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Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture are over 3000 year old methods of treatment aimed at promoting one's overall health. It is based on the concepts of Qi and Blood in conjunction with the body's major organs.
Implicit in the philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine is the idea of re-establishing and maintaining the body's natural balance or homeostasis. Like a drop of water into a tranquil pond, a minor perturbance can create long range ripples of disturbance. Therefore, one of our primary focuses is to not only treat the symptoms of illness but to resolve the source of the body's imbalance.
The concept of Qi describes a life energy that flows through the body, supplying essential substances and stimulating the body's blood flow. Proper flow ensures good blood circulation to vital organs to ensure proper nutrition and activity. Qi is circulated in the body through 14 major channels known as Meridians. Imagine the flow of Qi through Meridians as the flow of water through rivers. When a river flows unimpeded, the nearby land is well irrigated and healthy. If the flow of water is blocked the nearby land no longer receives the necessary nourishment to thrive. In this analogy, the land represents the vital organs. The flow of Qi ensures that sufficient blood and nutrients are being passaged through the vital organs.
Illness and pain result when the circulation of Qi and Blood is altered or halted by physical, chemical, emotional, and mental stresses. Because each Meridian runs through multiple tissue and organ groups, an upstream blockage can manifest in severe downstream symptoms. Thus, Traditional Chinese Medicine aims to diagnose the root of the illness and uses Acupuncture and Herbal Adjustment to restore the balanced flow of Qi and Blood. It is also important to note that both too little or too much Qi flow have negative effects on the body which must constantly counteract these forces to maintain homeostasis.
So how does Acupuncture restore proper Qi flow? Acupuncture removes Qi stasis through the insertion of thin, sterile, disposable needles into specific Acupuncture points along the body's 14 Meridians. By varying the length, size, and shape of the needles as well as the angle of insertion and post-insertion adjustments of the needles, Acupuncture is able to "Da Qi ", an idea of disrupting blockages and re-establishing the flow of Qi down Meridians. Combined with herbal remedies, the efficacy of Acupuncture is well documented through thousands of years of empirical results as well as studies performed by the American Medical Association. Among the many illnesses that can be treated,
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine is highly effective in treating muscle and joint pain and swelling, headaches and migraines, arthritic conditions, back and neck pain, fatigue, infertility, irregular menses, loss of sensation in extremeties, insomnia, nausea, weight gain/loss, digestive disorders, and renal disorders.