Acupuncture
Acupuncture refers to the painless insertion of needles on human skin with the aim of stimulating the body. It is a precise science dealing with the processing, storage, distribution, and functioning of vital energy within the human organism and the relationship of this energy with the cosmos. It affects the circulation of energy within the human being on an extremely subtle level. The ancient Chinese physicians discovered that there is a subtle energy manifestation circulating throughout the organs and flesh that ultimately permeates every tissue and cell of the body. The name given to this energy is “chi” or “qi”, which has been translated as “vital energy” or “life force”. Human beings are the embodiment of all the energies of the universe, including the energies of the sun, moon, and stars as well as the various energies of the earth.
The energies of the human organism have distinct and established pathways, definite directions of flow and characteristic behavior as definite as any other circulation within the body, such as the circulation of blood and lymph through their respective systems. This claim has been validated in recent years by studies of the acupuncture meridians. The ancient physicians observed that illness often produced painful areas upon the skin, and that the pain would disappear when a cure was accomplished. They also noticed that stimulation or sedation of various points on the body would produce an effect on the functioning of the internal organs. Thus stimulating another point on the thumb would affect the lungs or throat.
The World Health Organization has cited more than forty conditions that acupuncture can treat, including addiction, asthma, common cold, ulcer, sciatica, migraine, paralysis, sinusitis, headache, depression, facial pain, neck pain, knee pain, lower back pain, arthritis, insomnia, diabetes, PMS, prostatitis, colitis, and urinary tract infections. Many studies show that acupuncture is effective in conditions ranging from environmental illness due to radiation, pesticide poisoning, and exposure to toxic compounds, and air pollution to infertility, menopause, and premature aging.
Some conditions respond dramatically to acupuncture. For instance, researchers have found it to be effective for a variety of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis conditions, bringing relief to 80 percent of those who suffer from arthritis. Some studies show that getting acupuncture during in vitro fertilization increased pregnancy rates by over 40 percent. Because acupuncture promotes homeostasis –the automatic self-regulating system of controls that maintains the internal environment of living things and regulates the balance between the internal and the external in the body – it can significantly increase your sense of well-being. Acupuncture should be an essential part of your health and wellness program.