Today, acupuncture is receiving wide acceptance as a respected, valid and effective form of health care. When most people think about acupuncture, they are familiar with its use for pain control. But acupuncture has a proven track record of treating and addressing a variety of endocrine, circulatory and systemic conditions.

Acupuncture promotes natural healing and also enhances recuperative power and immunity. Acupuncture supports physical and emotional health and improves overall function and well-being.

Chinese medicine is composed of several disciplines: Acupuncture, Herbology, Qi Gong (and other movement therapies), Tuina (Chinese massage), Nutrition and Diet.

Acupuncture has been employed as a healthcare modality for over 5,300 yrs.  Otzi (the Iceman), is the modern nickname of a well-preserved natural mummy of a man from about 3300 BC, found in 1991 in a glacier, near the border between Austria and Italy.  He had 57 tattoos, some of which were located on or near acupuncture points that coincide with the modern points that would be used to treat symptoms of diseases that Otzi seems to have suffered from. Such as digestive parasites and osteoarthritis. Some scientists believe that these tattoos indicate an early type of acupuncture. Commonly used textbooks have origins of over 2,500 years ago.

Balance and harmony in all aspects of life- body, mind and spirit is the ultimate goal of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine. We look at Qi and the levels at which it occurs in different parts of the body. Is there too much here or not enough there? You cannot treat one without affecting the other. It is all interconnected. Chinese Medicine treats the core energy, which brings about balance, which then allows the symptoms to correct themselves. The body is the true healer. We are facilitators in helping you heal yourself. The Qi is the true healing agent. We work to promote the smooth flow of Qi or energy throughout the body.

Qi is the vital force or life energy. It’s the stuff that makes everything about you, forms plants/trees, moves the air, changes the seasons, forms a baby in the womb and nourishes our food. It is all the same energy.

We diagnose the health of the body by assessing the flow of Qi in the meridians. Qi flows through the entire circuit of the meridians in a 24 hr cycle. Meridians and Qi cannot be measured or found in the body when you dissect a body. This causes some confusion for our logical western mind. When needling a foot point this has been known by Chinese Medicine to affect the eyes. Studies have shown that this  flow of energy affects the eyesight. An MRI of the brain shows the eye area is stimulated when this foot point is needled. Rather difficult for our western mind to make this connection. Sensitive patients often feel the action of the acupuncture points needled in other parts of the body exactly where the meridian is described.

During the initial exam a complete and thorough patient health history is obtained. Information about diet and lifestyle is gathered. Depending on the condition, an appropriate physical exam may be conducted to ascertain the extent of the ailment. Gathering this information enables the practitioner to effectively diagnose and detect any specific imbalances of Qi in the patients’ body.

Once the imbalances of Qi are detected I will place fine, sterile needles at specific acupoints along the meridians of the body. This safe and painless insertion of the needles can unblock the obstruction and promote the smooth and free flow of Qi. The Qi can then freely flow and circulate throughout the body providing adequate nourishment to cells, organs, glands, tissues and muscles. This can eliminate pain and restore balance and harmony, as well as the body’s ability to heal itself ultimately leading to optimal health and well being.

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is a safe and effective drug-free therapy that can help address a wide variety of common ailments and problems.