Acupuncture
Acupuncture is not as mystical and foreign anymore as it used to be. And still most of us don't know exactly how it actually works. We often read about Qi and Meridians and that acupuncture balances the Qi in the body or balances Yin and Yang. But whats Qi and how does Acupuncture balance it?
Qi is a simple translation for energy. What it means in Chinese Medicine is the electromagnetic current that is flowing along the channels of the body.
The channels are sometimes also called meridians. Channels is more accurate because meridians are imaginary lines and the channels in which Qi (electromagnetic current) flows are not imaginary. The channels are located in the fascia, or better between the layers of the fascia.
The currents flowing in the connective tissue (fascia) throughout the body. With acupuncture we influence the exterior pathways, which are just below the skin in the sub-dermal fascia. Sub-dermal means just below (sub) the skin (derma).
When the channels become blocked or alternated and the person cannot self-correct the flow anymore the person is no longer as healthy as he/she is should be.
Thats where acupuncture comes in. The needles work as small conductors for the electrical current in the channels helping them to find their right pathway again.
In some cases the pathway is blocked by a physical obstacle for example a sub-located bone, scar tissue or the ink of a tattoo. In that case modalities like massage, Cupping and Gua Sha should be added to the treatment.