Will Acupuncture help with anxiety or depression?

Acupuncture can be effective in helping manage symptoms of anxiety and depression. It is believed to stimulate the body's natural healing response, releasing endorphins and other neurotransmitters that positively affect mood and stress levels. By targeting specific points, acupuncture aims to balance the body's energy, reduce tension, and promote relaxation, contributing to an overall sense of well-being. Many find it a beneficial complement to conventional therapies for anxiety and depression.

Why do Acupuncturists look at my tongue?

Acupuncturists look at your tongue as part of a traditional Chinese medicine diagnostic process. The tongue's color, coating, shape, and moisture level provide insights into your body's health and the state of your internal organs. This practice helps them understand imbalances in the body and guide the treatment plan. The tongue is considered a map to your well-being, reflecting the overall harmony or disharmony of your Qi (vital energy).

Where do Acupuncture needles go?

Acupuncture needles are inserted into specific points on the body known as acupuncture points or acupoints, which are located along meridians or pathways believed to be the channels for the flow of Qi, or vital energy. The selection of points is tailored to each individual's condition and health needs. These points can be located all over the body, including the back, limbs, head, and ears, depending on the symptoms or disorders being treated.

Is Acupuncture ok during pregnancy?

Acupuncture is generally considered safe during pregnancy when performed by a licensed and experienced practitioner. It can help manage common pregnancy-related issues such as nausea, vomiting, back pain, and stress. However, certain acupuncture points are avoided as they may stimulate labor. It's essential to consult with your healthcare provider before starting acupuncture and ensure the acupuncturist is informed about your pregnancy and has experience in treating pregnant women.

Does Acupuncture hurt?

Acupuncture typically does not hurt. Most people experience minimal to no pain as the thin needles are inserted. Some may feel a slight pinch, tingling, warmth, or a dull ache at the insertion points, sensations often described as momentary and mild. The procedure is generally considered relaxing and even energizing. The skill of the acupuncturist and the individual's sensitivity level can influence the overall experience, but significant pain is uncommon.

What does Acupuncture do to your body?

Acupuncture stimulates specific points on the body, prompting the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These biochemical changes may stimulate the body's natural healing abilities and promote physical and emotional well-being. It can increase circulation, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and enhance the immune system. Essentially, acupuncture helps to restore balance and flow of energy in the body, leading to improved health and function.

What can Acupuncture treat?

Acupuncture can treat a wide range of conditions including chronic pain (like headaches, back pain, neck pain), arthritis, digestive disorders, mood disturbances (such as depression and anxiety), insomnia, stress, allergies, menstrual cramps, and fertility issues. It's also used for enhancing overall well-being and managing symptoms of chronic illnesses. The effectiveness can vary among individuals, but many find relief and improvement in their symptoms through acupuncture treatments.

What does Acupuncture do?

Acupuncture involves inserting fine needles at specific body points to balance the flow of Qi, the body's vital energy. It aims to promote natural healing, relieve pain, and improve function. By stimulating the body's meridians, acupuncture is used for various conditions, offering benefits like pain relief, improved circulation, and enhanced well-being.

Why Western Medicine Uses Ice for Injuries and Chinese Medicine Does Not

Why Western Medicine Ices Injuries and Chinese Medicine Does Not

In Western medicine, icing an injury is standard. Twisted your ankle? Grab a bag of frozen peas. Pulled a muscle? Apply a cold pack. The R.I.C.E. protocol (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) is commonly used in sports medicine and emergency care.

In Chinese medicine, this practice is discouraged. Applying ice to an injury may seem relieving, but from a classical perspective, it interferes with circulation and slows recovery.

Why does one system recommend cold while the other avoids it? The answer reveals differences in how each medical tradition understands injury, healing, and the flow of energy in the body.

Western Medicine: Suppress Swelling and Stabilize

The goal of icing in Western medicine is to slow the inflammatory process. Cold constricts blood vessels, limits blood flow, and reduces swelling. It also slows nerve conduction, which numbs pain.

On a cellular level, cold reduces capillary permeability, decreases metabolic activity, and stabilizes cell membranes. It suppresses the activity of pro-inflammatory mediators such as prostaglandins and cytokines. The presence of white blood cells is reduced, limiting the immune system's initial overreaction. This is intended to prevent secondary damage to tissue surrounding the injury.

In acute trauma, especially within the first 24 to 48 hours, this can be helpful. However, recent research suggests that this approach may interrupt the body’s natural repair mechanisms.

Chinese Medicine: Restore Flow and Resolve Stagnation

In Chinese medicine, trauma is viewed as an interruption to the free flow of Qi and Blood. Pain and swelling are signs of stagnation. The therapeutic goal is not to suppress inflammation, but to disperse it through circulation.

Cold constricts. It slows movement and tightens tissue. Applying ice may temporarily reduce pain and swelling, but it also risks locking stagnation deeper into the system. This can result in prolonged healing, lingering pain, or chronic stiffness.

From this perspective, pain is not something to silence. It is a call for movement, transformation, and restoration of flow.

Isn't an Injury Hot? Doesn't It Require Cooling?

Many injuries do present with heat. Chinese medicine recognizes this and applies strategies to clear it. However, rather than using external cold, practitioners use herbs with cooling actions that still promote movement.

These herbs are functionally cooling but thermally warm or neutral. They clear pathological heat without freezing circulation. This thermogenic activity reduces inflammation while maintaining Qi and Blood flow.

For example, formulas containing San Qi, Yan Hu Suo, or Ru Xiang invigorate blood, reduce swelling, and relieve pain. These are often applied topically or taken internally during the initial phases of trauma.

Modern Physiology and the Role of Circulation

Current research in physiology supports the principle that circulation promotes healing. While ice may reduce initial inflammation, it can also delay key aspects of the repair process. Studies show that it may:

Delay the activity of neutrophils and macrophages
Slow removal of damaged tissue
Suppress prostaglandin E2, which initiates regeneration
Inhibit the formation of new capillaries and connective tissue

Warmth and movement, by contrast, increase blood perfusion. This brings oxygen, removes waste, and activates the full spectrum of immune and regenerative responses. Fibroblasts, white blood cells, and platelets all depend on proper flow to do their work efficiently.

Inflammation, when well-regulated, is not harmful. It is part of the body's intelligent healing process.

What Chinese Medicine Uses Instead of Ice

Acupuncture to move Qi and Blood and regulate internal inflammatory pathways
Moxibustion or infrared heat therapy to prevent cold retention
Herbal liniments such as Die Da Jiu to disperse stagnation
Tui Na and gentle Gua Sha to improve tissue mobility and relieve pain
Topical plasters made from herbs that reduce swelling and stimulate flow
Dietary and lifestyle recommendations to avoid cold exposure, wind, and damp environments during recovery

These methods aim not just to relieve pain but to support transformation, resolution, and long-term resilience.

Conclusion

Ice is not inherently harmful, but its use should be limited to specific contexts. It can offer temporary relief during the acute phase of trauma, but if used beyond that, it may delay or complicate recovery.

Chinese medicine offers a different approach. Rather than suppressing symptoms, it works to restore flow and harmonize the body’s natural healing intelligence.

When circulation is supported and stagnation is cleared, the body not only recovers, it reorganizes itself toward greater balance. Pain becomes less of an enemy and more of a messenger, guiding the path toward resolution.