Acupuncture, although administered in Asia for thousands of years, has recently gained acceptance in the United States. Acupuncture is not only used to treat chronic (long-standing) pain, it is also used to treat acute (recent) pain and injuries. Athletes on the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Team and other professional athletes have utilized Acupuncture in the treatment of sports-related injuries.
The basis of Acupuncture is the utilization of the body's energy store Qi (pronounced Chi) to enhance pain relief and repair injured tissue. Acupuncture can be used for general well-being addictions and weight loss in addition to many other purposes. Sterile disposable needles are used to simulate (tonify) or block (reduce) the amount of Qi flowing through specific anatomical structures known as channels and meridians.
These anatomical structures are not synonymous with the nerve systems well known in Western medicine, however, there is some overlap. The awareness of parallels between Eastern and Western medicine has contributed to the widespread acceptance of this method by both physicians and patients alike.
