What is Acupuncture?
What is this voodoo?
Do the needles hurt?
What can acupuncture do for me?
If these are questions you find yourself asking when your friends show off those circular bruise cup marks on their backs, keep reading because have I got some good stuff for you!
Describing exactly what acupuncture is could take a lifetime, but in a nutshell it’s a way to bring our body into alignment, in every sense of the word.
When we needle, we’re creating a micro-injury or a local histamine response. This means that blood cells begin collecting around the area of the needle, trying to heal this little pinprick with a small amount of inflammation. Basically saying, “Hey! Over here! Bring support!”. The attention that’s brought to the area of the needle can be wide spread or super localized, which allows for a small or big impact on the issue at hand.
For example, our friend Steve was throwing a ball to his kid and overextended himself…again…tsk tsk Steve…This overextension has led to some shoulder pain, maybe an old rotator cuff tear is rearing its ugly head, and it seems to just not want to heal. So Steve comes in for needles a bit later…needles go into his shoulders, surround the injury and essentially point like arrows at his pain. The brain sees this and responds by sending more blood and energy to that area, in an attempt to heal the micro injuries from the needles. On the way, the support team sees a rotator cuff man down! So they send reinforcements there too…now the shoulder has a greater chance of healing with all the support.
Now, it’s not fair to get mad at Steve for his overexertion…he was just playing! However, Steve is lacking nourishment overall which is the reason he was able to overextend in the first place… and the reason he keeps re-injuring himself. Steve asks what he can do about this. We tell him that regular treatment will help his body increase its capacity to nourish itself. He agrees…a few weeks later and his stamina increased, his injuries heal faster and he has more energy to play ball with his kiddo. Yay for Steve!
Okay, onto the question regarding the pain of acupuncture; does it hurt? Remember when you were young and the doctor pricked your finger? Well…it’s WAY less than that. Sure, there can be a slight pinch when a needle breaks the skin but chances are you won’t be jumping off the table. Some patients even say they barely feel the needles!
Next question please!
What can acupuncture do for you? Well, (almost) everything! It can treat a range of ailments from the common cold to anxiety. The theory of Chinese Medicine connects many aspects of our health, some we never thought were related. Like Steve for example, his ‘lack of nourishment’ also probably led to him suffering from fatigue, anxiety, muscle weakness, and maybe even poor memory. Bringing his body back into alignment allows a better flow of resources throughout which can have a dramatic impact on all of his symptoms!
Many of us don’t know what having our whole body in balance feels like…but imagine barely having physical complaints and feeling grounded and calm more often than not. Who could say no to that?!
