Acupuncture Explained

Traditional Chinese healing practices, including acupuncture, have been relatively recently presented as a system on par with, if not superior to, medicine in the West. However, accompanying the introduction of Chinese healing practices to the West have come some rather widespread and fundamental misunderstandings of what acupuncture is and was, and how it developed. These misunderstandings appear to have gained widespread credence. The biggest misconception is that acupuncture, and other aspects of Chinese medicine (currently described as traditional Chinese medicine, TCM), is a reflection of the traditional medicine that is most commonly practiced in China, and, furthermore, that the medicine that is practiced in China is a true reflection of ancient practice. Neither premise is correct. Indeed, acupuncture, and what is very much now an "alternative" Chinese medicine is only a minimal vestige of ideas and practices extracted from a highly impressive variety of medical thought, and supplemented with modern elements of Western rationality. Traditional Chinese medicine explains acupuncture as a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force - known as chi or qi (chee) - believed to flow through pathways (meridians) in your body. By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians, acupuncture practitioners believe that your energy flow will re-balance. In contrast, many Western practitioners view the acupuncture points as places to stimulate nerves, muscles and connective tissue boosting your body's natural painkillers. Either way, acupuncture is becoming a more common alternative to conventional methods as a means to control a variety of painful conditions.
Purpose: Learn about acupuncture, its risks, its benefits and common misconceptions
Facilitator: Dr. Jay Chang (Guest Presenter - Recharge Wellness Clinic)