Holistic Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a treatment that uses very thin steel disposable needles inserted into the skin to stimulate specific points (and meridians) in the body. 

Why is TCM Holistic? 

In TCM, the holistic view not only means the harmonious unity of the whole body, but it also includes the unison between man and environment. In western medicine a disease caused by cell and tissue infection is often treated by chemical or physical repair, removal, insertion, bypass, stents, or transplant of organs or tissues. TCM that focuses on the meridian and other energy flow systems believes that all diseases originate from the imbalance of qi and blood flow. Hence, this holistic emphasis on body functions and the spirit is a comprehensive approach.

There are abundant differences between TCM and modern medicine. For example, health means a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being in modern medicine, whereas the concept in TCM includes the unison between man and universe, the fusion of shape and soul, the people-oriented view of values, and the balance of qi-blood-yin-yang in the human body [2].Traditional Chinese medicine believes that a person’s overall health is determined by the quality of the Qi (energy) that flows through the natural pathways of your body (meridians). Hence, acupuncture uses various techniques, which include placing very thin needles into specific points on the body to stimulate and improve the flow of Qi. Studies suggest that acupuncture stimulates the release of the body’s natural painkillers and affects areas in the brain involved in processing pain. Acupuncture treats diseases not by modulating the location of illness but by regulating the gene, protein, or metabolite, which can influence the whole body at the organismal level. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3913204/#:~:text=As%20we%20can%20see%2C%20the,body%20at%20the%20organismal%20level.)

Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of medicine in the world. The practice originated in China more than 2,500 (some believe over 5000) years ago and is one of the most thoroughly researched, practiced, and respected forms of complementary medicine. Acupuncture arrived in the United States with the migration of the Chinese in the nineteenth century. Patients adventurous enough to see a practitioner in San Francisco at that time would have been examined and treated in the almost same way that patients are examined and treated today. U.S. interest in acupuncture sparked in 1972 while President Nixon traveled to China. One of the reporters covering the trip, James Reston, suffered an appendicitis attack. After surgery, doctors administered acupuncture to control his pain. Reston wrote about his experience in The New York Times. American doctors grew fascinated by acupuncture and started hiring doctors from China or traveling to China to learn for themselves. In the last 20 years, the United States has increasingly conducted more research, many of them shoving promising results for many types of diseases. If you would like to book an appointment with East-West Family Acupuncture, call +1 (646)345 - 7378 and I will be pleased to schedule it for you.