How acupuncture actually works

By Grace Okhiulu, LAC.

The previous article, An Introduction to Acupuncture was a general overview of the procedure and its history in the US. Today’s focus is on the ways acupuncture works in the body.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) of which acupuncture is a part, theorizes there is a system of vital body energy called Qi (pronounced “chee”) traveling through pathways in the body called meridians. Areas along meridians where vital energy Qi can be accessed are known appoints.

Disruption of the flow of Qi through the meridians can cause imbalance and disease. Acupuncture needles inserted strategically into points along the meridians help re-establish the correct movement of vital energy Qi to restore balance and treat disease.
Qi, meridians and points are invisible even to x-rays, CAT scans and most MRIs, so researchers have had to look different directions. For example the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan and measurements of electrical conductance in the body help demonstrate the effects of acupuncture on the body. Some documented results are:

* Areas of the body where acupuncture points are located show decreased electrical resistance on the skin, changes in sodium and potassium ion concentrations, and correspond to previously identified motor and trigger pints.

* Loose connective tissue’s body-wide communication systems correspond to acupuncture meridians. Meridians correlate with areas of increased electrical conductance on the body. Bio-electrons, when tracked, move along meridians.

Qi, meridians and points are linked to the body’s electromagnetism. The study of physics has revealed that wherever there is energy, there is an electrical and magnetic component. Clearly the body has a magnetic frequency and electrical field measurable by EEG, EMG and EKG. In 1963, researchers at Syracuse University reported the first measurements of the human heart’s magnetic field. Just one millionth of the strength of the Earth’s magnetic field, it is yet coherent and measurable throughout the entire body and beyond. An electrocardiogram (EKG) can be obtained from as far away as 15 feet from the body.

With the advent of nanotechnology came Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID), a highly sensitive superconducting magnometer. In 1971, SQUID was used to measure the magnetic field of the brain, 100 times weaker than that of the heart.

By 1989, it was discovered that DNA was a superconducting magnetic field detector able to both detect and produce magnetic signals. And in 1991, the magnetic field between the hands of healers was found to be 1,000 times stronger than the heart field. Since SQUID and other sophisticated detection devices, a greater understanding of how acupuncture works has emerged. Acupuncture works on many levels. Not just part of the nervous and circulatory systems, acupuncture overlaps and interacts with other systems to promote and achieve healing. Insertion of acupuncture needles into recognized acupuncture points can cause these reactions:

* Increased production of immune antibodies and endorphins which travel to specific injured and/or vulnerable sites. For more information call 845-518-6078.

Grace Okihlu is board certified and state licensed, she practices in the Hudson Valley.