Health

In recent years, Oriental medicine has been growing in popularity, forcing many in the Western medical community to sit up and take notice.  Fifteen years ago, if you asked your primary care physician about acupuncture, he or she might have laughed you out of their office. Today, their responses have changed to something more accepting.  While most will readily admit they don’t understand this ancient practice, there is a growing body of research that indicates it works for many conditions.

How Does Acupuncture Work?

The practice of acupuncture originated thousands of years ago in China with the use of stones.  It operates on the theory that energy, known as “chi” in the East — similar to bio-electricity in the West — must flow freely in the body.  If there is a blockage, organs will not receive enough energy to function properly, leading to disease. Acupuncture seeks to open these blockages, allowing the body to heal itself.  This is done by inserting very thin needles into combinations of points along fourteen energy pathways that cover the body.  These pathways are called meridians.

Why Should You Use It?

The following five points offer compelling reasons to consider using acupuncture.