A system of complementary medicine that involves pricking the skin or tissues with needles used to alleviate pain and to treat various physical, mental, and emotional conditions. Originating in ancient China, acupuncture is now widely practiced in the West.
Acupuncture originated in China over 2,000 years ago. It was developed to restore health and well-being by inserting fine needles into specific areas of the body. There are a system of points in the body that are linked together by a network of meridians. Problems occur when there is a blockage of energy (Qi) flow through the body. When body systems work together properly, they are in the state of homeostasis or balance. When they lose this state of balance, they are considered to be in a state of disease.
This approach is used to treat patterns of disharmony by attempting to modify activity of these systems. Acupuncture treats the body as a whole; treating not only the signs and symptoms the patient is experiencing [branch], but also the underlying cause of the ailment [root]. The treatments are also based on strengthening the body’s resilience, thus encouraging the body to heal itself. During the course of your treatments, you will likely notice that as the condition you originally came in for improves, other aspects of your health or symptoms may concurrently be relieved. This happens because we are treating the root of your body’s health imbalance.