Acupuncture comes from a very old system of medicine that was practiced around the world over 5,000 years ago.  In fact, acupuncture needles have been found in archeological sites in China, Korea, India, Tibet and Europe.  This medicine was best preserved and practiced continuously in China and other Asian countries (ie. Japan, Korea, Vietnam, etc.), so it is commonly called “Traditional Chinese Medicine” or just “TCM”.

The main modality used to treat patients in TCM is Acupuncture, which uses disposable hair-thin sterile stainless steel needles that are inserted at various points on the body, usually in muscles and near joints, to treat various physical, mental, and emotional conditions.

The main concept behind acupuncture is that the body has energy, called Qi (pronounced “chee”) that flows through invisible channels that go to all the organs and muscles of the body.  The energy has to flow smoothly to maintain good health.  If the energy gets blocked, it will create pain.  Acupuncture works to “open the channels” and promote the smooth flow of the Qi and thus alleviate pain and restore well-being.

In addition, some conditions (ie. fatigue, poor digestion, insomnia) can be due to weakness of the body’s Qi – so the acupuncture treatments would be focused on needling points to strengthen the body’s Qi and promote wellness. Most patients report more energy and less fatigue over time with consistent acupuncture treatments.

Modern research has studied acupuncture to try and explain how it works.  One theory is that the acupuncture stimulates signals to the brain to release natural chemicals that help with analgesia (pain-reducing effect).  These natural chemicals (opioids, endorphins, enkephalins) can also help you feel more calm and at ease, so besides treating pain, it can help with stress and anxiety.