We call it a healthcare ‘system’ because it has been studied, developed, and practiced for over 3000 years. There are 365 Acupuncture points on the main 12 meridians (also called channels), and each meridian is associated with an organ such as the ‘liver meridian’ or ‘heart meridian’. Like western medicine, we look into the functions of each organ and it’s relationship to the whole. What is unique to Chinese medicine is that we also look into associated emotions, relational, and functional problems as well. It’s like combining medicine with poetry. While it’s true that we all have a liver, a heart, lungs, etc., all of the things in life that influence their function is different for everyone. For example if someone is suffering from insomnia, a rapid heart rate and an inability to relax, we would want to reduce the amount of heat in the heart, because heat causes agitation, resulting in these symptoms. By inserting fine sterile needles into acupuncture points, we improve the function of the organs by redirecting the flow of energy called Qi (pronounced chee).
In a typical day at my office I work with insomnia, digestive issues, anxiety, headaches, hot flashes, all types of physical pain, and many stress related disorders. What I love the most is knowing how many years it has taken to develop this system, and that we are using something with a very long and intricate history to effect modern problems.
