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North Lakes Evergreen Centre
Shop 11, 12-18 Discovery Drive,
North Lakes, QLD
North Lakes Evergreen Centre
Shop 11, 12-18 Discovery Drive,
North Lakes, QLD
Acupuncture has been part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years. It involves inserting fine needles into specific points on the skin or applying various other techniques to the acupuncture points to bring about healing.
The foundation of Chinese acupuncture is the belief in an energy force called Qi (pronounced ‘chee’). This energy, or life force, circulates around the body through invisible channels called meridians.
If the flow of Qi in the meridians is disrupted, then disease may follow. By inserting fine needles into particular acupuncture points, the disruption can be corrected and the flow of Qi restored.
Acupuncture is becoming an ever more popular natural therapy but how exactly does it work? Read on to find out more about this amazing therapy.
Acupuncture can be useful in assisting many conditions, including those listed below…
How Does Acupuncture Work?
Acupuncture works by utilising specific points on the body that act as gateways into the body’s energy systems. These points, when stimulated, allow the practitioner to correct imbalances and restore harmony, not only to the affected area, but to the body as a whole. Acupuncture can be used to help improve a person’s natural healing abilities, to help with recovery from disease or illness and as a preventative measure in order to keep a person in good health.
Medically, acupuncture works by regulating the various systems in the body, such as the hormonal, nervous, immune, circulatory, respiratory, and muscular systems. It appears that acupuncture stimulates specific nerve points throughout the body, with these points sending messages back to the brain, which then alters the pain and hormonal systems in response. It can also raise or lower blood pressure, increase the amount of disease fighting white cells in the body, and stimulate cell growth.
The Gate Control Theory of Pain
According to a theory known as the “gate control theory of pain”, pain signals must go through a number of high-traffic “gates” as they move from the area of injury up through the spinal cord into the brain. These nerves can only handle a certain number of nerve signals at any one time and they travel slowly. The body can generate other signals which move faster, crowding out the slower ones due to the limited number of signals that the nerves can carry. By producing enough fast signals, the slower pain signals are crowded out. Acupuncture creates this competing stimulus or fast signals and effectively blocks the pain signals from reaching the brain.
The Electrical Theory of Pain
Another theory known as the “electrical theory of pain” says that the body continually generates tiny but detectable electrical discharges. This electrical field influences the growth, maturation, and functioning of some types of cells. Studies have shown that acupuncture points are concentrated in areas of low electrical resistance, and that there is a correlation between the electromagnetic fields in the body and the energy channels or meridians. The electrical theory of acupuncture therefore suggests that acupuncture works by influencing the body’s electromagnetic fields. Acupuncture points have certain electrical properties and stimulating these points alters the chemical neurotransmitters in the body.
During a treatment, one or more thin, monofilament needles are inserted into a muscle trigger point. A trigger point is a local bank of tight, irritable, and dysfunctional muscle patterns. Trigger points can disrupt your muscle function, restrict your range of motion or cause pain and tenderness. Dry Needling can decrease muscle tightness, increase blood flow, and reduce pain.