Acupuncture can seem far fetched to most people. The idea of sticking needles into the body, no matter how tiny and pain free they may be, can seem scary and useless. How can acupuncture help, you may ask? Here’s a brief explanation from both a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective and from recent Western Medical research.

The body has hundreds of acupuncture points throughout the body. Each individual point has a specific action. When used with other points, those combinations become more specific and stronger. The individualization with treatments is beneficial for the patient. Acupuncture treatments meet the patient and their symptoms where they are, catered for you.

When patients come in there are many areas that Traditional Chinese Medicine evaluates. First is the quality of the symptom. For pain, questions may look like: Is it acute or chronic? Does it feel sharp, dull, tense or burning? What makes it worse (weather systems or seasons)? Some pain reacts better to heat than cold. Some better with movement over rest. The nuances of pain are many. In Chinese Medicine, these small or large differences in symptoms can mean one point or treatment over another.

Symptoms are a sign that the body is responding to some change, whether from the outside or inside. Acupuncture uses your own body to support healing and pain relief. Channels run throughout your body similar to the way blood vessels do. When there is an obstruction within a channel, symptoms show up. By using points along the channel, acupuncture promotes an equal distribution of energy decreasing symptoms.

From the Western perspective,  research has shown that acupuncture promotes the release of opioid peptides by stimulating the central nervous system. The release of opioid peptides facilitates the decrease of pain. Other research has shown that acupuncture can alter the release of neurotransmitters which can increase or decrease nerve impulses.

After treatments, some people note that they sleep really well. Research has shown the pituitary and hypothalamus are stimulated by acupuncture. In turn, the systems that the pituitary and hypothalamus control are also affected.  How does that affect you? Better sleep, appetite control and much, much more!

Then there is the evidence showing acupuncture points as conductors of electromagnetic signals. Although it seems difficult to understand, acupuncture points are not randomly placed throughout the body. There location is important to trigger electromagnetic signals which can release endorphins (pain relievers) as well as immune system cells.

The important take away is that your body is in a constant balancing act. Healthy, it succeeds in running smoothly and allowing for you to feel well. When things are off balanced, symptoms pop up and you feel sick or in pain.  Acupuncture is a technique that supports the balance within your body and is without side effects. It stimulates your own body to health. Whether it is pain, chronic illness or stress acupuncture has many uses. Even if you are feeling healthy, acupuncture is a preventative tool for a healthy you. Try it out and see how you feel!

Remember to ask about the 3 treatment packages for $180 to end your year on a healthy note!

Check out the following for more information:

Click to access 132.pdf

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/complementary_and_alternative_medicine/acupuncture_85,P00171/