acupuncture, cancer care, wellness, self-care

The term acupuncture describes a family of procedures involving the stimulation of anatomical points on the body called acupoints or acupuncture points, using a variety of techniques for therapeutic purposes. 

The most extensively studied technique  involves penetrating the skin with very fine needles that are manipulated by hand or by electrical pulses.

Practitioners of acupuncture also use heat, pressure, friction, suction, or impulses of laser or electromagnetic energy to stimulate the points. 

Research studies to pinpoint the scientific mechanism of acupuncture’s efficacy are numerous and ongoing.  The most common theories focus on the release of endorphins; the stimulation of sub-cutaneous electrical signals; impacts on the central nervous system including the release of adenosine, which has known anti-nociceptive effects; impacts on the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system; promotion and suppression of gastric peristalsis; activation of the vagus nerve; deactivation of inflammatory microphages; and deactivation of limbic brain areas.

When thinking of Oriental medicine -also known as Chinese Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, or East Asian Medicine- most people immediately think of acupuncture. 

But to a practitioner of the more than 3,000 year old medicine, acupuncture is just one of many possible treatment options. including:

• Herbal formulas 
• Medical massage 
• Moxibustion
• Eastern nutrition 

The full spectrum of Oriental medicine has been practiced for thousands of years in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other Asian countries. 

A licensed, board-certified practitioner of Oriental Medicine is trained and skilled in all of the above disciplines and may use one or more of them in order to effectively treat the patient.

Key principles of Integrative medicine*

• Patient and practitioner are partners in the healing process.
• All factors that influence health, wellness, and disease are taken into consideration, including mind, spirit, and community, as well as the body.
• Appropriate use of both conventional and alternative methods facilitates the body's innate healing response.
• Effective interventions that are natural and less invasive should be used whenever possible.
• Integrative medicine neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative therapies uncritically.
• Good medicine is based on good science. It is inquiry-driven and open to new paradigms.
• Alongside the concept of treatment, the broader concepts of health promotion and the prevention of illness are paramount.
• Practitioners of integrative medicine should exemplify its principles and commit themselves to self-exploration and self-development.