What Is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is one of the primary, and perhaps best known, treatments used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The practice of acupuncture involves inserting very fine needles into specific acupoints along your body’s meridians in order to balance and assist the free flow of qi. This little sentence may seem simple but it contains concepts that I have had to study for many years to become an expert. For sure you don’t need to go to four years of graduate school to get the basics of these concepts. But understanding more about acupuncture will help you to become a more informed participant in your health care treatments and I believe better capable of managing your progress.
Let’s begin your basic TCM education so you understand more about what TCM and specifically acupuncture is capable of in helping your body heal.
Key 1: QI
Qi (pronounced ‘chee’) is one of the oldest and most basic concepts in TCM, but honestly also one of the hardest to define. Qi is considered the vital energy that exists in all of us and our Universe.
In other countries Qi goes by other names. In Japan, it is known as ‘ki’. In India, yogis call it ‘prana’. In ancient Greece, it was known as ‘pneuma’. In ancient Egypt they called it‘ka’. These are all names for the same unifying energetic force that fuels everything, including our body systems.
In TCM, there are many types of Qi. TCM explains that your good health and vitality are dependent on sufficient amounts of Qi and its free flow throughout your body. Illness results when Qi stagnates or is blocked, or when your body has too little, or too much of it. When Qi flows freely, well-being is restored.
I explain Qi as including all your biochemistry interactions. So, when I use needles at specific locations on the body, I expect to influence those biochemistry pathways and promote some positive changes to help your body deal with disease and to build better health.
Key 2: MERIDIANS
Meridians. In TCM, meridians are explained as pathways that carry Qi throughout your body. Acupuncture points (aka acupoints) are located along the meridians and promote your body’s healing abilities by regulating the flow of Qi through these meridians. Over thousands of years, practitioners of TCM have mapped out 12 main meridians and 8 extraordinary meridians on your body with each meridian connected to one specific organ, or group of organs, that govern particular bodily functions.
The acupoints along a meridian all impact one organ system most specifically. All the acupoints along a meridian are therefore related in function to a specific organ. Connecting these related acupoints looks like a line which is called the meridian. But truly a meridian is a region of influence, surrounding all the acupoints along that line, that has impacts on an organ system. And these regions of influence overlap neighbouring meridians, creating a whole body from outside to inside. It is holistic by nature, including all aspects of the body.
Key 3: NEEDLES
Needles. The needles used by acupuncturists in North America are usually as fine as a strand of hair. When an experienced, well trained practitioner inserts the needles in the appropriate points, TCM says she assists the flow of Qi and helps your body to heal. I always say I choose patterns of acupoints that I know can positively influence the organs systems most imbalanced by shifting biochemistry in those areas, with repetitive treatments, to create new healthier Body Habits and therefore health.
TCM is an incredible description of the human body as a holistic, fully integrated functioning being. The medicine taps into the interrelationships between all the organ systems and focuses on re-establishing healthier connections between them so you can experience better health.
If you are dealing with a health issue that you now feel may respond well to acupuncture, or if you simply don’t know and would like to find out if acupuncture is a good choice to pursue for you, contact me at AcuPlus and we can discuss options.