Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a primary system of health care that has flourished in China for well over 2,500 years and is used widely throughout Asia and in Europe today. The first Acupuncture training programs in the United States began in the early 1970”s. It is considered to be one of the newest
and most promising health care modalities in this country today.
More than just the practice of inserting tiny, thread-like needles along meridian lines of the body, acupuncture is also a complex system of diagnosis that takes into consideration the person as a whole. This wholistic viewpoint allows the practitioner to discern a present- time pattern of disharmony that is unique to that person, rather than just seeing them as a set of isolated symptoms.
The medical goals of acupuncture are to strengthen and balance the physical body, prevent disease, transform the symptoms and pain of disease, improve circulation and increase longevity. Therefore, the aim of acupuncture is not limited to eliminating or relieving symptoms, but to actually improving overall organ and immune functions that offer the client more ease of movement and ultimately a better quality of life.
Finding Qi (chee) in the Pulses
As a means of diagnosis, ancients developed a system of determining the quality and mobility of Qi, or life energy in each person, by palpation of the 9 pulses on each wrist, which is still used today. By observing the qualities of each pulse, practitioners ascertain which channels of life energy are weak or overly strong and treat accordingly. This information may also be used to monitor the effects of the treatment.
To correct the imbalances in specified channels, very fine needles are gently inserted into specific points along the meridians. Stimulation at these points facilitates movement of Qi, or life energy. When this energy flows freely, pain is relieved and health is maintained.
