Acupuncture is part of the traditional medicine of China, which includes herbal medicine, exercise, massage and diet. It is based on a history, philosophy and sociology very different from that of the West, and over the last 3000 years has developed a unique understanding of the workings of the body.

Acupuncture is a method of using fine needles to stimulate invisible lines of energy running beneath the surface of the skin. This affects a change in the energy balance of the Body and works to restore health. Moxibustion, the stimulation of energy by the use of burning herbs, is often used as a supplement. Both are powerful forms of medicine and can be used for treating a very wide range of diseases.

How does the acupuncturist make a diagnosis?

In determining the pattern of disharmony, the acupuncturist needs a detailed understanding of the patient's life style, diet, work, medical history, emotional states, etc. The diagnosis includes questioning, observation, and examination of the pulse and tongue. What the acupuncturist is looking for are not symptoms in isolation, but rather a pattern into which is woven a total picture of the patient. Tongue and pulse diagnosis are highly refined in Chinese medicine. The pulse is felt at the wrists on the radial artery and its strength, rhythm and quality indicate the balance of energy and the state of the disease. The tongue, through its shape, colour, movement and coating indicates the progression and degree of the illness.

How does acupuncture work? Just as there are people who do not respond to drugs, so there are those who do not respond to acupuncture. Some diseases (mainly wasting diseases) are very difficult to cure with acupuncture if they have progressed to the point where the body has become every thin. The reason is that acupuncture works by restoring an energetic balance to the body and stimulating its healing powers. If the body is depleted, there are no reserves to call on and healing is very slow. In Canada acupuncture is usually known for its treatment of chronic problems, but it is also particularly effective in treating acute and painful disorders and infectious diseases. Acupuncturists are trained to recognize disease often long before the patient is aware of any illness. They are, therefore, concerned not only with treating illness, but also preventing it. Acupuncture can be combined with Western drug therapy, or can be used to eliminate dependence on drugs for chronic conditions. In this case the drugs can gradually be reduced as the effect of the acupuncture builds up. Treatment for chronic problems is usually once per week or fortnight, and for acute problems can be daily. The number of treatments depends entirely on the problem.

In the West, public attention has tended to focus on acupuncture as a means of eliminating pain or for treating obesity or smoking. But acupuncture is most effective for general therapeutic purposes and for treating many common diseases.*

* Excerpt from the Acupuncture Association of BC