Acupuncture
What it is and How it Works
Acupuncture is one of the two major forms of treatment used by Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners. It works by inserting fine needles into specific sites to influence physiological activity of the body.
Acupuncture is administered using the TCM theory based on Qi or vital energy that flows through the body.
This concept forms the basis for all TCM disease processes, diagnoses and treatments. When the flow of Qi is disrupted, the imbalance can result in disease or illness.
Diagnoses and Treating the Root Cause
The acupuncturist begins with an in-depth consultation to assess a patient’s overall physical health, diet, lifestyle choices and emotional state.
After identifying the disease pattern, the appropriate acupuncture points are stimulated.
A few of the most common conditions treated with acupuncture at IMEG Health® include:
Pain Management |
Women's Health |
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Emotional Wellbeing |
Other Benefits |
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Conditions Treated by Acupuncture
In 2003, the World Health Organization published a study of clinical trials on acupuncture and found acupuncture to be a proven effective treatment for the following conditions:
- Headache
- Low back pain
- Knee pain
- Neck pain
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Periarthritis of shoulder
- Sciatica
- Sprain
- Tennis elbow
- Stroke
- Allergic rhinitis including hay fever
- Dysmenorrhoea, primary
- Nausea and vomiting
- Morning sickness
- Induction of labour
- Malposition of fetus, correction of
- Depression including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke
- Hypertension, essential
- Hypotension, primary
- Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
- Postoperative pain
- Epigastralgia, acute in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm
- Dysentery, acute bacillary
- Biliary colic
- Pain in dentistry including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction
- Facial pain including craniomandibular disorders
- Renal colic
- Leukopenia
The World Health Organization also noted 64 additional conditions for which the “therapeutic effect of acupuncture has been shown but for which further proof is needed”. Of these conditions, our practitioners have special expertise in treating:
- Premenstrual Syndrome (and a host of other Women’s Health issues)
- Obesity
- Tobacco Dependency
- Insomnia
- Osteoarthritis
- Cancer Pain
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Schizophrenia
Regulation
In 1996 the Government of British Columbia established the College of Acupuncturists of BC, now named the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of BC (CTCMA) whose mandate is protection of the public through the regulation and licensing of practitioners of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. All practitioners at IMEG Health® are fully licensed by the CTCMA.