Acupuncture is a medical modality developed in East Asian society dating back over 4,000 years ago. The ideology is based on a pivotal conversation between the famous Yellow Emperor (Huang Di) and the Emperor’s physician regarding Chinese Medicine.
This conversation was the basis for the earliest Chinese medical text found, entitled Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine) which was believed to be compiled between 305 and 205 BC. In this text, the ideas of energetic meridians, acupuncture points and their functions, needling techniques, and types of internal life- forces (Qi) are discussed.
The implementation of Acupuncture has now held a steady place in China’s medical system since the 1970s.
Presently, hair-fine sterile filaments penetrate the skin to activate combinations of acupuncture points within energetic meridians to elicit various physiological & physical responses from the body: increased blood flow and circulation, decreased muscle tension, reduced stress or anxiety, lessening the frequency or intensity of headaches or migraines, and more.
Needles are often retained to allow the body to enter a parasympathetic state (“rest and digest phase”). This allows for better healing and increased relaxation, coupled with increased blood and fluid circulation through the system to nourish and enhance tissue healing.
When performed by a licensed professional, acupuncture is safe & useful to treat a multitude of conditions, including (but not limited to): musculoskeletal pain, muscle tightness and/or tension, post operative care, headaches & migraines, anxiety and stress, smoking cessation, detoxification, mental health & well-being, digestive disorders and more.