Two of the most common questions about acupuncture are: “What is it?” and “How does it work?” Let’s shed some light on these very good questions.

What is it?

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical therapy that dates back over 2000 years. It involves the gentle insertion of hair-thin needles into specific points on the body to stimulate your body’s own natural healing ability.

How does it work?

Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that energy, called Qi (pronounced “chee”), runs in pathways throughout your body. These energy pathways are like rivers that flow and nourish the tissues.

Your Qi, or energy rivers, flow smoothly when you are healthy. Pain, illness, and disease arise when you get blockages in the flow of energy. These blockages can be due to things like injuries, stress, and overexertion. The purpose of acupuncture is to unblock the obstructions and re-establish the regular flow of energy, thus restoring your body’s health and balance.

The modern explanation is that acupuncture stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These chemicals can act as your body’s own natural pain killers or they may act to trigger the release of other chemicals which influence your autonomic nervous system.

With such wide ranging effects on your body, acupuncture can be effective in dealing with a variety of ailments. Pain in the body, neurological disorders, stress related illness, and many other problems may be reasons why you would consider acupuncture.

Stefanie Moser, Dr. Micheline Joubran, and Dr. Mathieu Turgeon offer contemporary medical acupuncture while Dr. Joanne  Dawe offers the more traditional Chinese acupuncture.  If you are wondering if acupuncture can help you, feel free to call or email the clinic.