What
is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a complete
health care system, which is used to diagnose and treat disease, prevent illness
and improve well being. It can be effective for physical, psychological and
emotional problems. Acupuncture originated in China more than 5,000 years ago
and due to its proven effectiveness has been embraced throughout the
world
How does Acupuncture
work?
The life force (or Qi, pronounced chee) is the vital energy which keeps the body, mind and spirit alive and functioning properly. Qi flows throughout the body, and so, the body has the innate knowledge to repair itself should any damage or disease occur. Disease manifests when Qi becomes weakened or out of balance. The ancient masters traced the pathways Qi travels and located points where is communicates with the surface of the body. Modern science has been able to measure increased electrical charge at these points, corroborating the locations of energetic pathways or meridians. These points along the meridians are used for acupuncture and moxibustion therapy.
Does
Acupuncture primarily affect the nervous system to
relieve pain?
Since
1975, there has been considerable evidence that acupuncture stimulates the
nervous system to release enkephalins and endorphins, naturally occurring
analgesic substances which reduce the sensation of pain. This may explain why
acupuncture can be an effective analgesic for surgery. Some researchers have
attempted to establish that the material basis of acupuncture therapy is
primarily the nervous system. However, it should be understood that acupuncture
needles are not intended to pierce specific nervous tissues. It is possible that
acupuncture influences the nervous system indirectly through chemical
neurotransmitters released by the body as a response to needling. At this point
more research is needed to determine if there are western medical parameters for
explaining the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy