Needles in your skin?! Ouch! Well… not exactly. Isn’t acupuncture just some new wave trend that will soon die out? Not likely, considering it has been practiced for thousands of years. These are among the many points of clarity the western world needs on the acupuncture practice.

What designates Location Placement?

If you have a pain in your lower back, you would place needles local to the soreness, right? Wrong! Eastern practice channels pathways of energy which flow throughout the human body. These pathways-or neurotransmitters- can be manipulated with acupuncture to channel the pain away from the location of discomfort. And because they are present all through the body, it means to address pain in the lower back, you can receive needle placement anywhere from your lower calve muscle to the back of your neck.

The Effect of Needle Placement

Needle placement is based heavily on the acupuncturist’s instinctual assessment. Trained to detect the energy pathways in your individual body, the acupuncturist can detect your neuron pathways-widely varied for every individual. It is a very subjective practice with biological effects on the body, including reduced inflammation- a leading cause of cancer.

The succession in which they are placed is- based on your individual energy pathways- is  determined by a number of unique contributing factors. These can include anything and everything from the intensity of the pain you are attempting to alleviate, your body type and/or the location of the pain.

Isn’t Acupuncture Completely Psychological?

Many feel acupuncture only works because clients want it to work. This is inaccurate, as the practice has been proven to have physical effects on the body. Biologically speaking, acupuncture releases dopamine in the body to relieve pain caused by tension. This is a main reason it is effective in reducing stress and subsequently alleviating insomnia.

Ok… But don’t Those Needles Hurt?!

Acupuncture needles are incredibly thin- no wider than a strand of hair. Moreover, they do not actually puncture beyond just the surface of the skin. No deeper than the first layer of the epidermis, the needles penetrate just enough to stimulate internal activity and encourage dopamine production. Acupuncture needle use in no way resembles needle use in traditional western medicine.

Acupuncture is a great way to address a multitude of physical ailments. The practice can alleviate pain in any part of your body. And because it is proven to biologically release dopamine, it is a proven source of stress relief- a top reason so many suffer from muscle soreness. 
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