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Acupuncture
Acupuncture is one part of the entire system of Chinese Medicine, which has been used in prevention and treatment of many conditions for over two thousand years. The medicine is based on the theory that all of nature, including everything from the universe itself to the human body, exists in a balance between opposite yet complimentary forces. According to Chinese medical theory, energy in a healthy body flows smoothly through specific pathways, or channels. When there is an energetic imbalance, insufficiency, or blockage in one or more of these pathways, symptoms of disease or disharmony develop.
The goal of acupuncture treatment is to reestablish a balanced flow of energy throughout the body. Treatment involves insertion of extremely fine needles at specific points on the body, to unblock and rebalance energy flow, allowing the body to return to its natural and harmonious state of health and well being. Many patients find acupuncture treatments deeply relaxing, and others feel energized by treatments.
The unique power behind this type of medicine comes from its ability to treat an individual person and not a disease or a symptom. The treatment is based on resolving the underlying cause of the problem (the “root”), which not only rids the body of its symptoms (the “branches”) but also prevents those symptoms from returning. Treatments are specific to each individual, and address each person’s specific energetic disharmony.
Acupuncture stimulates the body’s own healing process naturally and without side effects. Though often patients initiate treatment because of specific ailments or disease, there doesn’t have to be a “problem” in order to benefit from acupuncture. This gentle yet powerful medicine optimizes health and vitality, supports the immune and digestive system, and prevents disease from occurring.
More details on “What is Acupuncture?”
Chinese Herbs
Used frequently in combination with acupuncture treatments, Chinese Herbal Medicine is quickly establishing itself as one of the most popular and effective alternative therapies in the West.
The Chinese Herbal Pharmacopia includes over 1500 herbs mostly from plants, flowers, roots and barks. Individual herbs are usually combined with each other into unique and individual formulas specific for each case. Ingesting the herbs mixed together into a formula not only minimizes any unpleasant effects of individual herbs, but also maximizes the benefits by targeting the exact disharmony for each different case.
When prescribed and used correctly, Chinese Herbal Medicine is very safe. It is important to work with a qualified herbalist who can prescribe an appropriate formula, monitor progress, and adjust the ingredients and dosages depending on changes in each case at different stages along the healing process.
A more in-depth Introduction to Chinese Herbs.
Cupping
Cupping therapy involves the placement of glass or plastic suction cups on the skin, and creating a gentle vacuum. The cups are usually used on the lower, middle, or upper back, and used to treat muscle stiffness, soreness, or pain. They can also be used to help relieve coughs or respiratory congestion in the lungs. Cupping therapy helps bring extra circulation to areas in which energy is stuck or not moving smoothly enough. In some cases, temporary dark circles or bruise marks may appear where the cups were placed, due to rupture of the surface capillaries, but they are not the same as bruises from trauma, and usually disappear in several days.
