Acupuncture is the ancient art of placing needles into the body in specific locations. Acupuncture has been proven to better control some chronic diseases not adequately helped by Western medicine; achieve wellness through preventative medicine, speed healing time and help control pain post operatively.
Acupuncture, like all medicine, has been evolving over the last 3,000 years, both in people and in animals. Traditional eastern medicine explains acupuncture as a method to assess and rebalance the flow of "qi" (pronounced che), or energy, that travels along 12 main linear pathways, or meridians, in the body.
Sickness is said to come from blocks or imbalance in the body's "qi". To correct these imbalances, small needles, inserted in any number of 365 basic acupuncture points, redirect the flow of energy and restore the body to health.
The scientific west explains acupuncture by pointing out that most of the body's 365 main acupuncture points are located at clusters of nerves and blood vessels. Stimulating these areas triggers a host of local and general physiological effects, leveraging the body's own healing power. The release of certain neurotransmitters like endorphins, the body's natural painkillers and smaller amounts of cortisol, an anti-inflammatory steroid are what help to alleviate pain and the debilitating inflammation in both acute and chronic conditions. Numerous controlled studies have shown that acupuncture can increase blood flow, lower heart rate and improve immune function along with assisting in pain relief.
