How Does Acupuncture Work?
Many people are beginning to consider acupuncture treatment. One big barrier to entry is that many people do not know what acupuncture really is and how it works with your body. This blog is focused on the practice of acupuncture to share the facts, dispel the myths, and give you some additional information to see if it may be a good choice for you.
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is part of the ancient practice of Traditional Chinese medicine that has evolved over thousands of years to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. Key to acupuncture is the belief that the body's vital energy, called qi (pronounced chi), flows along specific channels or meridians. If the qi is balanced then the person has spiritual, emotional, and physical health. But when the qi isn't in balance, disease may occur. Qi can be blocked, causing unbalance between the yin and yang. Acupuncture is an approach to create harmony between yin and yang and restore the correct flow of energy through the meridians.
How Does Acupuncture Work?
According to Eastern Medicine, this is how acupuncture works: the human body has more than 2,000 acupuncture points. They are linked through the various meridians. The use of acupuncture on certain points within the meridians improves the flow of blocked or stagnant qi. Acupuncture can unblock these meridians. This restores the movement of qi and improves health.
According to Western Medicine, this is how acupuncture works: acupuncture points stimulate the central nervous system. This releases chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These biochemical changes stimulate the body's natural healing abilities. They promote physical and emotional well-being. Source: John Hopkins Medicine
Acupuncture is also known to stimulate the release of neurotransmitters and feel good hormones called endorphins including dopamine and serotonin. Acupuncture is able to balance our autonomic nervous system, balance out hormones, regulate our gut and induce neuroplastic changes in our brains.
What Does Acupuncture Feel Like?
The actual practice of acupuncture includes placing thin needles into the skin on certain points of a meridian. These are then activated by the provider's hands or through electrical stimulation.
Acupuncture is done using hair-thin needles. Most people report feeling no pain as the needle is put into certain points. Needles are only inserted to a point that causes a feeling of pressure. Needles may be heated during the treatment. A mild electric current may also be applied to the needles. Some people say acupuncture makes them feel energized. Others say they feel relaxed.
Kristen And Tony have thousands of hours of needling training and clinical experience. In comparison dry needlers tend to only have 40 hours (one or two weekends of training). This results in a painless experience. However, not all acupuncturists are trained in a painless style. The Burrises pride themselves in offering a pain-free, relaxing experience for their patients. Kristen and Tony are board certified in both acupuncture and traditional Chinese herbal medicine (TCM). Look for these credentials only when seeking out acupuncture and TCM: L.Ac, MSTOM or DAcCHM.
What is Acupuncture For?
From a Western medicine perspective, acupuncture points are believed to stimulate the central nervous system. This releases chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These biochemical changes may stimulate the body's natural healing abilities. Studies have shown that acupuncture is effective alone or when used with conventional therapies to treat numerous conditions including: upset stomach (nausea) caused by surgical anesthesia and cancer chemotherapy, dental pain after surgery, addiction, headaches, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, myofascial pain, osteoarthritis, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, asthma, endometriosis, menstrual pain, PCOS symptoms and anovulation, pain from any source, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and so many more than can be listed here.
It's important to be safe when deciding about acupuncture. Above all, you want to find an acupuncturist who is licensed and has the right training and credentials. The acupuncturists at Eagle Acupuncture have an extremely high success rate and thousands of hours of study and clinical hours.
Still have more questions about acupuncture or any other service that we provide? Give us a call to schedule a consultation for acupuncture, herbal medicine, functional medicine, supplements or lifestyle modifications, please reach out to us HERE. We offer telemedicine for those who are not within driving distance from our office.