Can you tell me more about acupuncture, Qi, Meridians, TCM?
Acupuncture is a form of medical treatment based on principles that have been used in China for over 3000 years.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that a block of Qi (ie: yin yang imbalance) in the body causes disease. Qi is a word used to describe the flow of blood and energy through the body, which like rivers that run and nourish the tissue and organs. (Generally speaking, the word “Qi” in TCM denotes both the essential substances of the human body which maintains its vital activities, and the functional activities of the zang-fu organs and tissues.)
There are 14 main meridians or channels that carry Qi through the body. (The meridians and collateral are pathways in which the Qi and bloody of the human body are circulated. It distributes both interiorly and exteriorly across the body. The twelve main merdians together with the Governor vessel and Conception vessel are called “the fourteen meridians.”)
When these meridians become blocked, disease can occur, either by injuries, pathogenic heat, cold, damp or other influences. By redirecting the flow of Qi, acupuncture can help cure disease, prevent illness, and restore harmony.
Modern science finds that there is a definite connection between the stimulation of acupuncture points and brain activity. Acupuncture can trigger nerve pathways to release endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers, into the body and relieve pain without any side effects. Acupuncture also helps the body to achieve a state of balance, or homeostasis.
TCM believes that Qi, vital life energy, travels through channels in the body to nourish the tissue. These channels called Meridians are like rivers within the body. Pain and diseases occur when the circulation of Qi is halted. Whether by injuries, emotional change, or other influences. Acupuncture restores the flow of Qi by inserting needles into the acupuncture points on the Meridians, thus helping to cure disease, stop pain, and restore harmony.
Acupuncture points are the specific sites through which the Qi of the zang-fu organs and Meridians is transported to the body surface.