Acupuncture, an ancient medical system, stands somewhat apart from many other alternative medical practices in that it has gained the recognition of the National Institute of Health ( NIH ) as a therapeutic regime effective for certain maladies and deserving more research.
Proper distribution and circulation of Qi ( Chi ) is needed for harmony and balance necessary for healthy body functions. Practitioners of acupuncture believe that all dysfunction in the body is caused when there is an imbalance of Qi and it becomes stagnant or moves too rapidly. These imbalances lead to excesses and deficiencies of Qi ( Chi ) or energy in the meridians. Acupuncture is used to either stimulate deficient Qi or sedate excess Qi, and disperse stagnation in the meridians.
In practice, acupuncture is used to treat a multitude of problems ranging from diseases as diverse as skin disorders, to intestinal upset and back pain. In fact the range of what may be treated with acupuncture may only be limited by ones desire to investigate its potential. Today in China, hospitals are divided into Western medicine and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) wings. Used for recuperation, by stimulating healing, relieving stress and depression often accompanying disease and trauma, and in relieving pain (without the side effects of some powerful narcotic painkillers).
If one was to use an electrical circuit as an analogy, acupuncture points can be thought of as circuit breakers, regulators, or resisters in the system. As such the treatment is not always over the problem area.
Similar to fixing a headlight in your car doesn't always involve replacing the bulb. Sometimes it's a fuse or cleaning a connection or finding a short circuit, far removed from the bulb itself. To use acupuncture with traditional medicine is like having an extra "doctors bag", more options to get better results.
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