Acupuncture is a method of encouraging the body to promote natural healing and to improve function. This is done by inserting needles and applying heat or electrical stimulation at very precise acupuncture points on the body.

The classical Chinese explanation for how acupuncture works is that channels of energy run in regular pattern through the body and over its surface. These energy channel, called meridians, are like rivers flowing though the body to nourish the tissues. An obstruction in the movement of these energy rivers is like an energy dam.

By needling the acupuncture points the obstructions unblock at the dams, and reestablish the regular flow through the meridians. This helps the body’s internal organs to correct imbalances in their digestion, absorption, and energy production activities, and in the circulation of their energy through the meridians.

The modern scientific explanation is that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These chemicals will either change the experience of pain, or they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones which influence the body’s own internal regulating system.

No matter which source you used to better understand acupuncture, the results are the same. The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulating the body’s natural healing abilities, and in promoting physical and emotional well being.