Although relatively new to the west, Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method of healing stretching back thousands of years.
Acupuncture treatments treat imbalance and dysfunction in the body utilizing a system of inherent energy channels or pathways known as “meridians. It is through these meridians that the body’s “Qi” is thought to flow.
Qi can be thought of as inherent form of bio- energy that is intricately involved maintaining and perpetuating the vitality of the body. In Traditional Chinese Medicine the body is envisioned as a garden of reciprocal energetic interrelations rather than as a machine comprised of biochemical and mechanical components which the way that Western Medicine views it.
Basically treatment consists of using the needles to activate Acupuncture points along these meridian pathways to shift or diffuse this Qi energy throughout the entire body including the organs in order to allow the body to re-balance and utilize its own self healing and self correcting abilities to the fullest.
Acupuncture has always been an inseparable part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
A TCM Treatment would usually include herbs, Acupuncture, joint manipulation, massage and patient self help in the form of attitude adjustment and internal energy building (Qigong). To use TCM effectively requires years of training in order to develop and integrate the theoretical, technical and intuitive elements of this Art.
In the west we use acupuncture together with many other forms of therapy other than TCM or as a stand alone therapeutic system on its own.There are some variations of Acupuncture treatment protocols most following the theories of TCM and some with a more western medical approach. utilizing neurological models as the basis of assessment and treatment.
Acupuncture is gaining more widespread acceptance in the west as studies have shown that it is an effective tool that can help in pain control, reduction of inflammation, immunologic enhancement, increase of endorphins and in helping to stimulate positive results in the recovery/management phase of various neurological injuries and conditions.
Acupressure: Is basically the same as Acupuncture but using finger pressure on the meridian points instead of inserting needles. It is gentler in its effects than Acupuncture and a non invasive way to relax and tonify the body. I use acupressure for older clients and as a self healing tool for myself. It is highly portable as I never go anywhere without my fingers.
Many Healing Arts such as Shiatsu, Polarity, Touch for Health make use of Acupressure as part of their treatment protocols.
