Acupuncture is part of a medical system called Traditional Chinese Medicine that has been in continuous use for 5000 years and is the cornerstone of a civilization of nearly 1.4 billion people.

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine is rooted in ancient Taoist philosophy which views a person as an energy system in which body and mind are unified, each influencing and balancing the other.

Unlike conventional medicine which attempts to isolate and separate a disease from a person, Chinese Medicine emphasizes a holistic approach that treats the whole person.

Many people have found Traditional Chinese methods of healing to be excellent tools for healing disease, maintaining optimum health and preventing illness. It is effective for physical, psychological and emotional problems.

What is Acupuncture and How Does it Work?

The ancient Chinese believed that there is a universal life energy called qi (pronounced “chee”) present in every living creature. This energy is said to circulate throughout the body along specific pathways that are called vessels or meridians.

As long as this energy flows freely throughout the meridians, health is maintained, but once the flow of energy is blocked, the system is disrupted and pain and dysfunction occur. Imagine rivers that flood and cause disasters or an electrical grid short-circuiting that causes blackouts.

Acupuncture works to reprogram and restore normal function by stimulating certain points on the meridians in order to free up the qi energy.

How Many Treatments are Required?

The number of treatments required for a given patient to resolve his or her health concern depends on several factors. These include the nature and severity of the presenting condition and the length of time the condition has existed.

The primary focus of acupuncture and Chinese medicine is treating the underlying cause of an illness or disease. While the symptoms of some acute conditions, such as the common cold, can be relieved in a matter of hours or days, correcting the root of the illness itself can be a much longer process.

Healing at the root is not an overnight process but happens over time.

It is important, therefore, to receive an adequate number of treatments to ensure the root cause has been properly eradicated. While chronic conditions generally require more treatment than acute conditions, patients at our offices typically receive 6 to 12 weekly sessions as an average course of treatment.

Are There Any Side Effects?

One of the great advantages of acupuncture and Chinese medicine is the absence of serious side effects.

Occasionally after an acupuncture treatment, patients may report feeling slightly sore, lightheaded, or tired. However, most people report a sense of pleasant relaxation. It is advisable to rest for at least a few moments after a treatment in order to stabilize the body. It is best not to eat a heavy meal or engage in strenuous activity just before or after a treatment.

Calling the Right Neurochemicals and Hormones

Acupuncture involves the placement of sterile, disposable needles that are rounded at the tip to allow for pain-free insertion, at select acupoints around the body to elicit a healing response from the body.

Acupuncture has been applied to near every known physical and psychological disease and has been utilized for these purposes longer than any other medical system known to humankind.

But the credit doesn’t belong to the needle. It’s the body’s own self-healing mechanisms that are brought into balance as a result of the stimulation so that disease is no longer able to take hold.

Getting Nerves to Communicate

A majority of people seek out acupuncture and Chinese medicine for pain relief including knee pain, back pain, headaches, menstrual pain, or any other kind of pain.

Pain is information that something is wrong in the body. Typically, this is when blood isn’t flowing well or nerves aren’t communicating properly caused by a disease or injury. A healthy body will respond in different ways depending on the causes to heal the problems, therefore relieving the pain.

Acupuncture is utilized to speed up this process so the body heals faster and subdues pain more rapidly than it would if left untreated.

Acupuncture has been found to modulate nerve signals and correct the nerve’s misfire in the injured or diseased area, enabling the proper communication with the brain and allowing the release of natural anti-inflammatory proteins and pain relieving enkephalins and endorphins.

The nerve reprogramming by acupuncture ensures that the body’s healing systems work the way they’re supposed to, restoring healthy, normal function and providing lasting pain relief.

Getting Blood to Flow

There are numerous reasons why your blood flow is impeded. These include traumas and injuries, infections, obstructions due to plaque or toxins, aging decline in organ function, and others.

When blood doesn’t adequately reach your heart muscles, heart attacks may result. When it fails to sufficient nourish your brain, dementia and Alzheimer’s may follow. When you have a lack of blood flow to your genitals you may experience impotence. Whatever the condition, the common cause is impairment in the circulation of blood.

Acupuncture has been found to be very effective in promoting blood flow.

A number of studies have found acupuncture to stimulate the release of certain compounds such as nitric oxide, leukotrienes and anti-histamines to both dilate the blood vessels and reduce swelling of tissues and therefore increase critical blood flow to the deprived parts of the body.

Acupuncture Found Beneficial for Severe Heart Failure

Research has shown that acupuncture can be beneficial to people with severe heart failure.

By reducing the pressure on the heart, acupuncture decreases activity on the sympathetic nervous system regulating involuntary movements such as heartbeat and blood pressure.

Scandinavian studies have shown that acupuncture can increase the heart’s working capacity, reducing pain and the need for medication.

Acupuncture Found to be Helpful for Knee Arthritis

In the largest study of its kind, a 2004 study funded by the National Institutes of Health showed, among the 570 participants, that acupuncture was helpful in reducing pain due to knee arthritis.

Stephen Straus, the director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) said of the study: “These results also indicate that acupuncture can serve as an effective addition to a standard regimen of care and improve quality of life for knee osteoarthritis sufferers.”

Acupuncture Found to Increase Fertility

When used along with in vitro fertilization (IVF), it may be effective in increasing the odds of success in female conception.

An often-referenced study published in the April, 2002 issue of Fertility & Sterility showed that acupuncture helped over 40% of participants get pregnant during a round of IVF, compared to the 26% of pregnant patients who didn’t receive the therapy.

Many reproductive endocrinologists encourage their fertility patients to supplement their care with acupuncture because of these success rates.

Chinese Medicine Lady has been practicing fertility medicine longer than IVF has been available as a treatment option in California.

Learn more about how we treat infertility.

CONSULTATION

Call to make an appointment for a Consultation and let us help you set up a program for you to be proactive in maintaining your health the CHINESE MEDICINE WAY! (818) 280-9133