What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a system of healing, which dates back thousands of years.  It is based on the philosophy that a type of life force, or energy, known as qi (“chee”) flows through energy pathways within the body called meridians.  Each meridian corresponds to one or more organ(s) that govern particular bodily functions.  Achieving the proper flow of qi is thought to create health and wellness.  Qi maintains the dynamic balance of yin and yang, which are complementary opposites.  According to TCM, everything in nature has both yin and yang.  An imbalance of this vital energy (either too much, too little, or blocked flow) may cause dis-ease within the body.  To restore balance to the qi, an acupuncturist inserts needles at points along the meridians.  These acupuncture points are places where the energy pathway is close to the surface of the skin.

What is the history of acupuncture?

“The earliest recorded use of acupuncture dates from 200 BC.  Knowledge of acupuncture spread from China along Arab trade routes towards the West.  However, up until the early 1970s, most Americans had never heard of acupuncture.

The effects of acupuncture are complex.  Research suggests that the techniques used in acupuncture may produce a variety of effects in the body and the brain.  The stimulated nerve fibers transmit signals to the spinal cord and brain activating the body’s central nervous system. The spinal cord and brain then release hormones responsible for making us feel less pain while improving overall health.  In fact, a study using images of the brain confirmed that acupuncture increases our pain threshold, which may explain why it produces long-term pain relief. Acupuncture can also increase blood circulation and body temperature, affect white blood cell activity (responsible for our immune function), reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and regulate blood sugar levels.

Are there different styles of acupuncture?

There are several different approaches to acupuncture.  There are needling and non-needling techniques.  The needling technique is performed by inserting thin needles into specific body points to improve health and well-being.  Non-needling acupuncture is performed by using a teishein to manually stimulate the acupuncture points or by using  acupatches or ear beads).
Auricular acupuncture -- this technique is widely used in treating addiction disorders. It is based on the idea that the ear is a reflection of the body and that applying acupuncture needles to certain points on the ear affects corresponding organs.
Myofascially-based acupuncture -- involves feeling the meridian lines in search of tender points, then applying needles. Tender points indicate areas of abnormal energy flow.

How many treatments do I need?

The number of acupuncture treatments you need depends on the complexity of your condition, whether it's a chronic or recent condition, and your general health.  For example, you may only need a couple of treatments for a recent wrist sprain, while a long-standing, chronic illness may require treatments once or twice a week for several months to achieve good results.

What is acupuncture good for?

Acupuncture is particularly effective for pain relief; however, there is a wide range of conditions that can be treated successfully with acupuncture.  Among the list you will find sports related injuries, sprains, strains, whiplash, neck pain, low back pain, sciatica, nerve pain due to compression, overuse syndromes such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow, allergies, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), infertility, insomnia, depression, anxiety, smoking cessation and weight loss.  Both the World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health recognize that acupuncture can be a helpful part of a treatment plan for many illnesses.