Acupuncture

People often ask me this question and here is how I will try to explain how this wonderful therapy works.

We know that the body is electric. We produce DC (direct current) electricity that runs through our bodies at extremely low levels. It seems the brain is the main power supply providing electricity to the body primarily through the organs. In Acupuncture we refer to these electric circuits as Meridians and each organ has its own meridian .It has been suggested that the bodies circulatory system (blood flow) is magnetized to the natural flow of electricity and is dependant on it which helps explain how the circulatory system can function to the extent it does. The circulatory system is a bit of a mystery. We don’t fully understand how it is able to circulate the blood especially in regards to the venous return. It can be compared to a tree and the mystery surrounding how it is able to defy gravity to send nutrients from the ground to the leaves on its highest extremities.

The Chinese observed that the energy related to an organ could affect certain areas on the surface of the body, certain tissues of the body and certain emotions. The liver for example, can cause pain in and around the shoulders and the mid back. It also can affect the vision and the emotions of anger and irritability. When we insert an acupuncture needle we can manipulate the body’s electricity providing more energy to a deficient area or bleeding off a stagnation of energy.

Some of the common indications for acupuncture include pain relief and in treatment of addictions ie. smoking. In almost all cases of chronic pain there is a problem on an organ level! This is one of missing links of our western allopathic medical system. When an organ is stressed or weak the points related to it will become tender. This is a form of communication between the conscious mind and the organs of the body. Human beings do not have the same amount of nerve fibers on the interior of the body as we have on the external. As a result we are often unaware of stress on an organ level. The body tries to communicate this internal organ stress indirectly through points on the surface of the body becoming tender. The tenderness on the surface is usually caused by low energy flow and therefore low blood flow. If this situation of low blood /energy flow is left for long enough the tissue at the site of the acupuncture points become damaged including the structure of the body. Usually the patient who is in this pain situation is diagnosed with a condition that gives no reference to the individual’s organs. Organ stress is often the root cause. The organ weakness does not have to be severe. Even a slight or moderate weakness that perhaps wouldn’t show up with regular blood work would still cause this pain situation.

When it comes to addiction, the focus is to support the organ most involved in the addiction at hand and to calm the individual during the withdrawal phase. There are points in the ear that have affects on aspects of the body and organs. These points are used especially with regards to addiction treatments. There is one point in particular that is called ‘Shenmen’ and it is a calming/homeostatic (balancing) point. Once the body is calmed, the cravings become less along with the withdrawal symptoms. One thing that Acupuncture can’t provide is the ‘Commitment’ which the patient needs prior acupuncture. The person has to be ready and willing to quit!

If you would like to learn more about Acupuncture  please call 613-253-3456 and ask for Steven Darlington