ACUPUNCTURE & CHINESE MEDICINE

In traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is linked to the belief that disease is caused by disruptions to the flow of energy, or qi, in the body. Inserting hair-thin needles into acupuncture points under the skin release this qi. The qi then travels through channels called meridians.

Ultimately acupuncture is a remarkably simple technique that depends entirely upon one thing: the stimulation of the peripheral nervous system. By promoting blood flow & creating micro-traumas acupuncture induces the body’s ability to heal injuries to the tissue through nervous system, immune and endocrine activation. As the body heals the micro traumas, it also heals surrounding tissue damage. Acupuncture releases natural painkillers through neuro-hormonal pathways, and studies show that acupuncture also works by reducing pro-inflammatory markers, or proteins, in the body which decrease inflammation and further reduce chronic pain.

Acupuncture treats conditions from chronic pain, to psycho-emotional disorders, fertility and female health, to digestive disorders.

The major differences between Eastern and Western medicine is in the usage. Western medicine is focused on the treatment of acute disease. Many tests performed in western medicine will not be triggered as abnormal unless the person being tested is already very sick. If a person goes to see a doctor complaining of headaches, digestive problems, fatigue and insomnia, and the tests come back “normal”, the patient is told there's nothing wrong. Which is clearly not the case.

As acupuncturists, we see symptoms as manifestations of an underlying disease process. This progression from malfunction -> disease process -> symptom can take years. So we address the symptom AND the disease process. Even when that disease process hasn't yet become acute. We also believe that a disease process can give rise to many different symptoms that may seem unrelated. For example, headaches, heartburn and skin rashes may all be expressions of the same underlying problem that has not yet manifested. This is why we want to know all about all the facets of your body. Your sleep habits, your digestion, your bowel movements, your body temperature. We're simply looking at your body as a whole and trying to determine what imbalances are present in your body and where you are in the disease process. Because we ideally help create balance in your body and reverse the disease process before it turns into an acute condition.