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Acupuncture
Facts
What
is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture
treats illness by manipulating healthy flow of energy through
the body's meridians (pathways & channels).
Originating in China more than 3,000 years ago, acupuncture
began to become better known in the United States in 1971,
when New York Times reporter James Reston wrote about how
doctors in China used needles to ease his pain after surgery.
The acupuncture technique that has been most studied scientifically
involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic
needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical
stimulation.The acupuncturist is able to influence health
and sickness by stimulating certain areas along these "meridians".
The aim? To adjust the flow of energy so the proper amount
reaches the proper place at the proper time. This helps
the body to heal itself.
Acupuncture is one form of therapy used within the coherent
system of healing known as Oriental Medicine. Oriental Medicine
includes herbology, physical therapy, dietetics and special
exercises (such as Tai Chi and Qi Gong), and is a complete
medical system unto itself and is not another branch of
modern Western medicine. Acupuncture evolved from principles
and philosophies unique to Oriental thinking and Oriental
Medicine, and is most effectively applied when done in accordance
with those principles.
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