How Acupuncture Works
By Helene Pulnik | Published on August 12, 2010 | 0 Comments
Dr. Helene Pulnik ND, LAc. is a naturopathic physician and a licensed acupuncturist. She runs Glastonbury Naturopathic Center and Wholistic Spa in Glastonbury, CT, and talks here about why acupuncture can both diagnose and treat so many complaints by balancing the energy meridian in your body.
Acupuncture is thousands of years old; it’s a very ancient system of medicine used to diagnosis and treat all the illnesses that you can think of. Acupuncture was the only medicine the Chinese had until very recently to treat everything from toothaches to removing somebody’s appendix.
The way it works is that acupuncture stimulates the energy systems in your body and balances your energy meridian. In Chinese medicine, illness is brought about by living or becoming out of balance with nature, so the treatment involves bringing everything back into balance.
Working on Your Qi
Acupuncture works on the qi of the body. That is the name for the energy of the body. There have been many Western studies to try and discover exactly how it works, and they cannot explain it completely. What we know is that it works on an individual’s energy levels, and it also works on what we call the “pain gate” in the brain. That is how it helps pain of all kinds.
Studies have found that acupuncture increases or boosts your immune system. That is something that can – and has been – actually scientifically measured. It also lowers your stress hormones and increases your endorphins and encephalins – two different substances that our own body makes itself – to heal the body and help get rid of pain.
Conditions Acupuncture Treats
Acupuncture can be incorporated with other treatments to address virtually anything at all, so there is an infinite number of conditions that can be treated with this ancient type of Chinese medicine. If a client comes into our spa with a headache and his back hurts, we can treat both at the same time. If he has a lot of stress and his knee also hurts, we can treat both. Acupuncture treats the whole person; it does not just concentrate on one little ailment at a time.
I also do a lot of acupuncture for infertility, as it can improve the success rate of conception by 40 – 60 percent, according to studies done in Germany. Acupuncture brings mind, body and spirit together, having a positive impact on each other’s ability to heal.
At Glastonbury Wholistic Spa, we also offer Mei Zen (Acupuncture Face-lift with Cosmetic Acupuncture), an incredible facial acupuncture treatment that works to revitalize and rejuvenate the skin. We only use hair-thin, stainless steel disposable needles, and the whole treatment is relaxing and soothing. You might feel either a deep relaxation or even a mild disorientation after the first two treatments of acupuncture for any problem, but this sensation will pass quickly. On the whole, the experience should be both painless and pleasurable.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.