Acupuncture therapy is a form of Chinese Medicine, or Oriental Medicine, thousands of years old used to promote health and alleviate pain and suffering. An Acupuncturist is a qualified health professional who views health and sickness based on concepts of vital energy, energetic balance and energetic imbalance. In comparison to a Western approach that, say, monitors the blood flowing through blood vessels and the symptoms manifest in nervous system, the Acupuncturist assesses the flow and distribution of this vital energy within its pathways, known as “meridians and channels”.
The Acupuncturist is trained to influence health and sickness by stimulating certain areas along these “meridians”. Traditionally these areas or “acupoints” were stimulated by fine, slender needles. Today, many additional forms of stimulation are incorporated, including herbs, electricity, magnets and lasers. The aim remains the same, to adjust the “vital energy” so that it may flow in the right amount to the proper place at the right time. This helps the body heal itself.