How Does Acupuncture Work?

Acupuncture has always been part of ancient Chinese medicine.  The principles of acupuncture are very similar to acupressure.

Fine needles are inserted to stimulate specific points in the skin called meridians which are considered to be energy paths to treat illness and ensure general good health.

When someone becomes sick or is injured, the chi (pronounced either 'chee' or 'kie', like pie) gets blocked and positive energy is prevented for getting through.

On the body's exterior surface, there are 365 different points of acupuncture spread all over, and all these points follow 14 main meridian paths.

When specially designed needles or acupressure are placed at certain locations on the meridians the blocks are released thus enabling the chi to circulate freely.

The concept is similar to clearing blocks that are stopping a river from flowing freely.  Acupuncture normalizes the flow of 'chi' so that it flows freely and steadily, not too fast and not too slow.

This type of healing has been done in China for the past 4,000 years, and was discovered when these needles were found in archaeological digs of the late Shang Dynasty (c.1000 BC).

The three kinds of acupuncture are traditional Yin/Yang Theory, Five Elements, and the Western or medical acupuncture.

The methods used in the different types of this medicine, both to diagnose as well as to treat, are the same, but the approach towards determining the origin of the illness and the treatment vary somewhat between styles.

The first type, the five-element acupuncture, is based on the five-element cycle known in Chinese medicine.  The fundamental principle is that an illness can be due to a physical cause or emotional stress.

This belief leads to the thought physical illness can only be healed if inner stress is removed.

The process used in Five elements is long, because it does not merely cure the symptoms but the reason behind the illness as well.  Because of this, the process takes a longer period of time to reach full recovery.

According to the Yin/Yang theory the overall balance of the Yin and Yang has to be maintained for good health. In this type of acupuncture different points are pierced with the needles all along the meridians in order to help cure and affect different illnesses in your body.

Western acupuncture focuses on short-term, immediate cure of illnesses, and combines both Western and Eastern medical techniques.  There are two sub-categories of this method.

The first is the anesthetic acupuncture, and is used is surgical and dental procedures.  Again it is used as an analgesic for temporary but immediate effect.

The second category is acupuncture used to treat long-term illnesses.

This category is very effective for treating allergies, depression, arthritis, asthma, gynecological disorders, infertility, high blood pressure and migraines, as shown by respectable and reputable medical researches.

Acupuncture is one of the most effective methods to treat chronic illnesses that haven?t had satisfactory results from traditional treatment or when the illness is caused by problems associated with lifestyle.