Acupuncture is a Chinese therapy dating back thousands of years. The basic premise lies in maintaining the free flow of “Qi” throughout the body. Qi is the body’s “vital energy” that flows through the meridians or channels. Any obstruction to the flow of Qi, imbalance, or shortage of Qi, disturbs the state of harmony or balance in the body, producing pain and disease states. Acupuncture utilizes the insertion of sterile needles at specific points on the body to restore Qi and maintain its free flow in the body.
The goal of treatment is to relieve pain and inflammation, increase circulation to the area, and promote healing. Research is ongoing to determine how and why Acupuncture treatment works. It is thought that the needles influence the nervous system and promote the release of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals), which effect numerous functions in the body, such as muscle contractions. Endorphin, the body’s natural pain killer, is also released and blocks pain signals in the body from reaching the brain.
Acupuncture can be used to treat almost all types of patients and is beneficial for a wide variety of conditions, including:
• Neck and back pain: disc herniations, strains/sprains, arthritis
• Headaches: migraine headache, tension headache
• Fibromyalgia
• Shoulder conditions: rotator cuff syndrome, impingement, thoracic outlet syndrome, frozen shoulder
• Knee conditions: arthritis, patellar tendonitis
• Neurological conditions: carpal tunnel syndrome, bell’s palsy, trigeminal neuralgia
