The first known medical account of acupuncture is found in, The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine, which dates from the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 ACE). Anthropologists have found records of what is believed to be acupuncture tools dating back even further to 6000 BCE. The original “needles” were sharpened stones and long sharp bones. Today, we use hair-thin stainless steel needles. Over the last century, the practice of acupuncture and what's known as "TCM" (Traditional Chinese Medicine) has become increasingly popular worldwide. International health authorities, such as the World Health Organization, have begun to investigate and recognize the effectiveness of acupuncture for more than sixty conditions, some of which include musculoskeletal pain, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, infertility, and mild depression.
While acupuncture is not for life-threatening emergencies, it can help many other conditions and can serve as a wonderful support while you are receiving other medical care (i.e. pre and post surgery, in vitro-fertilization, chemotherapy, therapy, dermatology, physical therapy, etc.). Acupuncture helps subtly adjust the functions of the human body, so that the body can heal on a deep, holistic level.
Current studies of acupuncture suggest that acupuncture can help with blood circulation, metabolism, menstrual pain, gastrointestinal motility, heart rate, blood pressure, and immune function. Acupuncture helps the body produce endorphins, block pain signals going to the brain and reduces the occurrence of muscle spasms.
