Within my practice and the Let Go & Grow program, I have the unique privilege to work with people who believe that change, and more importantly, growth, is not only possible but vital. They may have been in search mode for some time, but a belief in the more, a better experience drives them to search for solutions, [...]
If you had a wilting, withering plant left alone, inside with dim light, re-circulated air, and depleted soil—how would you bring it back to life? Most likely, you would know exactly what to do. You would give it plenty of attention, fresh air, clean water, direct sunlight, nutrient-rich soil, and maybe even some love! Instinctively, you would recognize that the plant’s bleak environment was anything but healthy, let alone life-giving, and totally unconducive to growth. In medicine, we name this concept “evolutionary mismatch.” This mismatch caused the plant to inevitably lose its luster, compromise and enter into a state of survival. Predictable right?
Many of my patients come into my office not knowing what to expect. They think acupuncture, I’ve heard it works for this and that, but does it really? In this article, I am going to go over basic philosophy, illustrate a session, and explain how acupuncture works and the conditions it treats from a Functional Perspective. Overview Before we explore the mechanisms behind how acupuncture works, it is important to note that acupuncture is only a piece of Chinese Medicine. Chinese Medicine in it of itself is a full and complete system that includes acupuncture, herbal medicine, tui na, cupping, moxibustion, stress, dietary, and lifestyle counseling- and it can be used to treat any imbalance/ disease pattern within the system. From a Functional Perspective, the primary objective and focus of an acupuncture treatment is to restore balance within the system to attain homeostasis. In order to do this an Acupuncturist will ask you a series of questions, sort of like an investigation, to find out what exactly is going on. The objective here is to identify the imbalances at play by looking at the patient’s mind, body and life as a whole as we delve into the mental, emotional, and physiological structure and function of your thoughts, feelings, dietary, environmental and other applicable lifestyle patterns. Then, we will ask to feel your pulse and observe your tongue. The tongue and pulse relay more information, on internal standings, as we continue to evaluate.
