About Acupuncture

The Shorter...

Acupuncture is over 2500 years old and has been rigorously studied and documented for dynasties. It is a highly effective form of health care that treats a wide variety of conditions from musculoskeletal to internal medicine. Points on the surface of the skin are lightly stimulated to bring balance, regulation and resolution of many conditions. Most patients report that it is a relaxing experience that is nothing like a Western injection.

The Longer...

Chinese Medicine is over 2500 years old with a well-defined system of logic going back to the first century B.C.  For Chinese Medicine to be effective we must apply the traditional theories of the Medicine. If we try to simplify or westernize it, the efficacy plummets. The traditional view is that we all have energy in our body called Qi. This energy runs in vessels much like blood runs in blood vessels. We know that if we do surgery these vessels are not found. We must apply these time-honored theories to get the medicine to work properly. 

This Qi can be deficient or excess, it can stagnate or flow too rapidly. It can be too dispersed or too concentrated. These imbalances over time create disequilibrium which eventually appears as a symptom. Acupuncture reestablishes balance so that organs, structures and systems can all do their job properly. There is a point on the lower leg that will raise red blood cell counts for 36 hours. If we use the point an inch above it or an inch and a half below this point there will be no change in RBC counts. What is it about a ¼ inch point on our leg that achieves this? We do not yet understand biologically how this happens but the ancient indication for the point is blood deficiency, anemia. These Qi vessels or Jing Luo Mai run close to the surface of the skin then dive deep to connect with internal organs and structures. A point on the leg helps stomach ulcers because we can access the point on the leg but it then travels inward to connect with the stomach organ. The ancient canals of China are a metaphor for this acupuncture vessel system including areas where it narrows and widens. Over many dynasties this system has been refined and augmented. Doctors of Chinese Medicine continue to study the writings and experiences of ancient masters as well as modern research being done around the world. For instance, the famous Doctor Zhu Danxi (1280-1358A.D.) developed theories that are now commonly used in autoimmune syndromes.

Zhang Zhongjing (150-219 A.D.) originated theories which are still practical and widely used in treating viral conditions.