From a Chinese medicine perspective, the body is covered in a network of channels or energetic lines that traverse the expanse of the body from the most superficial tissues to the viscera. Every channel is associated with an organ system and different pairs of organ systems relate to each other in specific ways. The interwoven nature of various symptom patterns paints a clear picture for your acupuncturist. How multiple (sometimes seemingly unrelated) symptoms relate to the organs and their channel networks is what makes Chinese medicine and acupuncture so effective for a great number of conditions.
For example, you have a Lung channel in Chinese medicine. It connects to your physical lungs and also has a pathway that travels from the chest to inside your arm and ends near the tip of the thumb. In Chinese medicine your Lungs have a relationship with your Large Intestine. If you have ever noticed a link between your gut function and things like allergies, asthma or sinus conditions, Chinese medicine has a framework that recognizes that relationship and has a means to treat and improve those conditions simultaneously.
The procedure of acupuncture involves the insertion of sterile, single use needles into the superficial layers of the skin. Needling techniques vary widely from practitioner to practitioner, but typically the initial insertion provides minimal to no discomfort. Every patient is unique! Sensations experienced during an acupuncture session will vary from person to person. Once the needle is inserted you may experience sensations at the site of the needle or elsewhere in the body. The insertion of a needle at specific acupuncture point sites or in areas of pain encourages a revitalized flow of energy and improves blood flow locally and along specific pathways and areas where things have not been flowing effectively. In Chinese medicine they say “where there is no free flow, there is pain" indicating that where blood and energy are stuck, there will be pain or discomfort. We utilize acupuncture to reinstate the smooth flow of qi throughout the body, along channel lines, to the tissues and the organs to reduce pain and to stimulate the body’s own innate capacity to heal itself.