Acupuncture and How It Works
Acupuncture has been around for the past 5,000 years. It has helped millions of people move from a place of pain and discomfort to a place of health and well-being, something we are all looking for. Thousands of years ago, practitioners of Chinese medicine mapped out a series of pathways within the body called meridians. All of these lines are your meridian pathways, which travel throughout your entire body on the front and back, connecting every organ and gland. Each meridian have acupuncture points that have certain effects upon the body and mind when stimulated. Together, these pathways points and your organs form what we call the Meridian and Organ network. Within the Meridian and Organ network flows the essential energy called Qi. Qi is the "spark of energy that animates and brings life to the body. Meridians are like rivers inside the body. Wherever a river flows, it carries water that provides nourishment and life. Similarly, meridians are the rivers where Qi flows inside of us. Qi is a substance that flows through meridians as an invisible current providing energy, nourishment, and support for every cell, tissue, muscle, organ, and gland.
Stresses of Daily Life can Affect the Quality and Flow of Qi
Different stresses affect meridians and organs in different ways, disrupting or blocking Qi flow. This blockage can manifest into various signs and symptoms. Over time, the body as a whole becomes weakened, and its self-healing abilities compromised. Eventually, it becomes susceptible to pain, disease, and ill-health. Some stresses that may affect the quality and flow of Qi are:
- pollution
- trauma
- accidents
- strain
- poor diet
- surgery
- bad habits
Patient Diagnosis
Acupuncturists develop diagnostic skills to evaluate the quality, quantity, and balance of Qi flow within the body. Diagnosis involves four main techniques:
- Pulse diagnosis - Over 26 subtle variations in the quality of the pulse are felt at six different positions on the wrist.
- Looking - A person's appearance, demeanor and tone of voice, as well as the color, shape and size of the tongue, provide an acupuncturist with vital clues about the internal health.
- Asking - By asking questions, information is gathered about past medical history, present health, lifestyle and emotional state.
- Physical Examination - Palpation to specific areas and acupuncture points can reveal imbalances.
Treatment Methods to Restore and Maintain Health
Services/Products |
Features |
Benefits |
ACUPUNCTURE CARE |
Acupuncture |
- Tiny, individually, wrapped, , sterile, disposable, one time use needles
- Gentle
- Safe, natural, drug-free and effective
|
- Activate the natural, self-healing abilities of the body
- Strengthen and support the body to prevent future illness and diseases
- Relieves pain
- Stimulates circulation
- Restores balance to the flow of “Qi”
|
Manual Manipulations |
Gua Sha |
- Gentle scraping or scrubbing of skin/ soft tissues using a Gua Sha tool
|
- Increases the circulation of Qi and blood
- Relaxes stiff, tense, over-used, knotted, and spasmodic muscles
|
Acupressure/ Tui-Na |
- Massage technique which stimulates the Meridians
|
- Facilitates the flow of Qi
- Increases the circulation of Qi and blood
- Relaxes stiff, tense, over-used, knotted, and spasmodic muscles
|
Cupping |
- Uses glass cups to create a vacuum on the surface of skin
|
- Increases warmth
- Increases the circulation of Qi and blood
- Relaxes stiff, tense, over-used, knotted, and spasmodic muscles
|
Moxibustion |
- Dried mugwort leaf, rolled into a stick
- Gives off a very pleasant aroma
|
- Stimulates and warm the Meridians
- Increases the circulation of Qi and blood
|
Electro-acupuncture |
- Acupuncture point stimulation using a safe, gentle, pulsating electrical current to the acupuncture needles as means of stimulating the acupoints
|
- Helps assure patient gets the amount of stimulation needed
- Promote the flow of Qi and blood hence reducing pain
- Reduce muscle spasm
- Effective in helping with paralysis and neurological diseases
|
Oriental Herbal Medicine |
- Chinese herbal medicine draws from a pharmacopoeia of thousands of herbs for specific conditions
- Individualized according to conditions
- Gentler and safer because it is made of natural herbs
- Rare side effects
|
- Helps restore and maintain daily life health by keeping the balance of human body
- Increases healing potentials with combination of acupuncture
|
Common Problems Treated
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), acupuncture has proven effective in the treatment of many common problems.
- Addictions
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Colitis
- Common Cold
- Constipation
- Dental pain
- Depression
- Digestive Problems
- Eye Problems
- Dizziness
- Dysentery
- Emotional Problems
- Eye Problems
- Facial Palsy / Tics
|
- Fatigue
- Fertility
- Fibromyalgia
- Gingivitis
- Headache
- Hiccup
- Incontinence
- Indigestion
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Menopause
- Menstrual Irregularities/Pain
- Migraine
- Morning Sickness
- Nausea
- Osteoarthritis
- Pain
- PMS
|
- Pneumonia
- Reproductive Problems
- Rhinitis
- Sciatica
- Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Shoulder Pain
- Sinusitis
- Sleep Disturbances
- Smoking Cessation
- Sore Throat
- Stress
- Tennis Elbow
- Tonsilitis
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Urinary Tract Infections
- Vomiting
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