Acupuncture, an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for 5,000 years, is used extensively today for the prevention and treatment of disease as well as for pain relief. As in other TCM practices, the emphasis of acupuncture is on prevention. With the highest form of acupuncture focused on helping the individual live a long, healthy life.
In Acupuncture, thin, metallic needles are placed at key points along the body’s meridian lines. The needles may then be manipulated by doctor’s hands or by electrical stimulation.
The technique for acupuncture is based on the TCM theory that the body has specific pathways called meridians that conduct energy, or qi (pronounced "chee"), throughout the body.
Qi is thought to regulate spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical balance. In TCM thinking, qi can be influenced by the opposing forces of yin and yang. The belief is that when yin and yang are balanced, they work together with the natural flow of qi to help the body achieve and maintain health. Acupuncture helps balance yin and yang, unblocking the energy flow so that good health is restored, or maintained, for both body and mind.
All Traditional Chinese Medicine elements, including acupuncture, herbs, diet, massage, and meditative physical exercise have as their goal, the unobstructed flow of qi.
Increasingly, Western medical professionals are using acupuncture to complement conventional therapies, especially for relieving post-surgical pain and for conditions such as arthritis and lower back pain.
TCM Fact: The earliest written account of acupuncture is found in the Nei Jing, or The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, a document dated at around 200 BC. It is is one of the oldest comprehensive medical text books in existence. One section relates how Pien Chueh, a famous physician of the fourth century BC, used stone acupuncture needles, moxibustion and herbs to bring a prince out of a coma. The Chinese still celebrate Pien Chueh’s birthday each year on April 28th.