Inner Court Acupuncture
About Chinese Medicine
Chinese Medicine is one of the oldest forms of medicine in use today, and is used to treat more than a quarter of the world's population. Part of what makes this system of medicine different from what we in the west are familiar with is the Daoist belief that everything is interconnected, and that we are reflective of and connected to our environment. With Chinese Medicine the question is not "How do we get rid of these symptoms?", but "In what way is the system out of balance?". There are many branches of Chinese Medicine that one can make use of, including dietary therapy, massage, QiGong and Tai Chi, meditation, herbal medicine, and acupuncture.
About Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a method of regulating and strengthening the flow of vital energy in the system. Acupuncturists make use of pathways in the body, called channels or meridians, to influence the flow of energy. These channels connect the acupuncture points that we use in treatment with the organ systems of the body, and provide that flow of vital energy, or "Qi" to every cell. A basic premise of acupuncture is that when there is emotional or physical pain, there is stagnation in the flow of energy and when there is free flow, there is no pain. When we experience pain or illness, it is often a sign that we have fallen out of "right relationship", and need a prod back towards self-regulation. In treatment, we work together to free up areas of constraint and holding, allow the Qi to nourish and move and warm us, and support the bodymind's innate movement towards wellness.
Part of what I have always loved about acupuncture is that it can take you to a place of real stillness, beyond illness or injury or worry - a place which is always available to us, but often gets forgotten in the stresses of daily life. When I sense my own patients tapping into that stillness, it is a cue to me that we are on the right track.
What Can Acupuncture Treat?
The following is a partial list of conditions that can be helped by acupuncture, according to the World Health Organization: