ExplainerAcupuncture – how the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) therapy can relieve pain and help your body heal
- A common therapy in traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is said to help with a range of conditions, from asthma and infertility to emotional disorders
- Needles, once inserted into specific points along the skin, send a message to the body to rebalance the flow of qi, or vital energy, to promote healing
Acupuncture is among the most common therapies in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The healing practice, which involves the insertion of thin needles into the skin, is primarily used to relieve pain but is also used to help prevent and treat other conditions.
“When we insert needles into specific points on the body called acupoints, we send a message to the body to ‘rebalance’ the flow of energy,” says Michelle Zhang, a TCM practitioner from Balanced Health in Hong Kong.
These points serve as a communication pathway. “The energy, commonly known as qi, should flow freely and unobstructed. If there are blockages in this flow, illness may arise. By re-establishing good energy flow, the body can start to heal itself and your health will be restored.”
Acupuncture – then and now
Acupuncture was mentioned in an ancient Chinese medical text known as the Huangdi Neijing (the Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor), which dates back to about 100BC.
The concept of channels through which qi flows was already well-established at this time, Zhang says. The location of acupuncture points throughout the body developed later.
Over the centuries that followed, acupuncture as a technique evolved and eventually became a standard treatment in China.