WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE ?

"Traditional Acupuncture is a therapeutic art that bases its diagnostic and therapeutic reasoning on a Taoist energetic vision of Man and the Universe. Inscribed by UNESCO as "intangible heritage of humanity" in 2010.

Born several millennia ago, acupuncture is one of the five therapeutic disciplines used in traditional Chinese medicine :
- The concept of yin and yang which must balance each other.
- The maintenance of the original energy (Yuan Qi) in order to harmonise and regulate the body's functions.
- The restoration of the energy balance, toning up the energy when it is slowed down and dispersing it when it is blocked in order to regulate the organs.

An important thing to understand in the reasoning of traditional Chinese medicine is that nothing exists in isolation, there is a balance and permanent relationships between the external environment, the organs, the emotions, the diet, etc. A breakdown in communication between the various parts of the body will cause an imbalance resulting in stress, fatigue, pain and disease. Acupuncture uses a very precise mapping of acupuncture points located in the meridians. Meridians are complex circuits of channels through which energy flows through the body.

Traditional Chinese medicine includes several methods of treatment that are used in acupuncture :
- Acupuncture needles: of different sizes depending on the areas of the body to be treated, they stimulate the acupuncture points which are located on the meridians.
- Moxibustion: a technique which consists of heating an acupuncture point with moxas and allowing the heat to penetrate the skin.
- - Cupping therapy: always applied to targeted areas, activates congested areas of the body, helps blood circulation.
- Plum blossom hammer (mei hua zhen): instead of individual needles, this is a needle hammer, it treats superficial manifestations (especially dermatological problems).
- Auriculotherapy (er zhen): needles or seeds applied to points on the ear (e.g., pain or addiction).
- Guasha: means “to scratch” (gua) the “fever” – or “disease” – (sha). By energetic rubbing, it allows to eliminate all kinds of aches and pains such as muscular or articular pains.