How Acupuncture Works: Acupuncture and Qi (chee) Explained
If you were to ask someone on the street, "What is acupuncture?" most people would answer, "That's where they stick needles in different parts of the body to make you feel better." But if you were then to ask them, "How does it work?" more than likely their answer would be, "I don't know."
In order to explain how acupuncture works, I'll first need to explain to you a fundamental concept of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This fundamental concept is that of “qi” (pronounced chee). In traditional Chinese culture, everything is made of qi. You are made of qi, plants and animals are made of qi, and everything in nature is made of qi. In comparison to an idea you may already be familiar with, everything is made of atoms. You are made of atoms, plants and animals are made of atoms, and everything in nature is made of atoms. Everything is composed of different amounts, types and combinations of atoms that makes it unique. Similarly, there are different amounts, types and combinations of qi of which things in nature are composed.
The qi that we refer to in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine is basically the body's bio-energy. This bio-energy flows in pathways called meridians. You can think of the meridians as rivers and the qi in the meridians as water. Just as the water in a river affects the lands through which the river runs, the qi in the meridians affect the parts of the body that are connected to and surround the meridians. These meridians form a network that encompasses the entire body including the internal organs, spine and brain. The qi in the meridians is what your body uses to perform its functions. If there is something wrong with its qi, the body won't be able to perform its functions properly and illness and disease can occur.
From the viewpoint of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, all illnesses and diseases are caused by some type of imbalance of the body's bio-energy. Not only can a physical occurance, such as shoveling snow and hurting your back or injuring yourself while playing a sport, interfere with the body's qi functioning properly, but it can also be affected by "non-physical" things such as stress, emotional factors, lifestyle, anxiety and foods you eat. This is one fundamental reason that acupuncture works.
As a licensed health care professional, an acupuncturist first diagnoses the location of the problem with the qi and what has caused the problem. Then, depending on the diagnosis, the acupuncturist uses tiny, hair-thin needles to access and stimulate various acupoints on the body. Acupoints are “access areas” on the meridians where an acupuncturist can influence the body's qi. The location of the acupoints and how the acupoints are stimulated will change how the qi is flowing throughout the meridians. It is with this method that the acupuncturist can rebalance the qi of the body. This, in turn, allows the body to perform its functions correctly and healing can then take place while illness and disease leave the body.
Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine is a time-proven, effective and safe way to treat many conditions and diseases such as:
Musculoskeletal
conditions
(including back
pain, neck pain, tendonitis and arthritis)
Headaches
and Migraines
Stress
Colds
and Flu
Allergies
Gastrointestinal
conditions
Gynecological
conditions
(including PMS,
painful menstruation, irregular
menstruation,
and menopausal symptoms)
Anxiety
and Depression
Fatigue
Post-stroke
conditions
Asthma
Repetitive
strain injuries
Acute
injuries such as sprains
(If you don't see your condition, please call or email to ask about it.)