Acupuncture
Acupuncture involves the
insertion of extremely thin needles through your skin at strategic points of
your body. A key component of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is most
commonly used to treat pain.
Traditional Chinese
medicine explains acupuncture as a technique for balancing the flow of energy
or life force-known as qi or chi- believed to flow through pathways in your
body. By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians,
acupuncture practitioners believe that your energy will re-balance.
In contrast, many Western
practitioners view the acupuncture points as places to stimulate nerves,
muscles and connective tissue. Some believe that this stimulation boosts your
body’s painkillers and increases blood flow.
