What is acupuncture?
"Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through your skin at strategic points on your body. A key component of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is most commonly used to treat pain. Increasingly, it is being used for overall wellness, including stress management."
- Mayo Clinic
How does acupuncture work?
"Acupuncture has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years to treat almost any kind of physical or emotional ailment. In theory, it works like this: Hair-thin needles are inserted into specific points that fall on certain pathways in your body called meridians. This stimulation is thought to release energy, or "qi" (pronounced "chee"), that may be blocked because of illness or other imbalances. When the energy flows freely, the body's nervous, endocrine, digestive, and immune systems can function at optimum levels."
- Harvard Medical School
By inserting fine, sterile needles at specific points, an acupuncturist is able to break up blockages that have hampered the smooth flow of Qi. Once this is done, Qi can travel freely throughout the body, promoting pain-free health, well-being and vitality.
Not only can acupuncture treat signs and symptoms of pain and discomfort, it can also get the root of the problem. When the initial cause of the pain is corrected, your body can begin to heal on deeper levels. Your acupuncturist may also suggest adjunct therapies to enhance treatment and speed healing, such as massage, stretching, yoga, herbal supplements and dietary changes.
" I can not see a better solution to long-term chronic pain. There is no question in my mind that acupuncture is safer than surgery or drugs."
- Dr. Bruce Pomeranz, Neuroscientist, University of Toronto
