Acupuncture is an alternate form of medicine that has been around for over 5,000 years – originating in China. Even though it is accepted worldwide, there is a divide between the East and West on how it functions.
According to ancient Chinese medicine, the processes of the body works based on a Yin and Yang formula. The Yin is in charge of the cool, calm, and passive feelings. The Yang is in charge of the warm, energetic, and active feelings. In the ideal body state, the energy flows from one to the other and keeps the body balanced. Once this energy is thrown off balance, there are physical and emotional effects on the body. Physical symptoms start to appear, and people go into emotional states such as depression. Through the use of needles, acupuncture treats both these symptoms. The needles are placed in parts of the body in an effort to put the energies back in balance – when this is done, the emotional state is controlled an
the physical symptoms disappear as well.
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Though western medicine rejects this eastern theory, they do accept that acupuncture works. They try to explain it by saying that the needles stimulate certain bio-chemicals that release hormones that affect the neural system – which causes the physical and emotional symptoms. For example, for depressed people, the needles increase the uptake of serotonin in the body. However, the biggest mystery for the scientists is
how the needles are able to do this. Other than this, there are many health benefits to acupuncture.
Ultimately, the fact is that it works!