◆ What is acupuncture? Acupuncture is one of the oldest healing arts in the world. Practiced for thousands of years, acupuncture helps restore and maintain health by establishing balance within the body. Chinese Medicine believes that a person's health depends on the interaction between yin and yang, symbolized by a gracefully divided circle that together represents the whole being. The colder, more passive yin has to properly stabilize the hotter, more active yang. When these two elements become imbalanced, symptoms arise that appear as a pain or an illness. These imbalances occur when certain pathways in the body, called meridians, become blocked and inhibit the flow of Qi, or the person's vital energy. The goal of acupuncture is to remedy this imbalance within the body by promoting proper flow of Qi. This can be done with methods that integrate the use of acupuncture needles, moxibustion (heat), cupping (suction), massage, and herbs. These tools are used to stimulate certain parts of the body in order to reinitiate the smooth flow of Qi and restore the body's balance. ◆ What are the medical bases for acupuncture? While Oriental medicine has so far eluded traditional western explanations, research has slowly begun to illuminate the numerous biological responses acupuncture can elicit. Pathways are initiated by acupuncture in both the areas where needles are applied and certain regions of the brain and periphery; acupuncture can initiate responses throughout the body by stimulating the sensory nerves and central nervous system. One of the pathways being studied involves the release of opioids such as endorphins in response to acupuncture. This release of endorphins helps explain some common effects of acupuncture such as its ability to alleviate pain. Research has also shown that acupuncture can affect the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, two major control centers for neurotransmitters and hormones. ◆ Does acupuncture hurt? Acupuncture needles used are very thin. From 5-10 acupuncture needles can fit into one ordinary hypodermic needle. Acupuncture needles are not hollow as hypodermic needles. You may feel a pinch or sting and some warmth or tingling for a few seconds, but acupuncture should not hurt much. ◆ How long does acupuncture treatment take? One acupuncture treatment takes from one hour to an hour and a half. Depending on the patient's circumstance and problem; some may take longer or shorter. ◆ How does acupuncture work? Acupuncture is the gentle insertion of hair-thin needles into specific points on the body to stimulate the flow of Qi or natural healing energy in an effort to restore the body natural balance. ◆ How do you treat the patient? We use disposable hair-thin needles with or without electrical stimulation for acupuncture. Sometime tiny amounts of an herb (mugwort or moxa) are burned and held painlessly over the stimulation point (moxibustion). Sometime a therapeutic lamp, cups, magnetic pellets, and natural Chinese herbs or formulas may be used in treatment. Tel: (336) 885-8898  |  Fax: (336) 885-8898  |  FangMu@muacupuncture.com  |  www.muacupuncture.com