From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, acupuncture is based on life energy, referred to as Qi, which circulates through pathways or channels throughout our bodies.  These channels are interconnected to organs throughout the body.  When a disruption occurs in the flow of energy, illness and disease can occur.  By inserting needles into points along the channels that correspond to different organs, this energy can be restored and healing occurs. 

What does all of this mean?  Acupuncture works by increasing blood flow and tissue perfusion, which facilitates healing. To get even more detailed, the concentrations of β-endorphin, epinephrine, cortisol, prostaglandin E2 and many other chemicals within our bodies are altered by acupuncture  thereby further promoting pain relief.  Acupuncture acts on the peripheral and central nervous systems to decrease cortical activation of pain perception.  According to one study, where data was received for a total of 20,827 patients from 39 trials, acupuncture was found to be superior when compared to controls of both sham acupuncture, as well as no acupuncture, when it comes to treating conditions associated with pain.

Acupuncture has also been very beneficial in providing supportive care for cancer patients.  Randomized clinical trials have shown acupuncture to be effective for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and in managing cancer-related pain, neuropathy, and fatigue, both during and after conventional cancer treatments.  Due to the positive physiological effects it has, acupuncture is a well sought out treatment in alleviating symptoms associated with cancer and is now be integrated in world renown cancer treatment centers. It is in fact moving into “mainstream” care as a viable method of helping cancer patients manage all the side effects of chemotherapy and have pain relief that is non- narcotic.

Acupuncture is highly effective for many in significantly improving symptoms and quality of life. It can be used for numerous physical and mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, addiction, Lyme, infertility and more. Not only can effects be felt initially, but treatment effects persist over time.  Speaking from personal experience, acupuncture helped me significantly when I experienced postpartum depression and saves me whenever I experience physical trauma from running.  Due to the growing prevalence of chronic diseases, as well as emotional stressors that people face, acupuncture serves as a highly beneficial alternate and supportive therapy