Acupuncture

The practice of acupuncture is an ancient system of healthcare involving the insertion of very thin needles through your skin at strategically located points on your body. Acupuncture is most commonly used to treat pain. It has also been increasingly used for overall wellness, including stress management and health maintenance. This therapy is now being accepted in many hospitals and will continue to grow.

The selection of the correct points is the beginning of the treatment. Great care is taken when finding a point through palpation. Missing the correct location by a few millimeters can result in a failure of treatment. This is why it is very important to find an acupuncturist who can confidently & accurately locate acupuncture points.

The needle can be inserted either perpendicular or at an angle. It is common to feel a small ‘pinch’ when the needle is inserted, however there will be some points where the patient may feel nothing at all. When the needle is inserted, it is common to feel: soreness, heat, pressure, or a slight jolt that is very short-length. One should not feel any pain after the insertion of the needle, if the patient does feel pain the acupuncturist will adjust accordingly.

Chinese medicine describes acupuncture utilizing and manipulating the energy channel pathways of the body with a substance called ‘Qi’. The needle will either tonify or reduce the energy system. Reduction is used when there is too much energy stuck in an area of the body. Tonification is used when the acupuncturist wants more qi to enter the organ and channel systems.

Needles will generally remain on the patient’s body for a minimum of 20 minutes. This was the time decided in the classical texts of acupuncture in the East long ago. During this treatment, it is common to see a relief of pain upon the releasing of endorphins around the specific area (see chart & video by clicking the link below).