The Invisible Network of Energy

There is an intricate, invisible network that runs through our body. Through it, life-enhancing energy or qi travels, nourishing our organs, our brains, our tissues, our skin, eyes, in fact, our entire being. The qi channels are called meridians. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there are 12 major pathways and 8 randomly spaced ones in our bodies, each of it travels through a major organ.

When qi is blocked or imbalanced somewhere in the body, it leads to pain, dysfunction or loss of function and disease. You may be familiar with the practice of linking external points on your body with internal organs – for example, the points on either side of your nose are linked to your lungs. The needles used in acupuncture stimulate certain crucial points (known as pressure points) to open up qi blockages which may exist and to encourage blood flow. If you think of the energetic network as a transportation system, each pressure point can be thought of as a switch that controls the flow of qi.

The selected points correspond to the meridians that divide the body-12 main, bilateral meridians and eight randomly spaced ones. The acupuncturist is rigorously trained to select the right needles for the right points so that energy flows through to allow the body’s own natural healing to take place.

Acupuncture is a 3,000 years old practice and works on the principle of balancing yin and yang. Yin is the feminine, calm cooling and grounded quality in each of us. Yang energy is energetic, masculine, fiery and motivated and is the counterweight. Yin and yang are useless without each operating at peak efficiency, and in optimal health, they work together to promote the proper flowing of qi.

In our modern stress-filled lives, qi blockage happens easily. Stress, frustration and anger, external injuries from a fall or accident or even a cold will disrupt the energy flow if not well treated. Leading a sedentary life without exercise or poorly maintaining your body decreases qi flow.

Benefits of Acupuncture

Acupuncture re-energizes the body.It boosts the immune system, revitalizes the nervous system, restores muscle tone, rebalances hormone levels and stimulates the production of anti-bodies. It supports the digestive system so that your body fully absorbs the nutrients from food and discharges what it does not need, and ensures that the internal organs are operating efficiently. Basically, it gets your body functioning optimally, as it was designed to do.

Acupuncture can be relied on as a form of preventative or wellness therapy. But it also yields results in treating illnesses, either in combination with other medical treatments or on its own. For example, acupuncture helps to normalize high blood pressure or aids couples with infertility problems to successfully conceive. Cosmetic acupuncture is used as an anti-aging therapy. Needles inserted on the face will stimulate blood flow and restore collagen to pump up the face and remove fine and deep lines.

Acupuncture and Herbs

TCM works on the principle of balancing yin-yang energies. If there is an excess or a deficiency, it is not just the body which suffers. Emotions are affected as well. For example, after a period of concentrated stress, do you find yourself short-tempered and less tolerant? Of if you are too sluggish, do you find yourself lacking in motivation and energy to accomplish what you need to do? An acupuncturist will sometimes recommend herbal remedies to supplement the benefits gained from acupuncture. These herbs work at the deepest cellular level, to repair your body’s foundation with beneficial, long-lasting effects.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has given acupuncture a seal of approval for more than forty medical problems. The following are just a handful of examples:

• Arthritis, pain in the neck or shoulders, neuralgia or muscle weakness due to motor nerve damage, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia.
• Depression, anxiety, stress
• Hypertension, chronic fatigue, angina pectoris, arteriosclerosis, anemia, osteoarthritis
• Addictive disorders such as alcoholism, smoking and drug addictions
• Allergies, sinusitis, allergies, bronchitis, asthma, emphysema
• Food allergies, ulcers, chronic diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, intestinal weakness, anorexia, gastritis(Reference: http://www.iama.edu/OtherArticles/acupuncture_WHO_full_report.pdf)

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is an ancient non-invasive method of restoring energy, balance and healing through inserting very fine needles at designated points on the body. The needles inserted are manipulated either by the hand or by electrical stimulation, called electroacupuncture. As a treatment, it is used for a wide variety of physical and emotional disorders and can be used on its own or to support other medical treatments. A TCM practitioner may combine acupuncture with other TCM modalities such as Chinese herbal medicine, Tui Na massage or cupping.

2. How does it work?

Energy runs through the body through an invisible and extensive network called meridians. When there is a blockage in any of these channels, it prevents the free-flowing energy from reaching other areas or organs. Stimulating the precise acupoints with very fine needles removes the blockages and restores the qi flow.

3. Is it safe? Does it hurt? Are there side effects?

Needles inserted during an acupuncture treatment should be painless. Patients’ experience might be different. Generally,these symptoms may be expected (minimal bleeding) and desired (tingle, tight sensation – “de qi response”). Patients should inform the practitioner if any discomfort arises. There are some minor risks associated with acupuncture treatment, including, but not limited to some slight bruising of the skin and/or slight bleeding, and some pain at the site of the needle insertion, dizziness or fainting. These events are unusual and of short duration. You are supposed to inform your Acupuncturist if you have any condition and/or take medication that interferes with blood clotting. You must notify your Acupuncturist if you have a pacemaker as electrical stimulation is contraindicated.

4. Is there a risk of infection?

Acupuncture needles are sterile, designed for single-use only, and disposed of as surgical instruments. Needles come in varying diameters.Most of them are very fine and flexible. With professional treatments in compliance with hygiene routines and procedures,the risk of infection is minimum.

5. Is it really effective?

Acupuncture has been used in the healing tradition in China for several thousand years. It is currently widely practiced across the globe, and is increasingly used in the USA and Canada as a non-invasive, alternative form of healing.

6. How often do I need acupuncture?

This varies with the individual and is dependent on whether the patient has an acute condition such as an accident injury, a chronic problem or is being treated for wellness. Frequency varies from one or two times a week for several months to a few times a year for a physical tune-up. For cosmetic acupuncture, we recommend twice weekly for two weeks, with a follow-up of weekly treatments for six weeks. After that, maintenance sessions are only required once every couple of months, or the entire cycle can be repeated within a half year.

7. How should I dress for an acupuncture session?

Needles can be inserted anywhere on the body, the back, front, abdomen, hands, feet or the head. Dress in loose comfortable clothes to provide easy access to the required acupoints.