What is Acupuncture?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Acupuncture is an ancient Asian treatment modality, tracing back to over 3000 years ago, that utilizes Blood movement and Qi energy to help balance the body and alleviate pain.

Similar to how blood travels through the body via blood vessels, Qi energy travels throughout the body via meridian paths. There are 12 meridian paths that transverse the energy from one meridian path to the other.

Acupuncture points are defined as locations along each meridian pathway that are sensitive to bio-electrical impulses in the body. By utilizing these locations, Acupuncture can stimulate the nervous system, promote blood circulation, and release tense muscle, all of which promotes the innate healing response of the body.

Generally when pain arises within the body it is typically due to a blockage or ‘stagnation’ of Qi energy and Blood in the body; this could be due to physical trauma, over-use, overworked, poor posture, stress, etc. The body creates the pain signal as a notification that something is not right and requires assistance.

The use of very thin filiform needles at acupuncture points encourages the movement of Qi and Blood throughout the body which allows it to function more efficiently.

To visualize this, imagine a traffic jam on a busy road; this traffic jam can be due to a number of reasons (construction, accident, congestion); these road issues co-relate to physical issues of the body such as over-use, accident, improper posture. Acupuncture points along meridian lines represent traffic lights on the road; therefore, by placing needles at specific points it’s like turning all the green lights on allowing traffic to move, promoting the free flow of Qi and Blood which removes congestion and alleviates pain.

Please note that this is a very general concept of pain and does not represent all situations and reasons as to how or why pain occurs.

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