George Patides
Licensed Acupuncture Physician
Acupuncture is only one component of the health care system of China , a system of healing arts that can be traced back for at least 2,500 years. Other components implement the use of herbs, physical exercises, massage, meditation, and breathing techniques to balance one’s life force, or Chi.
The word “acupuncture” literally means “needle-piercing” referring to the traditional method of the treatment, which uses needles to help stimulate certain anatomical locations on the skin in order to relieve numerous dysfunctions of the body. Today, however, there are a variety of ways acupuncture is practiced in addition to the ancient used of needles, including electrical stimulation, acupressure, and the use of magnets.
The general theory behind acupuncture is based on the patterns, known as meridians, of energy flow throughout the body that are essential for health. Disruptions of this flow are believed to be responsible for many physical upsets such as headaches and other pain related symptoms, the flu, colds and fevers, sinus problems, kidney and urinary tract infections, irregular and painful menstruation, addictions, and several other common conditions. Acupuncture’s main purpose is to restore and maintain this energy flow in order to achieve health, health meaning not only the absence of discomfort as we often think of it here in the West, but also holistic well-being where one‘s mind, body, and spirit find vitality, stability, and peace .
