Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of treatment in world, having originated in Asia sometime between 1,500 and 3,000 years ago, depending on who you ask. Millions of people around the world swear by regular treatment for fatigue, irritable bowl syndrome, and weight management, as well as treatment for back pain, neck pain, and joint pain. But acupuncture is far more than just needles and smoke.

Acupuncturists, by the nature of what they do, take a very wide view of health, and are very much in line with current health trends. Practitioners address the diet, sleep habits, and exercise requirements of each patient, making recommendations that would be right in step with the recommendations of their Western colleagues. In fact, while many acupuncturists in the United States recommend a periodic session of acupuncture to maintain the balance of Qi in the body or for treatment for fatigue or other symptoms, they also recommend keeping annual appointments with a physician.

Instead of replacing Western medicine, acupuncture seeks to augment and supplement it, by providing an alternative treatment for symptoms of chronic illnesses. Most acupuncturists do not claim to be able to “cure” a disease or syndrome, but rather seek only to alleviate the symptoms and side effects such diseases or syndromes can produce. Western medicine, seeing the measured success of acupuncture, has sought to understand the process. The current theory is that each needle insertion stimulates the release of natural painkillers called endorphins, inciting the healing processes already present within the body to action.

Regardless of the methodology, acupuncture is, at its core, designed to release tension in the body and allow for deep relaxation. Allowing the body to relax is the best way of allowing the body to heal itself. Whether providing treatment for ibs, treatment for neck pain, or treatment for fatigue, an acupuncturist can make these illnesses more bearable in your day to day life, by taking the burden of treatment off your mind, and putting it in the skillful hands of the most qualified physician in the world… your own body. More on this topic.