ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture is a complementary medicine that improves the body’s functions and promotes the natural self-healing process by stimulating specific anatomic acupuncture points, or acupoints. The most common method used to stimulate acupoints is the insertion of fine, sterile needles into the skin. Pressure, heat, or electrical stimulation may further enhance the effects. Other acupoint stimulation techniques include manual massage (Tui Na), moxibustion or heat therapy, cupping, and herbal medicines.
Acupuncture therapy can release blockages (stagnant qi, your vital force) in the body and stimulate function, evoking the body’s natural healing response through various physiological systems. Modern research has demonstrated acupuncture’s effects on the nervous system, endocrine and immune systems, cardiovascular system, and digestive system. By stimulating the body’s various systems, acupuncture can help to resolve pain, improve sleep, improve digestive function, and sense of well-being.
Hundreds of research studies on the benefits of acupuncture show that it successfully treats conditions ranging from musculoskeletal problems (back pain, neck pain, and others) to nausea, migraine headache, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and infertility.
