Chinese Medicine Acupuncture Article
How does Acupuncture work?
There are 14 major acupuncture meridians or channels throughout your body. They are similar to waterways except instead of water they carry life force, or chi/qi. The acupuncture meridians connect to all of your physical body including organ systems, muscles, bones, and other tissues. They carry chi/qi to these areas to provide nourishment, life energy, cleansing, and healing.
Like the Chinese organ systems, the meridians interconnect with each other so problems in one area will eventually affect other areas. Qi can become stagnant, creating excess in one area and allowing for depletion in others. When qi or life force cannot move, it cannot nourish, cleanse, or heal the tissue it should be coursing through. Pain develops when qi stagnates. Deficiency develops when qi cannot nourish you. This creates imbalances in the acupuncture meridians and Chinese organ systems. Imbalanced systems lead to diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and arthritis. Fatigue, poor memory, sleep disturbances, chronic low back pain, frequent urination, and many other common symptoms that are believed to be part of the aging process are due to lack of qi flow.
Your qi or life force can be accessed and regulated through acupuncture points that lie along these channels where the energy gathers closer to the surface. By inserting needles into specific acupuncture points, flow in the channel changes to balance the energy in the meridians. Vibrant health occurs only when energy flows unimpeded through the acupuncture channels.
Article by OmShi'. May be reprinted with the written permission of the author. ©2008
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I have had the privilege of working with OmShi’ through a difficult time in my life; I dealt with breast cancer. I came to know her as a consummate healer. She treated my body and fed my soul. She is blessed with an incredible energy that enables self healing. Thank you, OmShi’, for all you have done for me.
LD - West Chester, Pennsylvania

