Many patients come see me for a variety of reasons. Most come in because a friend has told them that acupuncture can be helpful. However, most people don’t know how acupuncture works and what it can treat. Acupuncture can help almost any condition. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended acupuncture as effective for many conditions and even suggests that acupuncture can be helpful for many more.
Headaches are a common complaint in our society. Some people have stress headaches and some may have migrane headaches both of which acupuncture is effective in treating. Insertion of acupunture needles in specific points throughout the body can help alleviate the pain associated with headaches. Most patients start to feel relief a few minutes after the needles are placed. I’ve had some patients who have had recurring headaches disappear after just one treatment, although a series of treatments are usually required for more permanent headache relief.
The mechanism that acupuncture uses to relieve headache pain is the meridians of the body. The body has 12 primary meridians and 6 extraordinary meridians. Needles are place on acupuncture points along these meridians to promote the flow of “Qi”, the body’s vital energy. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory states that “When there is pain the Qi is not flowing freely, If the Qi flows freely, there is no pain.” The needles help promote the flow of Qi and increase blood flow to relieve pain.
With regular treatments, headaches and other ailments can be a thing of the past. If you’ve never had acupuncture it’s very safe when done with a qualified acupuncturist and the possible side effects are minimal. This healing art has been practice for over 2,000 year throught Asia and other parts of the world. Call our clinic to schedule an appointment and start yourself on the path to health and wellness.