What Is Acupuncture and How Can It Help You?

Article submitted by Lynn E. Schwab, Licensed Acupuncturist.
For more information, she can be reached at 303-456-1660.

Acupuncture is one of the main forms of therapy in Chinese/Oriental Medicine and has been used for over 2000 years to restore health. To understand how acupuncture works, we need to talk about how we view the body. We think of the body as very energetic with this magical thing that makes us alive, our life force, flowing through pathways in the body. We call this Qi. When someone has an illness, pain, or just doesn't feel good, that is because the Qi is not flowing properly or is obstructed. Acupuncture points are used to balance the flow of Qi.

Acupuncture is very safe and uses fine, thin, sterile needles, which are disposable. There is very little discomfort with mostly minor risks involved such as possible lightheadedness or bleeding (like when you get your blood drawn). Acupuncture needles are left in the body for about 20-40 minutes while the patient rests comfortably on a massage table.

According to the World Health Organization, acupuncture can treat: low back/neck/knee/postoperative pain, sciatica, tennis elbow, headache, TMJ, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, depression, digestive disorders such as epigastric pain, peptic ulcer disease, and gastritis; stroke, dental pain, nausea/vomiting, and allergic rhinitis. Acupuncture is also very good in helping with anxiety and stress relief, as well as other chronic problems. However, just as with Western Medicine, acupuncture cannot 'cure' everything.