Can acupuncture treat headaches, fatigue, menstrual cramps, menopausal symptoms, infertility? The list goes on and on. How many times people have said to me, “Wow, acupuncture treats that too?”
Yes, yes, and yes… if you think about what acupuncture actually is…
Acupuncture is a branch of Chinese medicine that deals with the energy that flows through the meridians or energetic channels. Twelve of these meridians are networked on the right and left sides of the body. One of the channels is located on the front and the other on the back. In addition there are numerous extra channels and points that transport and direct energy to every part of your body.
The balance of vital energy can be affected by any harmful substance, such as environmental toxins, poor nutrition, injury, disease, excessive exposure to heat, dampness, or cold, and excessive emotional responses such as anger, frustration, worry, fear, or anxiety.
It’s important to be aware and interpret communications of need and desire from your body. Some normal, everyday communications from your body are hunger and fatigue. You don’t need my help to interpret these messages. Food and sleep are simple enough to satisfy.
However, your body lets you know other needs that you may not be aware of. For example, a headache can be your body’s way of communicating a number of different things. It can mean there is an imbalance that was created in your gallbladder and now is “acting up” over some food you ate, or an emotional upset or some other state of dis-ease that your body is trying to alert you to. Even emotions get into the picture. Emotional sensitivity such as anxiety, insomnia, frustration, or anger can be caused from too much work and not enough play to balance your life.
These are just a few examples of why your body produces symptoms. There are many reasons you may have a headache, are emotionally oversensitive, or suffer from the common complaint of fatigue. Symptoms such as these are your body’s way of trying to let you know that something is not in balance.
When these unpleasant symptoms disappear and you feel well again, it’s your body’s way of telling you that everything is in balance. Your body communicates good things too!
So when you visit me for acupuncture, be sure to tell me everything that is going on in your body and in your life so that I can help you in understanding your healing journey.