Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine

Acupuncture and herbal medicine are the main treatment modalities of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which dates back more than 2500 years. They promote wellness by enhancing the natural self-healing of the body based on smooth flow of Qi (pronounced “chee”), the bioenergy that flows along the acupuncture channels and permeates the entire body. Diagnosis and the path for healing with TCM are determined after the practitioner takes a thorough medical history and examines the patient’s pulse and tongue.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of sterilized, disposable, and very fine stainless steel needles into specific acupuncture points in the body with the goal of releasing any energetic stagnation or blockages that might cause pain or disease. These energetic imbalances can be caused by trauma, stress, lack of sleep, lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, excessive emotions, medications, environmental toxins and conditions, and hereditary factors, to name a few.

According to the National Institutes of Health, acupuncture can be used to treat asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, headache, lower back pain, menstrual cramps, myofascial (muscle) pain, osteoarthritis, and tennis elbow and is effective in stroke rehabilitation. Current research indicates that chronic and acute pain, depression, gynecological disorders, hypertension, and sleep disorders also respond well to acupuncture treatment.

The frequency and number of treatments necessary depend on the nature of the condition and vary from patient to patient. Chronic problems usually require a series of treatments, whereas acute conditions can be resolved more quickly. Acupuncture is also used as a preventative treatment to maintain wellness. Most people find the acupuncture treatments to be very relaxing.

Recent research has demonstrated that acupuncture can directly affect neuronal input to the brain that subsequently results in positive physiological changes within the living body.

Chinese herbal medicine consists of individually-prescribed formulas that usually have between two and eighteen different ingredients.

Herbals come in the form of teas, pills, powders, granules, capsules, and tinctures and are recommended by the practitioner according to the patient’s condition. Herbal medicines, just like acupuncture, enhance the body’s self-healing abilities and are effective in treating a wide variety of different disorders.