Acupuncture for Spring
Source: Western Mass News
http://www.westernmassnews.com/story/31850232/acupuncture-may-help-keep-you-healthy
If you’re feeling fatigued from the winter, a spring tune-up may be just what you need.
A treatment once used by Egyptians is now popular right here in western Massachusetts.
A poke of the skin may put a spring in your step.
“Acupuncture works great for many things. It’s been around for 5,000 years, but mainly, it boosts your immune system,” said Elizabeth Girard with Whole Body Healing in Northampton
It can also help fix neck and shoulder tension, anxiety, or allergies.
“This point is good for your immune system, good for overall energy, so we tap it in. So what we’re feeling for is the connective tissue kind of grabbing onto that and that’s what causes adenosine in your body to actually respond and have an anti-inflammatory response to it,” Girard added.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of very thin needles through the patient’s skin at specific points
In Chinese medicine, there are 12 meridians – or channels – on the body where these acupuncture points are located.
One spot that Girard happened to test was the stomach meridian
“It starts, it does goes through the stomach and it actually does start on the face, so this point is really good for allergies,” Girard explained.
The goal of acupuncture is to establish healthy body function by restoring the natural circulation of energy, known in Chinese medicine as Qi.
“We use it in the spring time to help prevent seasonal allergies often times. People get a lot of migraines, people also get more exercise, more movement, become more active. They are kind of coming out of hibernation after winter,” Girard said.
Needles stay in for about 20 minutes, but no need to be nervous. It’s actually quite comfortable. You many even fall asleep during the treatment.
This ancient form of healing is becoming mainstream. It’s often accepted in western medicine now. In fact, most of Girard’s patient’s are referrals from doctors.
