WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE?
Acupuncture is a natural, safe and effective treatment that heals pain and illness, prevents disease and improves well being. It is one component of Chinese medicine which is a complete holistic medical system. Other components include herbal medicine, cupping, moxibustion, massage and qigong. It has been used for over 5,000 years to help millions of people be well and stay well. It is the oldest, continuously practiced professional medicine in the world and is currently used by one-quarter of the world’s population.
Acupuncture is a therapy which involves the gentle insertion of very thin, sterile and disposable needles into specific points on the skin which create an effect within the body. Acupuncture increases oxygen and blood flow and alleviates pain by blocking pain receptors. Cellular repair occurs after acupuncture treatment and the endocrine and nervous systems are balanced to help the body heal naturally. Treatment can balance hormones and stimulate the secretion of endorphins and enkephalins, the body’s natural pain killers.
Acupuncture is based on the premise that health can be restored when the body is in balance. Symptoms such as pain are red flags that the body uses to allow a person to know something is out of balance. Seemingly unrelated issues are often seen as being related in Chinese medicine. Instead of looking at individual issues, an acupuncturist looks at all of the body's systems to encourage holistic healing.
Alone, or as an adjunct to western medicine, acupuncture provides highly effective treatment for many common complaints and may provide additional relief for problems that do not respond completely to western treatment. Acupuncture is recognized world-wide for its ability to treat a wide variety of disorders naturally - without the use of harmful drugs or invasive surgery and with virtually no side effects.