Acupuncture
Introduction to Acupuncture
What is Acupuncture
Acupuncture is one part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and is among the oldest healing practices in the world. It has been practiced in different Asian cultures as traditional medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that illness was due to an imbalance of Yin and Yang in the body. Acupuncture is based on the concept of balancing opposing yin and yang forces in the body to achieve health. Specifically, two crucial concepts of acupuncture are Qi (pronounced “chee”), and the blood.
Qi can be described as the flow of “vital energy” in living things. But you can encounter problems with the Qi: emotional factors such as stress or depression, diseases, organ malfunction, bodily injury, as well as environmental factors can block the flow of Qi. There may also be a deficiency of Qi which may impede the healthy functioning of organs. Blocked and deficient Qi may result in pain, a weakened immune system, and poor health. Acupuncture’s goal is to regulate Qi and the blood flow in the body by alleviating these blockages and balance body’s Yin and Yang.
Meridians
Meridians is a translation of Chinese Acupuncture term “JingLuo 经络”. Jing has a geographical connotation and means meridian or longitude. Jing are like the trunk and main branches of the network. They generally run longitudinally through the body at relatively deep level, and connect with the internal organs. Luo means attach or a net, and refers to the finer branches of the network which are more superficial and interconnect the trunk and main branches, the connective tissues and cutaneous regions.
Acupoints
Acupoints are the specific point which the Qi of Zang-Fu (internal organs) and meridians transport to the body surface. Shu Xue translate to English is acupoints. The Shu means transfusion and infusion, Xue means a site and location. Acupuncture points are not only the pathway for Qi and blood circulation but also response the reflected organ or meridian diseases.
Cupping
Acupoints are the specific point which the Qi of Zang-Fu (internal organs) and meridians transport to the body surface. Shu Xue translate to English is acupoints. The Shu means transfusion and infusion, Xue means a site and location. Acupuncture points are not only the pathway for Qi and blood circulation but also response the reflected organ or meridian diseases.
Treatment
An acupuncturist will ask a set of questions according to patient’s current health condition, then do the tongue and pulse diagnosis. A set of acupuncture points will be selected after diagnosis. Each treatment will give acupuncture and may have a combination of Chinese herb, cupping, moxibustion, or TuiNa based on the TCM diagnosis and treatment principle.
A treatment involves the insertion of extremely fine needles into areas on one of the body’s 12 meridians (pathways of Qi), called acupoints. Acupuncture needles are super-fine sterile, disposable needles that are never reused. Acupuncture should be relatively pain-free. Patients may experience a tingling, numbness, or sourness sensation when the needle makes contact with the Qi, we call it have Qi sensation (in Chinese is called “De Qi”,) but the patient should never experience lasting pain throughout the treatment. On the contrary, one of the therapeutic effects of acupuncture is that it produces a sensation of deep relaxation or even mild disorientation immediately following the treatment.