural, drug-free and effective. Here are a few studies:
Cancer – Evidence suggests that traditional Chinese medicine’s holistic approach is useful in cancer patients’ supportive care.
Fibromyalgia – A study conducted showed that acupuncture, when added to conventional fibromyalgia treatments, reduces pain and improves a patient’s life quality.
Headaches – Acupuncture produces better relief from migraines and muscle tension headaches than standard drug therapies.
Depression – Electro-acupuncture can have the same therapeutic results as drugs, but with fewer side effects and better symptomatic improvement.
Morning Sickness – A study suggests that acupressure effectively controlled nausea and vomiting symptoms without adverse side effects.
Asthma – Acupuncture and conventional care work together, patients’ who had bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive asthma showed improvements.
Osteoarthritis – produces significant pain relief and improved function in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.
Fertility – Improves the chances of becoming pregnant when used with other reproductive techniques.

Neurotransmitter Theory – It believes that acupuncture stimulates the release of specific neurotransmitters that affect the immune system function.
Autonomic Nervous System Theory – This theory believes that acupuncture stimulates the release of opioids like substance. Through such mechanisms, the treatment affects changes in the autonomic nervous system and reduces pain.
Gate Control Theory – Acupuncture activates specific receptors that inhibit the transmission of painful stimuli.
Vascular-Interstitial Theory – Acupuncture affects the body’s electrical system by allowing the transfer of material and electrical energy between healthy and injured tissues, aiding healing.
Blood Chemistry Theory – Acupuncture can both raise and diminish peripheral blood components, thereby regulating the body toward homoeostasis.

The simple answer to this question is yes! Billions of people have used it for well over 2500 years to help get well and stay healthy, all without drugs and surgery. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also approved acupuncture needles for licensed practitioners in 1996. The FDA further requires acupuncturists to follow strict quickty guidelines and use only sterile, nontoxic needles labelled for single use.
Naturally, people associate needle pain with their experience. These needles are tiny, thin and flexible, about the size of a cat’s whisker. Once the needles put into the acupuncture points, some patients may experience mild tingling or a sensation of fullness, along with an increased sense of relaxation. These are all quite normal and suggest that the treatment is working.
Each patient is different. The treatment plan’s initial phase is usually between 4-10 visits. In contrast, the length of treatment depends on how long the condition has been present and how quickly the patient responds to treatment. You will often see a quicker improvement for those new disorders. At the same time, conditions that have been lingering a while tend to react slower.