If you’re curious about acupuncture, join the more than 3 million people who receive acupuncture treatments in the United States each year. As this number of Americans being introduced to this form of traditional Chinese medicine continues to grow, you can expect to see more practitioners of acupuncture in Miami and many other major cities in the near future. Before you book your first appointment with an acupuncturist, it is recommended that you learn about the history of acupuncture and how it works in general. It has grown for more than 2,500 years and was introduced to Western Society via a New York Times article nearly 50 years ago. Since that time, more and more patients are opting to use acupuncture in tandem with or in replacement of traditional western medicines and treatments.
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The Theory of Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been used in East Asian cultures for hundreds of years. During that time, acupuncturist have theorized that there are 12 main meridians that “Qi” flows, this is pronounced as “chee”. Within these meridians are 365 acupoints where the Qi gathers. If you look closely, you will notice that these numbers exactly mimic the months and days in a year. Each meridian is associated with a specific organ, for example, there is both a heart and liver meridian. If it is found that you have a blockage of energy, acupuncture can be used to clear that blockage. In some instances there is not enough energy within your meridians and acupuncture can be used to enhance your Qi.
Acupuncture is used to return the balance of yin and yang back to your body. While traditional western medicine will not have the same description of what acupuncture it is, it has endorsed and in many cases recommended it for people that are undergoing cancer treatments as well as those that have depression, anxiety, chronic pain, etc.
The History of Acupuncture
The first reference to acupuncture procedures within Chinese culture was in the book The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine. However, there is evidence that the principles of acupuncture have been used within East Asia since 3300 BCE. There are preserved bodies of “cavemen” from that error that show marks and piercings along the same meridians referenced within acupuncture theory. During the 15th century, acupuncturist began to clearly define all 12 meridians. Around this time, the 365 acupoints were discovered and emphasized as well.
It wasn’t until the 1970’s that Americans were introduced to the traditional chinese medicine of acupuncture. It has since grown tremendously and been studied by thousands of medical practitioners.
Is It Effective?
Acupuncture has been recognized as a highly effective and cost effective solution to many ailments, in which the reduction and/or elimination of chronic pain are of the most popular uses. Practitioners must undergo rigorous training in order to ensure that acupuncture in Miami is the same as it is in Maine. Medical professionals have long agreed that acupuncture is an excellent complementary method of treatment. In addition, there are limited side effects. Fortunately, most of the large insurance carriers are offering coverage for visits to an acupuncturist. If you are curious to learn more about acupuncture, go ahead and book yourself an appointment to learn the benefits of acupuncture firsthand.
