Acupuncture traces its origins back five thousand years ago. Through careful observations and experimentation the founders created clinically effective medical theories and practices, what we now all East Asian Medicine. These practices include acupuncture, moxibustion, and manual therapies that met the health care needs of their communities. Modern bioscience has showed that acupuncture alone is a powerful tool in treating pain and lowering inflammation in the body.
Holistic
East Asian Medicine treats a patient’s entire physiological and psychological state. People are not their “diseases” nor are they merely a compilation of their symptoms. Of course we are interested in the concerns that bring people into our office. Likewise we want a through health history. That thing that happened years ago, that you’ve never felt the same since, tell us! But we are also interested in your current day to day activates and habits as these can either be part of the problem or part of the solution. This perspective allows East Asian Medicine to treat aliments western medicine struggles with. This can require lifestyle changes for the participant; the results are not just relief from the disruptive symptoms but, resilience from further disease.
Not an Alternative Medicine
The language we use to describe East Asian medical practices often denotes it to a secondary or merely complimentary medical services. And while this is the predominant orientation of our society, it is important to note that for thousands of years before and into the current day; East Asian Medicine is the primary if not the only medical services accessible for many people.
Meridians, the foundation of Acupuncture
One of the key theories passed down by the founders of the medicine are meridians. These are not mere “energetic pathways” but physical structures in the body. Meridians facilitate the flow of Qi and body fluids throughout the body. Recent western biomedicine studies have confirmed their existence.
Meridians are both a historical record and future blueprint for the body’s physiology. This makes them both a secondary casualty disrupted by disease and the primary cause of illness yet to affect the body. Meridians are a fundamental aspect of the body’s ecology of health. By treating these meridians and causing a change in their structure and flows we can create a physiological change in the body. Read more on meridians and the body’s ecology.