What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a natural, safe, and effective way to treat illnesses.

It is natural because no synthetic drugs are used and it is not invasive surgery.

It is safe because we use very fine needles, nothing like the injection needles or blood-drawing needles you see at the western medical clinics. The needles are sterile, single-use, and disposable, and are used to gently puncture the skin at very specific points on the body.

It is effective because acupuncture deals with the underlying energetics of the body discovered by the Chinese thousands of years ago; whereas until recent years, western medicine only focused on the matters in the body, things that can be touched or seen under the microscope. By rebalancing the landscape of the body’s energetics, acupuncture promotes an environment within the body where our own immune system is at its best to do the healing. When that happens, you will have optimal health without relying on pills and shots.

How Does Acupuncture Work?

Modern Western medicine cannot satisfactorily explain how acupuncture works. Traditionally, acupuncture is based on ancient Chinese Medicine theories of the flow of Qi (energy) and Xue (blood) through distinct channels or pathways that cover the body somewhat like the nerves and blood vessels do. According to ancient theory, acupuncture allows Qi to flow to areas where it is Deficient and away from where it is Excess. In this way, acupuncture regulates and restores the harmonious energetic balance of the body. In Chinese there is a saying: “If Qi flows freely, there is no pain. If there is pain, it is because Qi is not flowing freely.”

Most patients will feel better after treatment whereas a few may feel worse. The stimulation of the body’s energy due to the treatment may bring out new sensitivities in a body that has been dulled by chronic illness. The patient may temporarily feel worse, or re-experience symptoms from the past. This may indicate that the course of the illness is being reversed.

Is Acupuncture Painful?

If your practitioner has obtained the correct stimulus of the needle, the patient should feel some cramping, heaviness, distention, tingling, or electric sensation either around the needle or traveling up or down along the affected energy pathway. Some Western cultures may categorize these sensations as types of pain. Very often, it is compared to a mosquito bite. If you experience any discomfort, it is usually mild. In fact, most patients find acupuncture so relaxing that they drift pleasantly into sleep during their treatment.