Acupuncture Basics
Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) dating back to the Han Dynasty in the 2nd century BC[1]. Based on the belief that the body is an interconnected being, where what happens in one part of the body affects other areas. Practitioners of TCM have known for thousands of years what western medicine has only relatively recently discovered, that organ systems are all connected and work together to make your body function.
The benefits of Acupuncture have been proven in multiple scientific, peer reviewed studies. A comprehensive meta-analysis on the benefits of acupuncture has shown that acupuncture has measurable benefits for minimizing physical pain that cannot be explained by placebo affects[2]. This study specifically examined the effects of acupuncture on chronic headaches, back, neck, and shoulder pain, and osteoarthritis and found that acupuncture helped reduce pain for participants. Acupuncture has also had proven effects on the mind. A study done by Dr. Ji-Sheng Han, the Director of the Neuroscience Research Institute at Beijing University, found that acupuncture has a measurable effect on the release of endorphins, which can help both your physical and mental health[3].
How does acupuncture achieve these results? Acupuncture is based on a belief in qi (chi), which is an energy responsible for controlling your mind and body. Stress, injury, and illness can unbalance your qi, and acupuncture can help re-balance it by restoring qi’s flow through your body’s meridians. Meridians are the pathways through which your qi flows. The 12 primary meridians correspond with specific organs and organ systems in your body. By targeting key acupuncture points, we are able to restore the flow of qi through your organ systems to help heal your body and mind.
[1] David Ramey and Paul D Buell, “A True History of Acupuncture,” Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies 9, no. 4 (December 2004): 269–73, https://doi.org/10.1211/fact.2004.00244.
[2] Andrew J. Vickers et al., “Acupuncture for Chronic Pain: Update of an Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis,” The Journal of Pain 19, no. 5 (May 2018): 455–74, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2017.11.005.
[3] Ji-Sheng Han, “Acupuncture and Endorphins,” Neuroscience Letters 361, no. 1–3 (May 2004): 258–61, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2003.12.019.
