Chinese acupuncture is no longer a foreign concept to most people in the Western world. However, a lot of people still consider it as a somewhat of a new treatment when it has been around for centuries. There are different forms of acupuncture in Japan, Korea, and other parts of Asia but it has its roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Chinese acupuncture makes use of needles that are inserted into specific points in the body, either for general healing purposes or specific for pain relief. These specific points, also known as meridians, in the body are where life energy qi flows are situated. People who have too much qi in a certain area should see to it that it is drained while people who have too little qi in a certain area should see to it that it is replenished. When qi stagnates due to a interrupted flow, Chinese acupuncture would can help disrupt the blockage.

What Makes Chinese Acupuncture Unique?

So far, there are still no anatomical or histological bases for the location of the aforementioned meridians causing a lot of medical professionals to belittle Chinese acupuncture. But, even the staunchest critic of Chinese acupuncture cannot disregard the fact that acupuncture has been proven helpful and at times effective in solving health problems. It’s not yet understood how acupuncture exactly works in scientific terms but it’s been suggested that by stimulating these acupuncture points, steroids and endorphins are released that boost healing.

For example, when you insert an acupuncture needle into a leg injury, this stimulates the body to generate steroids that relieve the inflammation while releasing endorphins that aid in pain relief. Endorphins and steroids in the body are far more potent than any drugs that your doctor might prescribe.

Chinese acupuncture also champions the concept of yin and yang. There are yin and yang channels in the body that match up to different pathways in the body. There are three yin and yang channels in each arm and three yin and yang channels in each leg. These channels are located in the foot and the hand; they cover the vital organs of the body.

In spite of of whether you consider traditional Chinese philosophy to be medically sound, you have to accept that Chinese acupuncture works because it has been proven to work by millions of people around the world, not just in the US. Its practice is now regulated by the FD making it a safe and effective treatment so why not give it a shot next time you need help for your heath troubles?