Acupuncture is a modality within the umbrella of East-Asian medicine, a system of treatment with 4000 years of empirical evidence. Originally documented around 200 BCE in the Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine (Huang Di Nei Jing), acupuncture refers to the stimulation of strategic points along meridians in the body that pass through various organs, glands, vessels, and tissues. These meridians closely follow lines of fascia that encase and separate organ systems, whose collagen-rich consistency serve as a conductor of electricity within the fascial lines. When points are stimulated, an electrical signal is sent through the meridian to the areas of the body it passes through, allowing the blood, fluids, and energy (known as qi) to gather and correct themselves.

 

Think of an acupuncture point as a tiny light switch in a grand theater hall- when you flip the switch by the door you turn on a light on the stage. Although you can't see the wires, they exist underneath the surface.

 

East-Asian medicine (EAM) is a system of healthcare that has been proven to treat many ailments, from the common cold to chronic pain to psycho-emotional disorders. As practitioners we are rigorously trained to identify patterns of disharmony rather than rely solely on Western diagnosis - meaning no two treatments are alike even if the diagnosis is the same. We treat the patient in front of us, as they are today, paying close attention to the physiological signs your body is giving about what it needs to get back to balanced health. Because of EAM's pattern-based approach to diagnosis and treatment, it is a strong complement to Western medicine interventions as EAM supports the body's ability to assimilate pharmaceuticals and recover from medical procedures.

 

Acupuncture is just one of many highly effective modalities in the East-Asian Medicine toolbox. Below is a summarized list of what else you may find in any East-Asian medicine treatment: