Learn what Chinese Medicine is, how it sees the body, and what actually happens when you come in for a typical acupuncture session.
Chinese medicine is estimated to be at least five thousand years old. Still a relatively new concept in Western society, Chinese Medicine is a complete medical system that naturally treats ailments and disorders of all kinds.
Many people think of it for pain management or stress relief, but it is also incredibly effective in treating all of our biological systems. Patients see clinicians for many issues, including those of the respiratory, reproductive, digestive, circulatory, skeletal, nervous and endocrine systems. We can balance and heal these systems through various techniques and treatments.
Explore the PhilosophyChinese Medicine is proven by modern science now, but it is based on ancient Taoist philosophy. You can find a lot of studies supporting acupuncture’s effectiveness online, but our passion and discussion here is more in its medical art.
Classical Medicine was formed in an agrarian society in which people lived very closely with nature. Our bodies represent the microcosm, and the planet represents the macrocosm. We reflect the world at large and can live in harmony by following the laws of nature that are intricately mapped out through Chinese Medicine.
Like other mammals, we are affected by seasons, weather, microbes, and other natural phenomenon.
At the core of Chinese Medicine is the theory of yin and yang. This is a simple, yet very profound concept that represents all aspects of life.
The heart muscle and chambers themselves are yin, but that which makes the heart beat and the blood pump is yang. These forces depend on one another to maintain life. Indeed, yin and yang represent opposite qualities, but they are also complementary.
Night turns into day. A seed grows into a plant. Each phenomenon can be itself and its opposite. This poetic theory infuses beauty and completion into Chinese Medicine.
As the individual organs cannot work properly without balanced yin and yang, our bodies cannot work properly without balanced mind, body, and spirit. The physical and etheric forces cannot be separated, which is why Chinese Medicine is truly a “holistic” medicine. It treats the whole person.
Chinese Medicine, as a practice, is made up of five modalities. Each one is an entire healing system on its own. Together, they are even more powerful.
You’re more than likely visiting our site because you’re interested in acupuncture. It’s the most popular modality in the Western world and arguably, the most acutely powerful. It works by moving our qi, which is translated as our living energy. Our qi then affects the biochemistry of our body.
Living energy surrounds us daily, from the positive and negative charges of our cells to the very force of gravity. There are channels or vessels filled with qi that run all throughout our body. It courses up and down and from the deepest level of our viscera and bones, to the medial level of our blood and body fluids, to the superficial level of our muscles and skin.
Along these channels lie hundreds of points where the qi gathers. Most of us cannot see them, but we can feel them. Each of these points has a name and a function. When activated with pressure, heat, or hair-thin needles, these points give our body specific messages.
Each channel courses through certain body parts and organs. Each channel also houses connections to certain emotions and mental processes. As such, an acupuncturist may stimulate a point on your foot to treat a headache, a point on your wrist to treat anxiety, or a point on your knee to treat your organs.
Acupuncture points affect the yin and yang of the channels and the organs. It is your acupuncturist’s job to choose the best possible points to send the clearest messages to your body.
Each of us is different so the messages we send must be different. A brilliant part of Chinese Medicine is that it treats the individual, not the disease.
Continue to A Typical SessionHerbal medicine is another intricate, profoundly-healing modality. For thousands of years, the Chinese have used and perfected the art of combining and dosing different herbs found in nature.
Chinese herbal medicine has created a system in which, based on the complexity of each herb, these natural ingredients are combined into a formula to address a condition. By treating the condition with an herbal formula versus a single herb, you are able to strengthen the therapeutic effect, eliminate side effects, and harmonize the body as a whole.
Herbs may be given in a tea form or in capsules, pills, or tinctures that you simply swallow with water. They can be prescribed in conjunction with acupuncture treatment or as a therapy on their own.
Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, famously stated “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” While current allopathic medicine does not stress the importance of what we eat, diet is the primary form of therapy in Chinese Medicine.
Tropical fruits are grown in hot climates and when eaten will, therefore, increase heat in the body.
Sour foods cause us to “pucker up” and when ingested, will help the body hold on.
Shoots and sprouts grow straight upward and can help send energy up to the head.
Purple and dark red foods like beets and berries will nourish the similarly colored blood in our body.
Tui means to push and Na means to squeeze. This modality is a form of massage that is especially wonderful as acupressure. Patients can learn certain motions on certain points and channels that are beneficial for their conditions.
This therapy is wonderful to teach to family members to treat one another at home. Tui na excellent for children, whose energy moves easily, or for those who are afraid of needles.
Qi gong means energy devotion or effort. Meditation is a form of qi gong. We devote our energy to go within and quiet our mind.
There are many forms of simple, but purposeful movements to affect each organ and each physiological system. By practicing these exercises, we attune our vibration of self-healing.
All five modalities of Chinese Medicine treat a condition based on the same philosophy and diagnosis, which allow them to work synchronistically. Acupuncture offers the most powerful kick-start to healing by sending very strong, specific messages to the body. All the other modalities will continue the healing when you are no longer on the table.
Combining the best therapies for each individual can speed up the healing process by stimulating the mind and body from different angles. Our practitioners, Megan and Kristia, recognize the power of their acupuncture and herbal treatments and the importance of home care.
Every session is calm, thorough, and personalized around your health history, symptoms, energetic pattern, and healing goals.
When you come in for a session, you’ll fill out a thorough form asking about your health history and current symptoms. Seemingly unrelated issues often stem from the same root in Chinese Medicine. When you meet with your practitioner, you will discuss all your issues.
Your practitioner will look at your tongue and read your pulses. Acupuncturists place their fingers on your radial artery, but they’re not only feeling for the rate of the heart. Each finger position represents the energy of different organs. Similarly, your tongue represents a map of the body and gives clues about what’s going on internally.
The acupuncturists will discuss their findings with you and then you’ll lie down on a comfortable massage table. Very fine, sterilized, stainless steel needles will be inserted into various points on energy channels throughout the body. These filiform needles are very gentle and are often compared to animal whiskers in their flexibility and gauge.
Most patients don’t feel the needles themselves, but instead may feel their own qi or “living energy” as it’s activated. This can be felt as a burst of energy, a pulling sensation, an electrical charge, a pulse in the muscle, etc. It’s difficult to explain the qi sensation, but amazing to experience.
After anywhere from about three to thirty needles are placed on your body, you will rest with them in for twenty to forty minutes. Acupuncture releases endorphins that are immediately relaxing. Many patients fall asleep and, regardless of their main complaint, leave the session feeling a sense of euphoria.
Patients often wonder how many treatments they’ll need, but it’s very hard to say. Acupuncture treats the individual, not the symptom and as our personal stories are all incredibly different, so is the way we heal. Many acute symptoms improve immediately, while chronic issues that have created complicated patterns in the body often need multiple treatments.
Many insurance companies are now offering acupuncture benefits so call our lovely office assistant to see if you are covered.
