What is acupuncture?
It has been told that the ancient Chinese sages, while observing the movements within nature and the Universe, discovered that the body and all living things have their own life force energy system called “Qi” (chee).
Traditional acupuncture is based on these ancient Chinese theories of Qi flow. Similar to a bio-electric or electromagnetic energy, it travels along unseen lines of energy (called channels or meridians), as it traverses the body. These meridians are like rivers of energy flowing through the body, at both superficial and deep levels, and are distributed much like nerves and blood vessels. The interconnected network of meridians and internal organs have associations with specific regions and influence over various parts of the body, including muscles, bones, joints, and flesh.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), health is a manifestation of balance, both within the body itself and between the body and the external environment. When the body is internally balanced and in harmony with the external environment, Qi flows smoothly through the meridians to nourish the organs and tissues. If an obstruction occurs in one of the meridians, the Qi is disrupted and cannot flow properly. When Qi cannot flow smoothly or is forced to flow in the opposite direction, the body’s innate balance is disrupted and illness results.
Acupuncture is just one form of therapy used within the system of TCM. As a practice, Acupuncture includes: bodywork (tuina massage, cupping, scraping, acupressure); Shi Liao (food therapy); moxibustion (burning mugwort) and acupuncture needles. While a treatment may include a combination of these techniques, it is most common to experience the use of acupuncture needles inserted into various points on the body.
Acupuncture works with the body’s innate healing ability to strengthen, balance and regulate the circulation of energy and all of the vital substances of the body. This is very important, not only in the restoration of health, but also in the general prevention of illness and maintenance of wellness. Various techniques are used with the goal of restoring the harmonious flow of energy throughout the body.
Increasingly, acupuncture is complementing conventional therapies. For example, doctors may combine acupuncture and drugs to control surgery-related pain in their patients. By providing both acupuncture and certain conventional anesthetic drugs, some doctors have found it possible to achieve a state of complete pain relief for some patients. They also have found that using acupuncture lowers the need for conventional pain-killing drugs and thus reduces the risk of side effects for patients who take the drugs.
What can acupuncture treat?
Traditional Chinese medicine can often make sense of illnesses that Western medicine has difficulty treating. In cases where Western medicine may be limited to prescribing medication for symptom management, acupuncture may be able to intervene and encourage the body’s self healing process. The benefits of acupuncture have become more widely recognized and integrated with mainstream healthcare. It is important to realize that the results may vary between cases and conditions.
* People with bleeding disorders or with injection/needle phobias may not be good candidates for treatment. As well, those taking blood thinners, such as Warfarin, may find that they bruise more easily during their treatment. Please advise your practitioner if you are taking any kind of medication or if you may be pregnant. Some protocols are avoided during pregnancy.
Some of the conditions that Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine therapies can help include:
Does acupuncture hurt?
While most people who have received traditional acupuncture would describe it as virtually painless, many people experience a variety of other sensations. These sensations can include heaviness, light pulsation, warmth, mild tingling, slight numbness, achiness, no sensation at all or even electrical pulsations in areas distant from the site of insertion. All these sensations are considered normal and usually subside once the needles are removed. The needles used for acupuncture are solid and much finer than that of a standard hypodermic needle. Acupuncture needles are available in various gauge thicknesses and lengths, but typically several acupuncture needles can fit inside the hollow barrel of a regular hypodermic needle.
What is a treatment like?
Depending on the nature of the treatment and the condition that the treatment is addressing, treatments are typically described as “relaxing.” Often patients leave in less discomfort and better function than when they began, but due to the cumulative nature of acupuncture it may take several treatments to start seeing significant changes. A typical course of treatment may be 5 to 10 sessions in succession to affect significant change in one’s condition. The efficacy of treatment depends on several factors. First, practitioners have varying levels of knowledge and skill, just as they do in any other field, so the efficacy of acupuncture will vary according to the skill and experience of the practitioner. Second, the degree of cooperation of the patient in amending lifestyle and diet, performing self-care assignments and committing to a consistent treatment plan all strongly affects treatment outcomes. Lastly, the degree of ‘stubbornness’ of an illness can depend on length of time that the condition has been present, severity of the condition, climactic factors, structural features, lifestyle and personal history.
Is acupuncture safe?
Yes, it is very safe when practiced by a qualified practitioner. Single-use, disposable, sterile needles and clean needling protocols make the risk of infection negligible. With distal-point styles of treatment, risks are reduced to an occasional small bruise. Occasionally slight bleeding may occur at point of insertion, although sometimes this is an intentional aspect of the treatment. Other possible, although rare, risks from acupuncture may include: slight bruising, dizziness, nausea and fainting. Patients should report to the practitioner any discomfort, dizziness or light-headedness that occurs during or after an acupuncture treatment. Extremely rare risks of acupuncture include nerve damage, infection and organ puncture. For heat techniques (fire cupping and moxibustion) performed on the body, there is a slight risk of a minor burn or blister due to the heat.
It has been told that the ancient Chinese sages, while observing the movements within nature and the Universe, discovered that the body and all living things have their own life force energy system called “Qi” (chee).
Traditional acupuncture is based on these ancient Chinese theories of Qi flow. Similar to a bio-electric or electromagnetic energy, it travels along unseen lines of energy (called channels or meridians), as it traverses the body. These meridians are like rivers of energy flowing through the body, at both superficial and deep levels, and are distributed much like nerves and blood vessels. The interconnected network of meridians and internal organs have associations with specific regions and influence over various parts of the body, including muscles, bones, joints, and flesh.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), health is a manifestation of balance, both within the body itself and between the body and the external environment. When the body is internally balanced and in harmony with the external environment, Qi flows smoothly through the meridians to nourish the organs and tissues. If an obstruction occurs in one of the meridians, the Qi is disrupted and cannot flow properly. When Qi cannot flow smoothly or is forced to flow in the opposite direction, the body’s innate balance is disrupted and illness results.
Acupuncture is just one form of therapy used within the system of TCM. As a practice, Acupuncture includes: bodywork (tuina massage, cupping, scraping, acupressure); Shi Liao (food therapy); moxibustion (burning mugwort) and acupuncture needles. While a treatment may include a combination of these techniques, it is most common to experience the use of acupuncture needles inserted into various points on the body.
Acupuncture works with the body’s innate healing ability to strengthen, balance and regulate the circulation of energy and all of the vital substances of the body. This is very important, not only in the restoration of health, but also in the general prevention of illness and maintenance of wellness. Various techniques are used with the goal of restoring the harmonious flow of energy throughout the body.
Increasingly, acupuncture is complementing conventional therapies. For example, doctors may combine acupuncture and drugs to control surgery-related pain in their patients. By providing both acupuncture and certain conventional anesthetic drugs, some doctors have found it possible to achieve a state of complete pain relief for some patients. They also have found that using acupuncture lowers the need for conventional pain-killing drugs and thus reduces the risk of side effects for patients who take the drugs.
What can acupuncture treat?
Traditional Chinese medicine can often make sense of illnesses that Western medicine has difficulty treating. In cases where Western medicine may be limited to prescribing medication for symptom management, acupuncture may be able to intervene and encourage the body’s self healing process. The benefits of acupuncture have become more widely recognized and integrated with mainstream healthcare. It is important to realize that the results may vary between cases and conditions.
* People with bleeding disorders or with injection/needle phobias may not be good candidates for treatment. As well, those taking blood thinners, such as Warfarin, may find that they bruise more easily during their treatment. Please advise your practitioner if you are taking any kind of medication or if you may be pregnant. Some protocols are avoided during pregnancy.
Some of the conditions that Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine therapies can help include:
- Musculoskeletal Disorders: acute or chronic pain and trauma (sports injury, motor vehicle injury, etc)
- Emotional & Neurological Disorders: stress & stress related disorders, depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, trauma, headache, migraines and addictions
- Gynaecological Disorders: various menstrual irregularities (including absent or painful periods), PMS symptoms, infertility, pregnancy difficulties, menopause symptoms
- Ear, Nose & Throat Disorders: toothaches, earaches, vertigo, Meniere’s disease, sinusitis
- Respiratory Disorders: colds, flu, asthma, allergies
- Gastrointestinal Disorders: food allergies, nausea, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, IBS
- Circulatory Disorders: hypertension/hypotension, Raynaud’s disease, angina, edema
- Urogenital Disorders: bladder/kidney infections, cystitis, stress incontinence, UTIs
- Dermatological Disorders: acne, rash, shingles
Does acupuncture hurt?
While most people who have received traditional acupuncture would describe it as virtually painless, many people experience a variety of other sensations. These sensations can include heaviness, light pulsation, warmth, mild tingling, slight numbness, achiness, no sensation at all or even electrical pulsations in areas distant from the site of insertion. All these sensations are considered normal and usually subside once the needles are removed. The needles used for acupuncture are solid and much finer than that of a standard hypodermic needle. Acupuncture needles are available in various gauge thicknesses and lengths, but typically several acupuncture needles can fit inside the hollow barrel of a regular hypodermic needle.
What is a treatment like?
Depending on the nature of the treatment and the condition that the treatment is addressing, treatments are typically described as “relaxing.” Often patients leave in less discomfort and better function than when they began, but due to the cumulative nature of acupuncture it may take several treatments to start seeing significant changes. A typical course of treatment may be 5 to 10 sessions in succession to affect significant change in one’s condition. The efficacy of treatment depends on several factors. First, practitioners have varying levels of knowledge and skill, just as they do in any other field, so the efficacy of acupuncture will vary according to the skill and experience of the practitioner. Second, the degree of cooperation of the patient in amending lifestyle and diet, performing self-care assignments and committing to a consistent treatment plan all strongly affects treatment outcomes. Lastly, the degree of ‘stubbornness’ of an illness can depend on length of time that the condition has been present, severity of the condition, climactic factors, structural features, lifestyle and personal history.
Is acupuncture safe?
Yes, it is very safe when practiced by a qualified practitioner. Single-use, disposable, sterile needles and clean needling protocols make the risk of infection negligible. With distal-point styles of treatment, risks are reduced to an occasional small bruise. Occasionally slight bleeding may occur at point of insertion, although sometimes this is an intentional aspect of the treatment. Other possible, although rare, risks from acupuncture may include: slight bruising, dizziness, nausea and fainting. Patients should report to the practitioner any discomfort, dizziness or light-headedness that occurs during or after an acupuncture treatment. Extremely rare risks of acupuncture include nerve damage, infection and organ puncture. For heat techniques (fire cupping and moxibustion) performed on the body, there is a slight risk of a minor burn or blister due to the heat.
