_edited.png)
Acupuncture + TCM
WHAT IS TCM? (Traditional Chinese Medicine)
Traditional Chinese medicine uses a wide range of holistic health therapies to treat the mind and body. It includes acupuncture, cupping, herbal medicine, therapeutic massage, diet, tai chi, qi gong, and much more.
​
While Chinese medicine has its roots in ancient times (at least 2500 years ago!), it has been updated over the years and is now often integrated with other healthcare approaches across the globe.
BENEFITS OF CHINESE MEDICINE
With its holistic approach, Chinese medicine offers benefits to the entire being—mind, body, and soul. The same treatment can address both your physical ailments and your mental wellbeing, so it’s very efficient. You can address your specific health concerns and improve your general, overall health at the same time.
Chinese medicine has many benefits: reducing inflammation in the body, helping with muscle strength and recovery, providing mental health benefits, increasing immune response, relieving stress and anxiety, improving sleep quality, enhancing athletic performance, relieving chronic pain, and so much more. It all depends on the specific treatments you get.
Another benefit of Chinese medicine is that most treatments have few to no side effects. Pharmaceutical medicines have side effects that can range from inconvenient to extremely serious. But some Chinese medicine therapies, like tai chi, medical massage, and cupping, have virtually no risks involved when performed correctly.
Some Chinese medicine therapies may be covered by your insurance, particularly if they have been prescribed to you by your physician. This is a great benefit for anyone looking for a complementary medicine approach.
WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE?
Acupuncture is a medical practice that stimulates specific points on the body—usually with tiny needles—with the goal of treating health problems or alleviating pain.
​
Acupuncture has been used for millennia, and it has become increasingly popular around the globe in the last few decades. Today, you can find acupuncture clinics nearly anywhere, and many hospitals and health care facilities offer acupuncture treatments as well.
Researchers are still working to unlock the mysteries of acupuncture. There’s some debate on how it actually works. Some researchers hypothesize that acupuncture stimulates the nerves, which triggers the release of “feel-good” hormones through neurohormonal pathways.
​
Others think that acupuncture stimulates the pituitary gland, instructing the body to produce more of these good hormones. And, some researchers hypothesize that acupuncture reduces pro-inflammatory markers in the body, which helps to decrease inflammation, decrease pain, increase energy, and improve the immune system.
In any case, it seems that acupuncture stimulates the body to produce endorphins and other pain-relieving, mood-boosting hormones.
​
Acupuncture is usually carried out as a holistic health treatment, used in conjunction with other diet and lifestyle changes to support a healthy mind and body.
