Acupuncture is one of the most common types of complementary therapy, and is integrated in modern medicine more than any other. It can help to boost your wellness and wellbeing in a number of ways. It works on the theory of an ‘energy flow’ through channels, or ‘meridians’ in the body. There are thought to be 12 meridians in the body, corresponding to the six yin and six yang organs. For example, the large intestine meridian runs to the large intestine organ, the spleen meridian runs to the spleen organ and so on. In addition to this, eight other meridians are used as part of acupuncture.
If there is disharmony in one of the organs, this often shows up in the corresponding meridian. For example, someone who is experiencing a cardiac event may show up in the meridian that runs down the arm into the little finger. This can result in pain and numbness in this area. Acupuncture practitioners palpate diagnostic points in the body which correspond to the meridians to find out the health of the organs. Sometimes it’s the meridians themselves that need to be treated.
For example, a practitioner may treat an injured shoulder by increasing the energy and blood flow through the lung, large intestine and triple burner meridians. These meridians all pass through the injured shoulder area and so they are treated (even although the corresponding organs are healthy and not in need of treatment).
Although the meridians flow deep inside the body, each of the meridians has specific access points which can be reached from the surface of the body. There are exactly 361 of these points on the meridian lines, as well as a number of other points that are known as extraordinary. Another full set of points on the ears also relate to all of the organs in the body.