Guide to Acupuncture, pt. 3

Oriental Medicine: An Answer to Imbalances

The Taoists philosophers believed that heavenly qi movements might manifest as weather. In the body, imbalances might manifest as illness. They believed that our bodies are governed by the same rules as the natural world. They developed acupuncture and oriental medicine as a system for creating health that works within these observable rules. The premise is simple. Treat what you observe. Eastern medicine believes that illness begins when qi flow is blocked, qi is weak or qi is going the wrong way. Do you see redness? Then there is heat. Is the skin flaky? Then there is dryness.

Here's an example: Everything has qi. It is the vital energy that gives us life. Think of going to the grocery store and picking up two heads of lettuce. One is lush, vibrant and fresh looking. The other is limp, wilting and beginning to brown. The first head has much more qi and is healthier. The goal is to cultivate more qi within the body through proper diet, sleep, exercise, and a calm mind. Acupuncture rebalances the qi so that it can function better. It's like tuning up your car. Chinese herbs have a stronger effect for certain things like building qi or clearing heat. They work hand in hand. For a further discussion of Chinese Herbs please see our dispensary page.

Find out more about acupuncture and oriental medicine in our
Guide to Acupuncture:

  1. History of Acupuncture
  2. Qi: An Introduction
  3. Oriental Medicine: An Answer to Imbalances
  4. Chinese and Western Medicine: a Discussion of Yin and Yang
  5. U.S. National Institute of Health Consensus Statement on Acupuncture
  6. Statement from the World Health Organization

We also have an overview of our acupuncture services, and more about our individual practitioners: Derek Kirkham, Lindsey Lawson, and Karen Hayes.