What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is the Traditional Chinese Medicine practice of using tiny, sterile needles in exact acupressure points on the body to aid in healing the body, and relieving pain, stress, and chronic conditions that Western Medicine often has a hard time treating. It’s a safe, effective method of helping your body regain good health, optimal balance, and resilience.
The ancient roots of acupuncture stretch back over 2,500 years in Asia, with the continuous refinement of several millennia of quantifiable observation, and modern innovations such as hair-thin metal needles, and sterilization. And there’s a great reason that acupuncture not only continues to be practiced today, but is seeing a resurgence in recent decades: it works.
How does acupuncture work?
While some practitioners may lean into mystical explanations like “invisible energy,” or the misunderstanding that acupuncture relies upon a placebo effect, the fact is that dozens of scientific studies keep affirming acupuncture’s effectiveness in helping to manage pain as well as other ailments, including depression, migraines, gynecological issues, stress, headaches, anxiety, and more.
One measurable way that acupuncture works is by helping your body shift into rest mode, known as parasympathetic dominance. Getting into this mode enables your body to counter cortisol levels, release stress from your cells, and restore your systems. There’s also evidence that the very act of needling can result in the body’s natural release of endorphins, which can evoke a feeling of calm and lightness. Studies also show that the needles improve neural transmission, directing and boosting your body’s natural healing response.
At SCA, as with any reputable acupuncture clinic, our practitioners use tiny, sterile, surgical-grade, single-use needles to stimulate a series of “acupressure” points on your body. We insert these needles quickly and leave them in place while you rest comfortably, or as we like to say: “cook”.
