- How does Acupuncture Work ... ?
- What do the needles look like?, Are they safe ... ?
- What happens during Acupuncture treatment... ?
- What is the relationship between Acupuncture and
conventional medical care?
- Why do people try Acupuncture... ?
- Do i have to believe in Acupuncture for it to work... ?
Acupuncture is based on the movement of Qi (pronounced « Chee »).
Qi is the life-giving energy that circulates along channels to all organs of the
body and enables them to function. Qi is what animates you., gives you vitality
and shows as a sparkles in your eyes. When Qi in the body is abundant and
flowing freely, you thrive. If your Qi is depleted or obstructed, symptoms ( the
body’s distress signals warning that there is a problem) begin to arise. If the
underlying problem is not addressed, very likely sooner or later more serious
illnesses or disease affecting your physical body, your mental clarity, your
sense of joy in living, or your sense of purpose may show up.
Nature’s tendency is to self-correct imbalances in Qi and maintain homeostasis,
so we usually recover from most illness or emotional hurt in due course.
Symptoms that persist, however, alert us to an imbalance on a deeper level. The
acupuncturist looks to the underlying disharmony and focuses treatment on both
the root cause and the symptoms brought on by the imbalance.
There are approximately 720 points that acupuncturists use to influence the Qi.
This is done with the use of acupuncture needles, moxibustion (smouldered herbs
– artemesia vulgaris- over a point until patient feels a pleasant warming
sensation) and/or cupping.
Over time, acupuncture treatment rebalances the circulation of Qi to all the
organ systems. Acupuncture is completely free of side effects.
The needles used to stimulate acupuncture points are very slender, barely beyond
the thickness of several human hairs. The finest quality medical grade stainless
steel, pre-sterilized, single-use, disposable needles are only ever used in the
Oriental Medicine Clinic.
The sensation from the needle varies from person to person. You may feel nothing
at all, a quick pinch or perhaps a slight discharge or tingle.
During the initial visit, information about your medical and physical history,
life situation, likes and dislikes, as well as information from a brief physical
examination.
This is a time for your concerns to be heard and understood in the context of
your particular life situation. Acupuncture does not separate the mind and body,
and looks at everything about a person, including lifestyle and stresses as well
as symptoms. From this visit, your acupuncturist determines the underlying
energetic unbalancing your well-being.
This holistic evaluation is very important because even though two people may
suffer the same complaint, the energetic imbalance causing it is often
different, reflecting the unique circumstances of each individual.
At subsequent visits, brief update of your life situation, symptoms and bodily
systems is taken.
Ultimately, to maintain well-being, check-up at the change of seasons provides
an opportunity to correct minor imbalances. Frequency of treatment varies with
each person. In addition to treating their primary concern, people often report
side benefits such as increased energy and vitality, more restorative sleep,
healthier appetite, better handling of stressful situations, improved menstrual
cycles, an overall sense of well-being.
Acupuncture can be undertaken at the same time that other treatment modalities
and medications are being used. It is easily integrated into and used with
conventional medicine. We recommend not altering medication or other therapies
without consulting your physician or health provider.
While acupuncture is widely known to relieve pain, it is also helpful for many
conditions in which pain is not primary, including a wide variety of chronic
conditions. It can be used for almost any physical or emotional problem, or
simply the desire to stay well. People from all walks of life use acupuncture
for many different reasons. People who might particularly benefit include those
:
-
with chronic pain or other symptoms not responding to Western medical
treatments
-
who are taking a lot of medications and are reluctant to take more or
interested in cutting back, or concerned about drug interactions for whom
there are limited medical interventions as with acute viral infection,
nutritional and metabolic disorders, chronic degeneratives disease,
allergies and auto-immune diseases, arthritis, hypertension, psychosomatic
diseases, and certain mental condition such as depression or anxiety
-
who feel as if something is wrong even though test are inconclusive
-
whose symptoms seem to be associated with or worsen by stress (asthma,
migraine etc ..)
-
who would like additional support for their prescribed treatment to help
cope with side effects or to improve vitality
-
who are in basic good health and want to prevent illness.
Acupuncture has been used successfully to treat children and animals, neither of
whom have preconceived beliefs about the effectiveness of acupuncture. As with
any healing modality, be it traditional Western medicine or a complementary
system such as acupuncture, a positive mental outlook and lifestyle can
reinforce the effects of treatment, just as negative attitude or lifestyle can
hinder healing.
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