What is Acupuncture?

 

Acupuncture is a system of complementary medicine that involves pricking the skin or tissues with needles, used to alleviate pain and to treat various physical and emotional conditions. It is a modality of treatment from a system of medicine originated in ancient China, now called “Traditional Chinese Medicine” (TCM). It is based upon an understanding of the body being composed with a network of physiological pathways called “meridians” or “channels” that connect internally with the viscera, and distribute around the body, intersecting in a manner that resembles a subway map.

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Originating in ancient China, acupuncture is now widely practiced in the West. In 1997, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) documented and publicized acupuncture’s safety and efficacy for treating a wide range of conditions.

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How does acupuncture work?

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• Acupuncture works through neurohormonal pathways. It can stimulate the nerves going to the brain, causing the release of natural opioids (enkephalins, endorphins, dynorphins) in the body, shutting off pain signals and decreasing inflammation.

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• Acupuncture also increases blood flow not only to the areas where needles are placed, but throughout the body.

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• Acupuncture elevates the serotonin receptors level in hippocampus, cingulate cortex, motor cortex, insular cortex, thalamus, and the hypothalamus, which is beneficial to depression, anxiety, addiction, OCD patients.

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• White blood cells aggregate at the needle sites and are distributed via circulation throughout the body