How does Acupuncture work?
The Chinese concept of Qi (pronounced ‘Chee’) is key to the way Chinese medicine practitioners understand their work. The Chinese character for Qi is most often translated into English as ‘Energy’, meaning your body’s vital energy. Traditional acupuncturists work to help maintain your system’s equilibrium by using very fine needles at specific points on the body to regulate the flow of ‘Qi’.
When Qi (energy) is in abundance and is flowing smoothly through us we thrive and our health is at its best. However if the flow is interrupted, or obstructed, then the vital energy or Qi becomes unavailable for some processes, and distress signals arise.
These signals may be noticed in us as either physical or mental-emotional signs or symptoms. A properly trained acupuncturist uses diagnostic processes, including Chinese pulse-taking, and examining the tongue, that apply just as effectively to subtle imbalances as to obvious complaints and disease.
Traditional Chinese Medicine recognises patterns or groups of signs and symptoms and how they are interrelated, so it does not treat a symptom in isolation from the rest of you. This means that there are often positive side-effects to acupuncture so that often quality of sleep, energy levels, digestion and mood naturally improve whilst the main complaint is being treated.
Even if your main condition is a degenerative condition and something you just have to accept and live with, acupuncture can be a good choice for enhancing your quality of life, reducing pain and discomfort and helping you feel more emotionally balanced.
