Acupuncture is one of the oldest healing therapies in the world. It is part of complementary and alternative medicine. Acupuncture helps to relieve pain, treat symptoms of disease, and helps to maintain balance within the entire body system.
In Oriental Medicine body functions are believed to be regulated by an energy called Qi (chee) which flows through the body in pathways called meridians. When the flow of Qi is disrupted the result can be imbalance or disease. Acupuncture seeks to maintain balance through stimulation of specific points on the body, which in turn, help to regulate Qi.
A common method of stimulation of acupoints is when the Acupuncturist stimulates these points by penetrating the skin with thin, metallic needles. These needles are flexible, and in many cases, as thin as human hair. The needles can be manipulated manually or by electrical stimulation. Needles can be inserted all over the body, including the ear (auricular therapy). Most patients describe an acupuncture treatment as painless or as a mild pinching sensation. The arrival of Qi in an acupoint or meridian is felt as a sensation of heaviness, numbness, or even a bit of a jolt or surge of energy.
According to the World Health Organization, acupuncture is appropriate for specific conditions related to digestive, emotional, gynecological, neurological, and respiratory symptoms. Specific maladies include headache, neck pain, back pain, allergic rhinitis, arthritis, asthma, hypertension, nausea and vomiting, adverse reactions to chemotherapy, gastrointestinal disorders, induction of labor, stroke, depression, anxiety, facial pain, postoperative pain, sciatica, tennis elbow, insomnia, weight loss, infertility, and smoking cessation. The above list is by no means comprehensive of what acupuncture treats.
Acupuncture is one of the main modalities of treatment that is offered at Avanti Acupuncture and Wellness Center in the Dr. Phillips area of Orlando, Florida.