About Acupuncture

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a medical treatment, dating back about 3,000 years in China. It is based on the theory that health depends upon the delicate balance and the normal flow of qi, which is pronounced chi, and means energy. Disturbance or blockage of the flow of the qi along visible pathways or meridians (channels) results in illness or pain.

By inserting a few hair-thin solid disposable needles into acupuncture points at various, and often seemingly unrelated, locations the acupuncturist seeks to restore balance and remove the blockage, thereby restoring health.

The acupuncture needles are disposable and have different length and diameter.

 

Points and meridians

In Chinese medicine, the body is considered to be a microcosm of the entire Universe and the 365 major points on the body — acupuncture points — are components of the system of the 14 meridians. Acupoints possess a reflexive characteristic in relation to this system. They seem to be, and function as, micro-mirrors of the body.

What do Acupuncture points represent?

They reflect information about qi (energy) and blood flow. The acupoints are dynamic elements - they are always changing. The acupoints open and close like gates, through which the practitioner can influence the patient's condition. In simple terms, the practitioner is restoring the balance of fundamental processes in the body and the mind, based on the Chinese traditional medical theory.

In fact, no one really knows what an acupuncture point is. From thousands of years of using acupuncture points to treat illness, Chinese medicine practitioners accumulated a lot of information about their nature, functions, interrelationships, and interactions. Nevertheless, the most reliable authorities in Chinese medicine seem to agree that there is something mysterious about acupuncture points.

Choosing the correct point

The practitioner works on certain acupuncture points using different tools and techniques. Since all are not equally effective for the condition being treated, choosing the correct point to maximize the therapeutic effect requires great skill and experience.

One of the skills is the insertion of fine needles into the body at specific acupuncture points to affect the flow of blood and qi in the meridians.
Learn more about meridians and points.