Acupuncture

Acupuncture is one of the main services offered by TCM practitioners. I use very fine, sterile acupuncture needles placed at specific points of the body. It is a very comfortable treatment that most patients find relaxes them. The points are chosen based on an intensive diagnosis of the patient based on TCM principles.

I often call acupuncture, “ahhhhhhcupuncture”–read like a sigh–because my patients often feel very relaxed after treatment and even fall asleep during treatment.

How does acupuncture work?

Traditional Chinese Medicine theory says that acupuncture works by stimulating Qi–loosely translated as “energy”– via points along the channels. Some modern practitioners and researchers of TCM say that the originators of this incredible therapy were actually referring to Qi as “oxygen” that travels in blood via blood vessels that were called meridians. So, they say that doing acupuncture increases blood flow to promote healing. Modern day science has indeed demonstrated that.

Though this powerful therapy has been used for thousands of years, we now know some of the ways that it changes the body. It releases endorphins (feel-good hormones). It increases local blood flow. It relaxes tight muscles. It changes the bioelectric resistance of the area around the points. It even connects functional pathways via the brain, as observed in real time studies of the brain (function MRI).

For more about how acupuncture works, check out my blog:

Acupuncture Research

Does acupuncture hurt?

“Total bliss,” my first thought as I rolled off the table. Hard to believe 60 minutes ago I suffered from needle phobia. Thanks to Dr. Carr’s extreme kindness, I became an acupuncture enthusiast.
–C.M., Vancouver

Acupuncture is thought to be about 2000 years old. It is discussed in the book Shuo Wen Jie Zi (Dictionary of Characters) as pien, “cure of diseases by pressing with a stone.” These sharpened stones were the origin of acupuncture needles. They were not used to puncture, but to strongly stimulate points.

Thankfully, we don’t live in the Stone Age. We now have surgical grade stainless steel, sterile, one-time-use, precisely manufactured, super fine acupuncture needles as our tools of choice. This allows acupuncture to be painless. If you are afraid of needles, not to worry! One of my patients who was originally an acuphobe (my own word for scared of acupuncture needles) gave acupuncture needles the nickname “happy sticks” after she had her first treatment. She did so because she quickly discovered that acupuncture is not scary. Feel free to use that moniker yourself if it helps you try acupuncture!