Traditional Chinese medicine dates back some 5000 years before the advent of imaging studies or blood tests. Using the skill of observation, diagnoses are made by observations of the patient (the reported symptoms) and of the practitioner (signs and physical exam).
In China, Traditional Chinese medicine & acupuncture are used in hospitals. Chinese physicians use it for pain relief, stroke rehabilitation, indigestion, migraines and even as an anaesthetic for surgery!
Did you know acupuncture can:
- Help to naturally induce labour
- Aid in chronic pain management
- Heal sports injuries faster
- Treat migraine headaches
- Regulate the menstrual cycle
- Improve digestive health
There are so many wonderful applications of acupuncture in healing. I’d like to address some commonly asked questions.
What are the benefits?
Acupuncture has many health benefits. The most common benefits reported by patients are:
- Increased energy
- More restful sleep
- Stress reduction
- Relaxation
- Enhanced mental clarity and alertness
- Emotional balance
- Enhanced sense of well-being
How does acupuncture work?
Modern day research in quantum physics is discovering smaller and smaller particles in atomic structure and now understands that all matter is made up of energy. Chinese medicine was way ahead of its time as its foundation is built upon the concept that humans are energetic in nature.
Acupuncture views all of our bodily systems as interconnected. A common energy, Qi (“chee”), flows throughout the body and organ systems in a specific pattern. When an organ system is weak or out of balance, these patterns are reversed or blocked which results in illness.
Using hair-thin needles, a practitioner of acupuncture inserts needles along meridians into acupuncture points. This technique gives the body the message to rebalance organ function and promotes the self-healing capacity of the body.
What does acupuncture feel like?
Acupuncture is a relatively painless treatment and is very relaxing . New patients often ask “did you really just put a needle in?” as they are surprised at how comfortable the treatment is. Once the needles are in place, some people sense a warm or heavy sensation, which is normal and expected. Others may feel a tingly sensation. In any case, acupuncture should be a relaxing and safe experience.
How do Chinese medicine and Naturopathic medicine differ from conventional medicine?
Conventional medicine has many important applications such as in cases of acute or emergency care. The most common solution to health problems is a pharmaceutical taken to suppress a patient’s symptoms. A person’s health concerns are often broken down into parts and not viewed as interconnected. Conventional medicine offers many solutions but also has gaps that other forms of medicine can fill such as in the support and guidance that millions of people suffering from the effects of stress, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, menstrual pain, fertility, anxiety, pain syndromes, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Naturopathic medicine and Chinese medicine are holistic forms of healthcare in which the individual is understood as a whole person and not reduced to only a body part. Our organ systems interact and depend on each other for healthy and normal function. There are also many factors that impact our health such as genetics, social, mental, emotional, physical, spiritual and environmental aspects of our lives. These all need to be taken into account to understand the root cause of the illness. Naturopathic medicine aims at treating the root cause to eliminate symptoms of disease.
Naturopathic medicine has another difference from conventional medicine in that it understands the person is capable of self-healing. Our physical bodies have an extraordinary ability to react, adapt, remember and heal. Naturopathic medicine supports this innate, natural healing process. Acupuncture is one way that naturopathic doctors give a therapeutic signal to support the body in healing itself.
In Naturopathic medicine, acupuncture is used for a wide range of conditions, from healing skin conditions, to speeding recovery from injury and treating menstrual irregularities. It can be used to treat many acute and chronic health conditions to enhance your health.