There can be a period of exacerbation of symptoms for the first 24 hours as with any form of body treatment and the therapeutic benefits of treatment can then take up to three days to kick in. The number and frequency of treatments depends on several factors including the duration of your present disorder, your age, constitution and individual health goal. However usually 10-15 treatments are recommended to achieve the full effects of Acupuncture.

Lung, Large Intestine, Stomach, Spleen, Heart, Small Intestine, Bladder, Kidney, Pericardium, Triple Heater, Gall Bladder and Liver.

They are named after the organs or systems that according to TCM they are thought to influence. In TCM there is believed to be a cyclical flow of qi from one meridian to the next every two hours.

Acupuncture points can usually be felt in the body tissues as areas of depression or hardness and are usually associated with tenderness.  These points are mostly located along the acupuncture meridians and have been mapped out on Acupuncture Charts thousands of years ago by the founders of Acupuncture, the ancient Chinese.

The practitioner may also stimulate the acupuncture points using other methods including Moxibustion (warming & stimulation of a point via the burning of a Chinese herb called Moxa), Cupping (suction cups made of pyrex glass or plastic and applied to the skin), Laser Therapy, Electro-Stimulation, Acupressure/Shiatsu & Massage, in order to re-establish the flow of Qi.

Currently, there is not one western scientific theory that collaboratively explains all of the physiological mechanisms underlying the effects of Acupuncture. This is because Acupuncture has a variety of therapeutic effects on the body thus the action must vary depending on the type of pathology. However it is proposed that acupuncture primarily produces its effects through regulating the nervous system. Regulation of the nervous system aids the activity of pain-killing biochemicals such as endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites in the body. In addition, studies have shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones. These affect the parts of the central nervous system related to sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes that regulate a person’s blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature.

In summary, scientists have deduced a number of theories from observing a number of individual clinical effects of acupuncture treatment. These theories and the observed clinical effects on which the theories are based can be summarised as the following:

Augmentation of Immunity Theory - Increased Immune Function & Resistance to Disease

Endorphin Theory - Reduction of Pain

Neurotransmitter Theory - Inflammation Reduction & Promotion of Feelings of Well Being

Circulatory Theory - Improved Circulation & Smooth Muscle Relaxation

Gate Control Theory - Increased Pain Tolerance

Motor Gate Theory - Hasten Motor Recovery from Paralysis

Homeostatic or Regulatory Effect - Regulation of Body’s Homeostasis to Disease or Abnormal Conditions

Bioelectric Theory - Stimulation of cells of tissue growth & repair

Nervous System Theories - Central nervous system, spinal & peripheral nerve stimulation, resulting in some of the above-mentioned effects.

In the TCM system of medicine, the body is seen as a delicate balance of two opposing and inseparable forces: yin and yang. Yin represents the cold, slow, or passive principle, while yang represents the hot, excited, or active principle.

TCM likens the human body to a highly complex electrical circuit. Like any electrical circuit it must be kept in good working order if it is to function effectively, and if the circuit breaks down the result is illness. Among the major assumptions in TCM are that health is achieved by maintaining the body in a “balanced state” and that disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (pronounced “chee”, meaning vital energy) along pathways known as meridians.

TCM theorises that it is essential for qi, as well as blood to circulate in a continuous and unobstructed manner for good health of the mind and body. Acupuncture meridians or channels are the pathways through which the energy flows throughout the body. Acupuncture points lie along the meridians and are the holes that allow entry into the acupuncture meridians. The acupuncture points provide gateways to influence, redirect, increase, or decrease body’s vital substances, qi (energy) & blood, thus correcting many of the body’s imbalances.

The theoretical concepts on which Traditional Chinese Medicine is based can be divided into 5 areas. These can be summarised as:

I. Philosophical – The Yin & Yang Theory & the 5 Element Theory

II. Morphological – Zang Fu (Organ) Theory, Meridian Theory & Theory of Fundamental Substances.

III. Pathological – Theory of Exogenous Pathogenic Factors & Theory of Internal Pathology from imbalances in yin & yang caused by lifestyle or emotions.

IV. Diagnostic – Observation, Questioning, Palpation

V. Therapeutic – Needling techniques, Moxibustion & Herbs.

Acupuncture was introduced into western medicine in the 1950’s and 60’s and has gradually become more accepted, as research has shed light on the mechanisms underlying its effects on the human body. NextPage >>