Acupuncture (TCM)

What Is It?

Chinese Medicine evolved over thousands of years. It is a safe and effective way to diagnose, treat, and prevent illness using the primary modalities of Acupuncture and herbs.
 

Acupuncture deals with the energetic truth of our system. It consists of inserting fine, sterile needles at specific points on the body to balance our energetic flow that travels along meridians (channels) throughout the body. The aim of acupuncture is to restore vital blood and nutrient flow, enhance digestive and immune function; relieve pain, and promote tissue healing.
 

Our body’s interrelated systems lose harmony due to stress, emotions, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, over-working, or exposure to pathogenic microorganisms. TCM uses metaphors derived from generations of practitioners bearing witness to the organic nature of our life on earth, such as wind, heat, dampness, fire, cold, or a combination of these to describe inequality (illness) and balance (wellness). Other metaphors such as fire, earth, water, metal, wood, and yin/yang and qi (chee) also describe the character of homeostasis and imbalance.
 

Herbal Medicine could be considered more substantive to the system. Herbs can function to rebuild or tonify the system, release heat, imbue warmth, move stagnant blood and qi amongst a long list of uses. The Chinese have offered a superior detailed history of the function/use of herbs.
 

The 4 year graduate program that a US trained acupuncturist attends include Chinese medical theory, acupuncture theory and technique, herbology, and Western medicine. In California, practitioners must pass a rigorous examination to become licensed.

 

 What TCM Treats

Acupuncture is recognized by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to be effective in the treatment of a variety of medical conditions. Here are a slight few categories that are addressed with Chinese medicine: