How does acupuncture work?

How does acupuncture work?

-By Hong Jin, L.Ac.

Acupuncture is a method of encouraging the body to promote natural healing and to improve functioning. This is done by inserting needles at very precise acupuncture points and or applying heat or stimulation.

The classical Chinese explanation is that channels of energy run in regular patterns through the body and over its surface. These channels called meridians are like rivers flowing through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues. Blood flow and nervous pulses also follow these meridians to run through the body to various parts, structures and organs. An obstruction in the movement of these energy rivers is likened to a dam that backs up the flow in one part of body and restricts it in others. Any obstruction and blockages or deficiencies of energy, blood and nervous pulses will eventually lead to disease.

The meridians can be influenced by needling the acupuncture points: the acupuncture needles unblock the obstruction at the dams and re-establish the regular flow through the meridians. Acupuncture treatments can, therefore, help the body’s internal organs to correct imbalances in their digestion, absorption, energy production activities and in the circulation of their energy through the meridians.

Modern science explains the functions of acupuncture in two major ways:

Needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord and brain. These chemicals will either change the experience of pain or they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones which influence the body’s own internal regulating system.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, YIN represents negative (-) and YANG represents positive (+). The main principle of Chinese Medicine is to keep the YIN and YANG balanced or to bring YIN and YANG back to balance. YIN and YANG balance is the healthy state of the body. Modern science reveals that the cells’ movement follows the movement of electrons. The electrons inside cells act according to their own regular patterns. All these electrons in the living body are called bio-electrons.

Energy flow in the meridians is the direct or indirect transportation of bio-electrons. Meridians are the pathways where bio-electrons move more frequently than other parts of the body. When positive and negative charges in the bio-electronic movements are not balanced, the cells would act abnormally - this is YIN and YANG imbalance. In Chinese medicine, it is defined as “disease”. It is a beginning stage of the pathological cells’ electrons movement. Only radical change of the cells’ electrons movement is admitted by Western Medicine as “disease”.

All the external factors such as mechanical, physical, chemical, biological and internal factors such as mental, hereditary and constitutional can cause and force the body’s bioelectrical movement turn to imbalance and this would lead to disease.

Acupuncture can force the bio-electrons to resume to their normal and regular movement patterns of YIN and YANG balance. The more acupuncture treatments the patient has, the longer the normal movement patterns of the bio-electrons would remain until, finally, the electrons inside cells would not follow the abnormal movement patterns any more. Only at this point can the problem be deemed solved and treated completely.

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(Jane) Hong Jin, a California licensed acupuncturist, mainly trained in China, has more than 20 years experience in the field. Her specialties include:

Bell’s Palsy, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Migraine/Chronic Headache, Tendonitis, Breast Lumps, Varicose Veins, Pains/Stiffness/Spasm, Auto/Work/Sports Injuries

3042 S. Hacienda Blvd., Hacienda Heights, CA 91745

(Northeast corner of Hacienda Blvd. and Colima Road) (626) 369 6658

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