Acupuncture points are central to the practice of acupuncture. Numbered sequentially from 1 to 41 (large points), and from 1 to 33 (small points), they are studied by licensed acupuncturists to effectively treat their patients. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a system of 20 lines connecting acupoints or meridians through which qi flows. According to TCM, all diseases are a result of disruptions in the flow of this qi or life force.
In all, there are over 360 acupuncture points which can be used for stimulation. When fine needles are inserted into these points, the flow of energy through those points can be either interrupted or strengthened. By directing this energy, many health problems can be healed or improved. Tender acupuncture points may indicate area of abnormal energy flow.
If, like most people, you have a fear of needles, you've probably avoided acupuncture as a healing modality. You'll be glad to know, however, that the needles used in acupuncture are so fine that they are painless in the vast majority of cases. And since they are only inserted millimeters deep, they do not draw blood. Licensed acupuncturists have hundreds of hours of training, making them quite adept at making acupuncture sessions as pain-free as possible. When a needle's insertion is felt in rare instances, the sensation is so mild that it resembles only a minor bite from an insect such as a mosquito. So fear not; acupuncture is not a masochistic exercise but a health-producing one.
The paths or flows of energy, called meridians, formed between acupuncture points are still being mapped out by Western science. The challenge of this task lies in the fact that the meridians don't correspond closely to the established nerve or blood pathways already mapped out by Western medicine. Some scientists are beginning to think that the meridians are located throughout the body's connective tissue.
However, Western scientists have gathered data suggesting acupuncture points are strategic conductors of electromagnetic signals. The Gate Theory supposes that pain signals must pass through high traffic "gates" as they move from an area of pain or injury through the spinal cord and to the brain. Like streets or freeways, there is a limited to the amount of traffic or signals that these gates can carry.
To continue with the streets and alleys metaphor, some signals are given a higher clearance than normal signals such as pain. These higher priority/clearance are like emergency vehicles - ambulances, police cars, fire trucks - which supersede the slower, lower priority signals in their quest to reach the brain. These super signals may even bump the slower signals off the road altogether, preventing them from ever reaching the brain. Acupuncture may generate these priority signals, which crowd out pain signals because of the limited throughput of the nerves. The acupuncture signals may not only diminish the speed and severity of the pain signals, they may actually prevent them from being received by the brain at all. Acupuncture may also trigger the release of chemicals and hormones which reduce pain, and they may also alert the immune system to pay special attention to certain part of the body's roads.
Experimental and clinical evidence has found that acupuncture not only inhibits pain but also has a direct effect on circulation, blood pressure, blood cell production, and the immune system. It is believed that acupuncture points stimulate the brain and spinal cord to release chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord and brain, altering brain chemistry in a positive way.
Does acupuncture work through the body's bio-electric field? Will the meridians one day be mapped by Western tools? Whatever the answer, and whenever Western medicine finally validates the medical knowledge of TCM, there is more than sufficient evidence to show that acupuncture is as effective as Western medicine in relieving many ills and diseases. Does acupuncture do this by actually harmonizing the balance of yin and yang in the body, as TCM suggests, or by some other means? Regardless of the final answer, acupuncture produces amazing results. - 16463
In all, there are over 360 acupuncture points which can be used for stimulation. When fine needles are inserted into these points, the flow of energy through those points can be either interrupted or strengthened. By directing this energy, many health problems can be healed or improved. Tender acupuncture points may indicate area of abnormal energy flow.
If, like most people, you have a fear of needles, you've probably avoided acupuncture as a healing modality. You'll be glad to know, however, that the needles used in acupuncture are so fine that they are painless in the vast majority of cases. And since they are only inserted millimeters deep, they do not draw blood. Licensed acupuncturists have hundreds of hours of training, making them quite adept at making acupuncture sessions as pain-free as possible. When a needle's insertion is felt in rare instances, the sensation is so mild that it resembles only a minor bite from an insect such as a mosquito. So fear not; acupuncture is not a masochistic exercise but a health-producing one.
The paths or flows of energy, called meridians, formed between acupuncture points are still being mapped out by Western science. The challenge of this task lies in the fact that the meridians don't correspond closely to the established nerve or blood pathways already mapped out by Western medicine. Some scientists are beginning to think that the meridians are located throughout the body's connective tissue.
However, Western scientists have gathered data suggesting acupuncture points are strategic conductors of electromagnetic signals. The Gate Theory supposes that pain signals must pass through high traffic "gates" as they move from an area of pain or injury through the spinal cord and to the brain. Like streets or freeways, there is a limited to the amount of traffic or signals that these gates can carry.
To continue with the streets and alleys metaphor, some signals are given a higher clearance than normal signals such as pain. These higher priority/clearance are like emergency vehicles - ambulances, police cars, fire trucks - which supersede the slower, lower priority signals in their quest to reach the brain. These super signals may even bump the slower signals off the road altogether, preventing them from ever reaching the brain. Acupuncture may generate these priority signals, which crowd out pain signals because of the limited throughput of the nerves. The acupuncture signals may not only diminish the speed and severity of the pain signals, they may actually prevent them from being received by the brain at all. Acupuncture may also trigger the release of chemicals and hormones which reduce pain, and they may also alert the immune system to pay special attention to certain part of the body's roads.
Experimental and clinical evidence has found that acupuncture not only inhibits pain but also has a direct effect on circulation, blood pressure, blood cell production, and the immune system. It is believed that acupuncture points stimulate the brain and spinal cord to release chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord and brain, altering brain chemistry in a positive way.
Does acupuncture work through the body's bio-electric field? Will the meridians one day be mapped by Western tools? Whatever the answer, and whenever Western medicine finally validates the medical knowledge of TCM, there is more than sufficient evidence to show that acupuncture is as effective as Western medicine in relieving many ills and diseases. Does acupuncture do this by actually harmonizing the balance of yin and yang in the body, as TCM suggests, or by some other means? Regardless of the final answer, acupuncture produces amazing results. - 16463
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Since 1998, Evolve Wellness has been helping patients treat migraines, HIV, infertility, depression, and addiction. Our Los Angeles Acupuncture Center has helped hundreds in the Los Angeles Area regain their health and well-being. Our talented and caring team of Los Angeles Acupuncturists is ready to help you overcome your health issues. Call or visit us today.
