I get asked this question a lot. Acupuncture helps stimulate the body’s own healing response by increasing blood circulation and reducing pain and inflammation. The body recognizes the needle as ‘foreign’ and this stimulates the body’s immune system to start the healing process. It is based on the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the concept of balancing the flow of energy through the meridians in the body. In TCM, meridians are defined as pathways that flow between the organs and the surface of the body. They often correlate with the circulatory and nervous system in western medicine. In a healthy body energy flows smoothly; in an unhealthy or injured body the energy becomes blocked or stagnant. Acupuncture helps to move the blocked energy and return the body to a state of balance.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has been around for thousands of years and was developed long before there was such technology as blood tests, x-rays and MRI. Diagnosis was based on careful observation and gathering of information. In addition to asking a series of questions to determine a person’s root imbalance, an assessment involves observation of the complexion, color of the tongue and the strength and rate of the pulse. The tongue is a sensitive tissue and will respond to subtle changes occurring inside the body. The strength of the pulse reflects the overall energy and vitality in the body.
The greatest strength of Traditional Chinese Medicine is prevention. Just as taking your car for regular oil changes prolongs its life; balancing the body will improve your health and quality of life. Acupuncture can treat many conditions and alleviate many symptoms, often ones you didn’t even come in for in the first place. For example, you may come in for back pain, but notice that you feel more energetic and less tired after a few treatments. This is because acupuncture helps to correct imbalances in the body that may be contributing to your pain or illness.
What does it treat?
People are often surprised to learn that acupuncture can treat more than just back pain and soft tissue injuries. It can also treat conditions that are more systemic such as chronic fatigue, insomnia, stress, anxiety, depression, premenstrual symptoms and colitis. Below are some of the conditions we often see people for:
Acute/chronic pain
Sciatica
Neck pain
Back pain
Knee pain
Arthritis
Tennis elbow
Frozen shoulder
TMJ
Tendonitis
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Anxiety, Depression, Stress
Insomnia
Low energy, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Headache, Migraine
Dizziness, Tinnitis, Vertigo, Meniere’s Disease
Menstrual irregularity, Amenorrhea (no period), Dysmenorrhea (painful periods)
Endometriosis, PMS, Menopausal syndrome
Infertility
Sinusitis
Nausea
Constipation, Diarrhea, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Gastritis, Colitis
Until next time…think Vitality!