What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is the practice of using needles to stimulate points on the meridians that run along the body.

There are twelve main meridians that originate from different organs in the body, thus each meridian bears that organ’s name. Heart, Kidney, Liver, Spleen, Stomach are some of the more common ones. These meridians either start or end at the fingers & toes, so you might find your practitioner insert needles on the hands and feet to stimulate the energy of that meridians even though you might have pain in other body areas. Physiologically, acupuncture stimulates the blood flow, nerve activity, and the release of different hormones and chemicals in the body.

These needles are commonly made of stainless steel, with sizes from 12 to 40 gauge and lengths from 0.5 to 2.5 inches, they are sterile and one-time used only.

Acupuncture can treat various conditions including mental health such as stress, anxiety, depression, pain management, stroke, fertility, women’s health, and GI complaints.

Body Meridians image link

Cover Photo by Katherine Hanlon on Unsplash; Cactus Photo by Erda Estremera on Unsplash