What is Acupuncture?

Originating in China, acupuncture has been successfully used for over 3,000 years, making it one of the oldest medical systems on the planet. It involves inserting fine (about the girth of a human hair), sterile needles at various depths into specific points found along the body’s energetic pathways. These pathways, often called meridians or jing-luos, are the conduit in which Qi (pronounced “chee”), or life energy, flows throughout the body. The health of our body and mind is a direct reflection of the health of our Qi. By placing needles into precise acupuncture points, the skilled practitioner can summon the body’s innate healing ability. There are many factors in life that disrupt the quality of Qi: physical and/or emotional trauma, stress, lack of movement, poor diet, smoking, injury, poor sleep habits, unfulfilling relationships and grief are but a few . Acupuncture helps build Qi in the places in which it’s lacking, free it from the areas in which it’s stuck, or direct it to parts of the body- or certain meridians- where it will have the greatest healing effect.

In 1996 the FDA gave acupuncture it’s seal of approval, in which it stated that acupuncture needles are to be considered medical devices. Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) has published an official report outlining a list of symptoms, conditions, and/or diseases that have been shown in controlled trials to be treated effectively by acupuncture.

Acupuncture is recognized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as effective in treating the following conditions:
Addiction • Anxiety • Arthritis • Bronchitis • Carpal tunnel syndrome • Chronic fatigue • Colitis • Common cold • Constipation • Dental pain • Depression • Diarrhea • Digestive trouble • Dizziness • Dysentery • Emotional disorders • Eye problems • Facial palsy/tics • Fatigue • Fertility • Fibromyalgia • Gingivitis • Headache • Hiccough • Incontinence • Indigestion • IBS • Low back pain • Menopause • Menstrual irregularities • Migraine • Morning sickness • Nausea • Osteoarthritis • Pain • PMS • Pneumonia • Reproductive problems • Rhinitis • Sciatica • Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) • Shoulder pain • Sinusitis • Sleep disturbances • Smoking cessation • Sore throat • Stress • Tennis elbow • Tonsillitis • Tooth pain • Trigeminal neuralgia • Urinary tract infections • Vomiting • Wrist pain