What is Acupuncture?

As our Chinese instructors often reminded us, we learn just enough in school to stick our toes in the vast waters of Chinese Medicine. But as a "newbie", I think I can honestly say that struggling to survive has imparted some perspective on what people really know about acupuncture.

That happens when you're not just trying to heal people but also bring them into your office!

It's odd to fall into an educator's role. You have to, however. Acupuncture - not to mention the rest of Chinese Medicine - remains a mystery to most people.

In general, they've heard of it. That's about all. Some decide right away that they want nothing to do with a bunch of needles. Their stubborness is as firm as the faces on Mount Rushmore. But that still leaves a lot of people who are curious enough to have a chat, listen to an off-hand remark about acupuncture's benefits or on the rare occasion, engage in an extended conversation about Chinese Medicine. So here goes. I'll likely be revisiting this subject a lot, especially what it's like to actually get needled:

For starters, acupuncture is unique way of accessing the body.

When you stick needles in a person, you're trying to access their personal energy. Doing so allows us to treat ANY part of the body.

That sounds a bit freaky to many people. But if you hang on there's a scientific side to all this.

Thousands of years ago, the ancient Chinese began noticing that the body reacted in profound ways when touched in specific point on the arms, legs, hips, abdomen, chest and head. They developed a system of energy channels connecting every part of us - from organs and muscles to skin.

Acupuncture taps into all that. And since the ancient Chinese believed the world operated by an infinite energy force they called "Qi", the goal of acupuncture and the rest of Chinese Medicine became an effort to balance this universal energy. Nothing in the annals of western science changes the fact that the body is a natural entity that's interconnected with everything else. Just look at how we catch colds - an immune system breakdown - or develop diseases from contact with pollution - an overwhelming attack on the immune system. It gets more complicated than this, but from a basic Chinese Medicine perspective, they're dangerous energetic imbalances.

What may surprise many is that as the second half of the last century rolled around, the Chinese began testing their medicine scientifically. Over the years, they and counterparts in the Western world - including the United States - discovered many fascinating qualities about acupuncture. Like the fact that it releases endorphins, serotonin and opioids. It's a major reason acupuncture helps treat pain and emotions. Brain research is showing how acupuncture stimulates various parts of our nervous system, the part of our body that determines how we respond to the world around us through the regulation of hormones, gasses and enzymes. With a little patience, you can find it all on the Internet.

In other words, science does not conflict with Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture is just another approach. It works differently than modern medication and surgery. As a quick fix for many issues, especially the complicated ones that have been around for months and years, you'll be disappointed. Think fibromyalgia. But one of the major benefits is that it works naturally. More and more people these days have seen the drawbacks of viewing the body as a machine that can be tweaked with surgery and pharmaceuticals. They want natural healing. Acupuncture, herbs and other aspects of Chinese Medicine offer that alternative.