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A
Brief Introduction to Acupuncture
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In North America acupuncture is considered a new, "alternative"
medicine when in fact it is thought to have been practiced for five
thousand years. The oldest medical texts are those which discuss
acupuncture. Acupuncture is the insertion of very fine needles (approx.
.25mm to .5mm diameter) on the body's surface which influence the
physiological functioning of the body.The acupuncture needles Dr.
Mezei utilizes are sterile, used only once, and discarded. Alcohol
is used to sterilize the points prior to insertion. The needles
are solid, not hollow, so they do not cause a large hole in the
skin as when blood is being drawn from a vein. Bleeding from acupuncture
is in fact rare.
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The
theory behind acupuncture, according to Chinese medicine, is that
the body has an energy force running throughout it, referred to as
Qi (pronounced Chee). A person's health is influenced by the flow
of Qi in the body. A Qi imbalance, interruption, or insufficiency,
which in turn leads to a yin and yang imbalance, which may lead to
illness. If this sounds confusing that's because it is, especially
for those of us raised in a Western culture. Acupuncture (and chiropractic
theory to some extent) is based on abstract concepts of energy (Qi)
and life force which animate the cells of the body while Western medicine
(and to some extent chiropractic once again!) focus on the physical
substance of the body. |
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Acupuncture is thought to restore a balanced Qi flow throughout the
body. Western medicine theorizes that acupuncture may be successful
because it stimulates endorphin production, affects neurotransmitter
levels, causes vasodilator release, affects anti-body levels, and
blocks or unblocks pain and motor "gates". To get away from the technical
explanations, the bottom line is that much like chiropractic, acupuncture
is utilized on humans (and animals) because it is effective, regardless
of what the explanation is you choose to believe. |
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