What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture works via meridians that connect the outside of the body to internal processes. By recognizing patterns behind complaints and treating acupuncture points in a targeted manner, acupuncture supports the body in recovery, flow and balance.
During treatments and conversations, the question often comes up exactly what acupuncture does. It's not a question you can answer in one sentence. Nevertheless, I'm making a clear and accessible attempt below. Enjoy reading.
What is acupuncture?
Let's start simply: acupuncture is the placement of very fine needles in specific areas of the body. To understand how this works, there are two principles that are important:
- The outside of the body (where the needles are placed) is connected to the inside (where the organs are located) via clearly described meridians.
- These meridians form a functional part of the body and are involved in carrying out and regulating physical processes.
With these two principles, you've come a long way to understanding what acupuncturists work with. When the body gets out of balance or becomes ill, it shows signals. By learning to recognize these signals properly, the body can be supported in its recovery.
This observation takes place in various ways: the pulse is felt, the tongue is viewed and in Nurture Your Nature treatments, the meridians themselves are also felt. This creates an accurate picture of which meridians are loaded and which need support.
What do the needles do?
We now know that internal processes can be influenced from the outside of the body. But how can such small needles make a difference in that?
After careful observation, the needles are placed at specific acupuncture points within the appropriate meridians. The complaint is thereby placed in a so-called pattern. That pattern determines the treatment.
An example: headache can be caused by a reduced flow of blood and/or energy. The treatment then focuses on improving that flow. By placing a needle at a specific meridian and point, the associated functions are stimulated.
As an acupuncturist, you thus give the body a signal, as it were, to temporarily pay extra attention to a certain process, such as circulation or relaxation. In the longer term, this helps the body to function more efficiently, in a balanced and pain-free way again.
So the most important work lies in recognizing the correct pattern behind the complaint. When that is clear, the correct meridians and acupuncture points will automatically follow. In the example of circulatory problems, this could be, for example, the Liver Meridian, to which, among other things, the circulation of blood is attributed in Chinese medicine.
Curious?
The theory behind acupuncture and herbal therapy has been around for thousands of years. A very nice book, also as a kind of introduction, is the web that has no weaver.
Take a look at the blog about the working and background of acupuncture. In addition, you can continue reading about topics such as TCG (Dutch), TCM (English), yin and yang and the five elements yourself. In particular, yin and yang and the five elements play a major role in the treatment and functions of the meridians.
