Acupunture

History

Several thousand years ago, East Asian practitioners discovered that the body forms disharmonies as a result of the various physical and mental stresses of life. Oriental medical theory explains these disharmonies as an imbalance of opposing forces called yin and yang. This imbalance disrupts the movement of the body’s vital energy (qi) along the meridian pathways– channels through which the body’s energy is thought to flow. Acupuncture restores the smooth flow of qi by inserting and manipulating needles at specific points on the body. Through acupuncture, the body is able to restore its natural balance and promote the ability to heal itself.

How does it work

Chinese medicine has an interesting explanation as to how and why illness occurs. Qi (pronounced chee ) or vital energy flows in our body through a network of meridians, like a highway system. Injury, congestion, or just plain stress can interrupt the smooth flow of energy throughout the body, creating a ‘traffic jam’.

In a highway system, when there is road construction or an accident, traffic may also be backed up on secondary roads that feed into or out of the affected area. This is true in the body, too. Stress, or any disruption in the flow of energy, can affect many processes of the body, for example digestion, the ability to sleep and the immune system. Acupuncture helps to clear blockages (traffic jams) in the flow of energy, enabling our natural healing processes to function effectively.